Hector Nicley

“Young fantasies of magic and of mystery
Are over. But they really can't compete
With all we've built together: A long history.
Connections that help render us complete.
Ties that hold and heal us. And the sweet,
Sweet pleasures of an ordinary life.”
― Judith Viorst, Forever Fifty and Other Negotiations

“Everything is cloudy and unclear. Still, you should learn to say nothing that will cause you regret. You should not say what is not in your heart—or what is only in your heart for a moment. But you know this—silence is better.”
― David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars

“What it demonstrates is how difficult it is for any of us to listen to our own voice or maintain our own beliefs in the presence of others. If any of you think you would have marched differently, then ask yourself why you were clapping. Lads, there is a great need in all of us to be accepted, but you must trust what is unique or different about yourself, even if it is odd or unpopular. As Frost said, “‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference.”
― N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society

“...the longest I'm in Washington the more I realize that most people in this town tend to act with the calm forethought of a beheaded chicken.”
― Herman Wouk, Inside, Outside: A Novel