Favorite Quotes
Since it seems like a story isn't going to happen today... (gah!), but I still want to post something everyday in February I am going to share some of my favorite quotes, some I discovered quite a while ago and some are new, some are funny, most are serious. I hope you enjoy reading them, I think quotes can be very powerful when used properly :)
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft-living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Let love and vaity be extinguished and the great passions of ambition, patriotism, break out and burn" - John Adams
"[It was] to the frontier [that] the American intellect owes its striking characteristics. that coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and acquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom - these are traits of the frontier, or traits called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier." - Frederick Jackson Turner
"Young man, what we meant in going for those redcoats was this: we always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to. They didn't mean we should." - Levi Preston (Revolutionary War veteran)
The following quotes are from the book Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. It's a wonderful book, I highly suggest it!
"In every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown actual or visionary."
"Standing there, gaping at this monstrous and inhuman spectacle of rock and cloud and sky and space, I feel a ridiculous greed and possessiveness come over me. I want to know it all, possess it all, embrace the entire scene, deeply, totally... An insane wish? Perhaps not - at least there's nothing else, no one human, to dispute possession with me." (I feel this way about the Rockies quite often :D )
"We are obliged, therefore, to spread the news, painful and bitter though it may be for some to hear, that all living things on earth are kindred."
"There are some who frankly and boldly advocate the eradication of the last remnants of wilderness and the complete subjugation of nature to the requirements of - not man - but industry. This is a courageous view, admirable in its simplicity and power, and with the weight of all modern history behind it. It is also quite insane."
"A man on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles." (I'm a big advocate of walking around to explore, I was lucky enough to visit Japan in November and I enjoyed myself most when I was left to wander, even though I did almost get lost in a neighborhood in Hakone...)
"...let them take risks, for godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American." (Hell yeah! LOL I love this quote, get out of your cars people!)
"A man can be a lover and defender of wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled surfaces. We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it... We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope, without it the life of the cities would drive all men into crime or drugs or psychoanalysis."
"I would like to introduce here an entirely new argument... the wilderness should be preserved for political reasons. We may need it someday not only as a refuge from excessive industrialism but also as a refuge from authoritarian government, from political oppression. Grand Canyon, Big Bend, Yellowstone, and the High Sierras may be required to function as bases for guerrilla warfare against tyranny." (Oh Edward Abbey, such an anarchist, but I do agree, America's wilderness is its greatest asset for more than just resources :) )
"I am convinced now that the desert has no heart, that it presents a riddle which has no answer, and the riddle itself is an illusion created by some limitation or exaggeration of the displaced human consciousness."
Alright, I better stop there, I could quote that book until the cows come home. I feel it should be included in American literature classes, I think there is something to be taught from the environmental writers, but they rarely are heard. Like John Muir, it surprises me how few people have heard of him (if you are one of those, look him up right now!). Speaking of environmental writers... I now present some words from one Enos Mills, Coloradan, formerly of Kansas, and the father of Rocky Mountain National Park (this is a man after my own heart, I smile ear to ear whenever I read his stuff):
"I have never been able to decide which I love best, birds or trees, but as these are really comrades it does not matter, for they can take first place together."
"Sincerity, hope, and repose enrich the lives of those people who live among the crags and pines of mountain fastnesses."
"Out in the wilds with nature is one of the safest and most sanitary of places. Bears are not seeking to devour, and the death-list from lions, wolves, snakes, and all other bugbears combined does not equal the death-list from fire, automobiles, street cars, or banquets. Being afraid of nature or a rainstorm is like being afraid of the dark."
"I believed in fairies, and by watching the changing camp-fire kept my facies frolicking in realms of mystery where all the world was young."
"This is a beautiful world, and all who go out under the open sky will feel the gentle, kindly influence of Nature and hear her good tidings. The forests of the earth are flags of Nature. they appeal to all and awaken inspiring universal feelings. Enter the forest and the boundaries of nations are forgotten. It may be that some time an immortal pine will be the flag of a united and peaceful world."
"The birds of the Rockies, as well as the bigger folk who live there, have ways of their own which distinguish them from their kind in the East. They sing with more enthusiasm, but with the same subtle tone that everywhere tells that all is right with the world, and makes all to the manner born glad to be alive."
"I have long thought that anyone who appreciates trees or birds is one who is either good or great, or both."
"The Rockies are not a type, but an individuality, singularly rich in mountain scenes which stir one's blood and which strengthen and sweeten life."
"Nature is the strongest, most lasting friend a man can have, because she ever keeps his ideals before him."
"He who feels the spell of the wild, the rhythmic melody of falling water, the echoes among the craigs, the bird-songs, the wind in the pines, and the endless beat of wave upon the shore, is in tune with the universe. And he will know what human brotherhood means."
I could go on and on with his quotes as well... I guess I'm going to wrap it up, I guess it all ended up being serious XP Well, I suppose that must be how I feel today. I hope you enjoyed reading the words of these men. Next time I do this I'll have to be sure to include quotes of wise women as well!
