Kellie McConnell

“After we returned to the Continental late that afternoon I left Marina, summoned Sharif, called a taxi, and told the driver to head out of town. When we reached a filthy village, I ordered a halt and told Sharif to follow me down an alley. At the first dried clay hut, without windows and with open door, I poked my nose in and saw a woman, half a dozen scabious children, some chickens and a baby lying on heaps of rags.
One of its eyes festered and was crawling with flies. I suggested to the mother that trachoma was easily curable and she should take her baby to the clinic. She seemed embarrassed. Sharif had a long, earnest conversation. Finally he explained: 'It isn't trachoma. You see, under our law any healthy boy, when he grows up, has to do military service. But his father needs this one in the fields to help draw the plough. So his mother put his mother put his eye out with a pin.' At that point, reflecting on Lotfallah's princely luncheon, I knew there had to be an Egyptian revolution.”
― C.L. Sulzberger

“Jesus Christ knew the truth of this when he said: 'If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.' One gets too close to his own affairs and becomes doubtful and fearful.

The friend or 'healer' sees clearly the success, health, or prosperity, and never wavers, because he is not close to the situation.

It is much easier to 'demonstrate' for some one else than for one's self, so a person should not hesitate to ask for help, if he feels himself wavering.

A keen observer of life once said 'no man can fail, if some one person sees him successful.' Such is the power of the vision, and many a great man has owed his success to a wife, or sister, or a friend who 'believed in him' and held without wavering to the perfect patter!”
― Florence Scovel Shinn, The Game of Life & How to Play It

“I found myself pleading with my mother one icy night.

Could you please, please be a little bit maternal for a few minutes?

I didn't know how I would make it through the next few hours. I feared I might not make it through the next few hours. Her face went momentarily soft.

Yes, darling, she said, and cocked her perfectly coiffed head. there was still a small openness in my heart for her, it was true. A pinprick from which blood or love or whatever still flowed. She was part of me, after all. I was part of her. No matter what, it was true. She was in me. You can't disown what's yours, no matter how hard you try. What's yours is yours is yours.

Thank you, I mewed, dropped a tear or two.
She came closer, spoke softly.
Could you maybe just explain to me what that means?”
― Elisa Albert, After Birth

“The Americans were appalled by Russian toughness. A drunken Soviet officer was arrested by British MPs and turned over to the Russians. The next day a note of apology was sent to the Persian government and the British mission by the Red Army's local command. The note said rather curiously that the officer would have been severely reprimanded 'but unfortunately he died during the night.' Connolly told me a veteran Soviet pilot accepted delivery of one of the P-39s we had been furnishing to the Russians. They were assembled in Iran and flown up b Soviet pilots. This poor character ran his plane into a mountain. Connolly decided it would be a nice gesture to put on a special funeral. The American commander and some of his chief officers showed up for the service but the Russians only sent a minor official. This official arose and spoke: 'Stalin said a soldier must know his weapons. Obviously this pilot did not. And he committed the unpardonable crime of smashing up a valuable plane.' That was all. There was embarrassed silence among the Americans.”
― C.L. Sulzberger