Willodean Trace

“There is a reason why it used to be that politics, religion, and sex were not topics for polite conversation. It is because our grandparents knew that while everyone is legally entitled to vote, pray, and fuck, the vast majority of people aren’t competent to do any one of the three properly.”
― J.K. Franko

“We are the choices we make.”
― Patrick Ness, The Knife of Never Letting Go

“That was as rough a thing as I ever heard tell of happening to a boy. And I'm mighty proud to learn how my boy stood up to it. You couldn't ask any more of a grown man... It's not a thing you can forget. I don't guess it's a thing you ought to forget. What I mean is, things like that happen. They may seem mighty cruel and unfair, but that's how life is part of the time. But that isn't the only way life is. A part of the time, it's mighty good. And a man can't afford to waste all the good part, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad.”
― Fred Gipson, Old Yeller

“We need to better ourselves . . . fight racism. . . How? We talk. We learn. We think. Think before you say something racist. Does it need to be said? Does it help at all?”
― Art Rios, Let's Talk: ...About Making Your Life Exciting, Easier, And Exceptional