WHY THE QUOTES?

If you follow me on facebook, you are no doubt familiar with my quotes.  I generally try to make at least one status of the day some sort of quote, usually something encouraging, maybe something funny.   I have had some people tell me that I should post a “real” status and not do the quotes.   To them, I say, please keep scrolling.

Why do I post quotes? I guess it’s pretty simple. I like them. But, if I dig a little deeper, I post them because they inspire me.   And, more often than not, the inspiration doesn’t stop with me.  I often get comments or messages saying, “that’s exactly what I needed to hear today.” or “How did you know?”   The truth is, I generally don’t know.   Yet, somehow the universe leads me to a quote that inspires me and I post it.  I use a variety of sources (and since I’ve been doing it a while, my memory is one of them).    Quotes inspire me to push a little farther when I feel like giving up. They also give me a chuckle from time to time and, yes, sometimes, they give hit me too close to home. Sometimes I’m afraid to post some of my quotes because they are too raw for even me, but I know that if it’s something I need to hear, then it is something that someone else needs to hear-maybe they are having a bad day and need encouragement or just a laugh.  

Do I have a favorite quote? To be completely honest, I don’t know that I do.  I do have an affinity for quotes by religious leaders such as Buddha and Mother Theresa because they aren’t always about religion as much as they are about the human experience, and being open to the Divine, to not giving up, to enlightenment.   I also have a fascination with quotes by everyone’s favorite Doctor…Dr. Seuss (even though, yes, I’m sad to admit that, sometimes, the quotes attributed to the good Doc, aren’t his quotes at all, for example “Be who you are, say what you mean, and mean what you say, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”).   Humorist Erma Bombeck’s quote “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'.” is easily one of my simple favorites.  

Sometimes, I choose scripture.  When I die, I want the following scripture engraved on my wooden cremation urn:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

-Micah 6:8 (NIV)

Here’s my confession: I don’t really know when, why, or even how my love of quotes came about, but over time, it is something, quite like my wearing of the bow tie, that is one of my recognizable attributes.   I’m humbled when someone tells me that a particular quote has touched him or her in a positive way.  That, to me is part of my mission in this life, to somehow share unknowingly with someone something that is going to make a day brighter.  I may not be able to do much financially, but if being a messenger of positivity or humor is my lot in life, then I do hope that, when I stand before God, like Mrs. Bombeck’s quote I can say that “I used up every talent you gave me.”  If that is the legacy I’m able to leave behind, then I’m proud to do it.