"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft-living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." - Theodore Roosevelt
"Let love and vaity be extinguished and the great passions of ambition, patriotism, break out and burn" - John Adams
"[It was] to the frontier [that] the American intellect owes its striking characteristics. that coarseness and strength combined with acuteness and acquisitiveness; that practical, inventive turn of mind, quick to find expedients; that masterful grasp of material things, lacking in the artistic but powerful to effect great ends; that restless, nervous energy; that dominant individualism, working for good and for evil, and withal that buoyancy and exuberance which comes with freedom - these are traits of the frontier, or traits called out elsewhere because of the existence of the frontier." - Frederick Jackson Turner
"Young man, what we meant in going for those redcoats was this: we always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to. They didn't mean we should." - Levi Preston (Revolutionary War veteran)
The following quotes are from the book Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. It's a wonderful book, I highly suggest it!
"In every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown actual or visionary."
"Standing there, gaping at this monstrous and inhuman spectacle of rock and cloud and sky and space, I feel a ridiculous greed and possessiveness come over me. I want to know it all, possess it all, embrace the entire scene, deeply, totally... An insane wish? Perhaps not - at least there's nothing else, no one human, to dispute possession with me." (I feel this way about the Rockies quite often :D )
"We are obliged, therefore, to spread the news, painful and bitter though it may be for some to hear, that all living things on earth are kindred."
"There are some who frankly and boldly advocate the eradication of the last remnants of wilderness and the complete subjugation of nature to the requirements of - not man - but industry. This is a courageous view, admirable in its simplicity and power, and with the weight of all modern history behind it. It is also quite insane."
"A man on foot, on horseback or on a bicycle will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles." (I'm a big advocate of walking around to explore, I was lucky enough to visit Japan in November and I enjoyed myself most when I was left to wander, even though I did almost get lost in a neighborhood in Hakone...)
"...let them take risks, for godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American." (Hell yeah! LOL I love this quote, get out of your cars people!)
"A man can be a lover and defender of wilderness without ever in his lifetime leaving the boundaries of asphalt, powerlines, and right-angled surfaces. We need wilderness whether or not we ever set foot in it... We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope, without it the life of the cities would drive all men into crime or drugs or psychoanalysis."
"I would like to introduce here an entirely new argument... the wilderness should be preserved for political reasons. We may need it someday not only as a refuge from excessive industrialism but also as a refuge from authoritarian government, from political oppression. Grand Canyon, Big Bend, Yellowstone, and the High Sierras may be required to function as bases for guerrilla warfare against tyranny." (Oh Edward Abbey, such an anarchist, but I do agree, America's wilderness is its greatest asset for more than just resources :) )
"I am convinced now that the desert has no heart, that it presents a riddle which has no answer, and the riddle itself is an illusion created by some limitation or exaggeration of the displaced human consciousness."
Alright, I better stop there, I could quote that book until the cows come home. I feel it should be included in American literature classes, I think there is something to be taught from the environmental writers, but they rarely are heard. Like John Muir, it surprises me how few people have heard of him (if you are one of those, look him up right now!). Speaking of environmental writers... I now present some words from one Enos Mills, Coloradan, formerly of Kansas, and the father of Rocky Mountain National Park (this is a man after my own heart, I smile ear to ear whenever I read his stuff):
"I have never been able to decide which I love best, birds or trees, but as these are really comrades it does not matter, for they can take first place together."
"Sincerity, hope, and repose enrich the lives of those people who live among the crags and pines of mountain fastnesses."
"Out in the wilds with nature is one of the safest and most sanitary of places. Bears are not seeking to devour, and the death-list from lions, wolves, snakes, and all other bugbears combined does not equal the death-list from fire, automobiles, street cars, or banquets. Being afraid of nature or a rainstorm is like being afraid of the dark."
"I believed in fairies, and by watching the changing camp-fire kept my facies frolicking in realms of mystery where all the world was young."
"This is a beautiful world, and all who go out under the open sky will feel the gentle, kindly influence of Nature and hear her good tidings. The forests of the earth are flags of Nature. they appeal to all and awaken inspiring universal feelings. Enter the forest and the boundaries of nations are forgotten. It may be that some time an immortal pine will be the flag of a united and peaceful world."
"The birds of the Rockies, as well as the bigger folk who live there, have ways of their own which distinguish them from their kind in the East. They sing with more enthusiasm, but with the same subtle tone that everywhere tells that all is right with the world, and makes all to the manner born glad to be alive."
"I have long thought that anyone who appreciates trees or birds is one who is either good or great, or both."
"The Rockies are not a type, but an individuality, singularly rich in mountain scenes which stir one's blood and which strengthen and sweeten life."
"Nature is the strongest, most lasting friend a man can have, because she ever keeps his ideals before him."
"He who feels the spell of the wild, the rhythmic melody of falling water, the echoes among the craigs, the bird-songs, the wind in the pines, and the endless beat of wave upon the shore, is in tune with the universe. And he will know what human brotherhood means."
I could go on and on with his quotes as well... I guess I'm going to wrap it up, I guess it all ended up being serious XP Well, I suppose that must be how I feel today. I hope you enjoyed reading the words of these men. Next time I do this I'll have to be sure to include quotes of wise women as well!