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Instructions For Wayfarers They Will Declare: Every Journey Has Been Taken. You Shall Respond: I Have Not Been To See Myself. They Will Insist: Everything Has Been Spoken. You Shall Reply: I Have Not Had My Say. They Will Tell You: Everything Has Been Done. You Shall Reply: My Way Is Not Complete. You Are Warned: Any Way Is Long, Any Way Is Hard. Fear Not. You Are The Gate - You, The Gatekeeper. And You Shall Go Through And On . . . —alexandros Evangelou Xenopouloudakis, Third Wish
-Robert Fulghum
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Instructions For Wayfarers They

Robert Fulghum
Instructions For Wayfarers They Will Declare: Every Journey Has Been Taken. You Shall Respond: I Have Not Been To See Myself. They Will Insist: Everything Has Been Spoken. You Shall Reply: I Have Not Had My Say. They Will Tell You: Everything Has Been Done. You Shall Reply: My Way Is Not Complete. You Are Warned: Any Way Is Long, Any Way Is Hard. Fear Not. You Are The Gate - You, The Gatekeeper. And You Shall Go Through And On . . . —alexandros Evangelou Xenopouloudakis, Third Wish
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Taken
Journey
Long
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I Think My Writing Is Part Of My Ministry.
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Always Trust Your Fellow Man. And Always Cut The Cards. Always Trust God. And Always Build Your House On High Ground. Always Love Thy Neighbor. And Always Pick A Good Neighborhood To Live In.
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Remember The Little Seed In The Styrofoam Cup. The Roots Go Down And The Plant Goes Up And Nobody Really Knows How Or Why, But We Are All Like That.
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It’s The Spirit Here That Counts. The Time May Be Long, The Vehicle May Be Strange Or Unexpected. But If The Dream Is Held Close To The Heart, And Imagination Is Applied To What There Is Close At Hand, Everything Is Still Possible.
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The Indian Danced On Alone. The Crowd Clapped Up The Beat. The Indian Danced With A Chair. The Crowd Went Crazy. The Band Faded. The Crowd Cheered. The Indian Held Up His Hands For Silence As If To Make A Speech. Looking At The Band And Then The Crowd, The Indian Said, "well, What're You Waiting For? Let's Dance.
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Speed And Efficiency Do Not Always Increase The Quality Of Life.
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I Love This Child. Red-haired - Patient And Gentle Like Her Mother - Fey And Funny Like Her Father. When She Giggles I Can Hear Him When He And I Were Young. I Am Part Of This Child. It May Be Only Because We Share Genes And That Therefore Smell Familiar To Each Other.... It May Be That A Part Of Me Lives In Her In Some Important Way.... But For Now, It's Jelly Beans And 'old Macdonald' That Unite Us.
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We Are The Only Creatures That Both Laugh And Weep. I Think It's Because We Are The Only Creatures That See The Difference Between The Way Things Are And The Way They Might Be.
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Any Fool Can Make Enough Money To Survive. It's Another Thing To Keep Yourself Consistently Entertained. It's A Lot Of Work, And A Lot Of Fun, To Make A Life.
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If You Do Not Join The Dancing You Will Feel Foolish. So Why Not Dance? And I Will Tell You A Secret: If You Do Not Join The Dance, We Will Know You Are A Fool. But If You Dance, We Will Think Well Of You For Trying. If You Dance Badly To Begin And We Laugh, What Is The Sin In That? We Will Begin There.
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Do You Ever Go Off With A Long Grocery List And Come Home From The Store With A Bunch Of Different Stuff? And Somebody In The Family Unsacks The Groceries And Wants To Know Why You Got This And Didn't Get That And Just Where Is The Whatever? And You Want To Say, 'well, Just Be Glad I Came Back, Okay?' And The Unpacker Says, 'well, Next Time Bring What's On The List.'
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I've Always Thought Anyone Can Make Money. Making A Life Worth Living, That's The Real Test.
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If You Break Your Neck, If You Have Nothing To Eat, If Your House Is On Fire, Then You Got A Problem. Everything Else Is Inconvenience.
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Life Is. I Am. Anything Might Happen. And I Believe I May Invest My Life With Meaning. The Uncertainty Is A Blessing In Disguise. If I Were Absolutely Certain About All Things, I Would Spend My Life In Anxious Misery, Fearful Of Losing My Way. But Since Everything And Anything Are Always Possible, The Miraculous Is Always Nearby And Wonders Shall Never, Ever Cease.
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And Sure, I Know If You Eat This Way You'll Die. So? If You Don't Eat This Way You're Still Going To Die. Why Not Die Happy?
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When My Father Finally Got Around To Teaching Me To Drive, He Was Impressed At My "natural" Talent For Driving, Not Knowing That I Had Already Been Secretly Driving My Mother's Car Around The Neighborhood. When I Took The Test And Got My License And My Father Gave Me My Own Set Of Keys To The Car One Night At Dinner, It Was A Major Rite Of Passage For Him And My Mother. Their Perception Of Me Had Changed And Was Formally Acknowledged. For Me The Occasion Meant A Private Sanction To Do In Public What I Had Already Been Doing In Secret.
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Thinking
Purpose
Puzzles
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Mountain
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New Year
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Understanding
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Old Habits
Mad
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Powerful
Facts
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Breathing
Miracle
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Motivational
Forgiveness
Peace
The Point Is That Getting Married For Lust Or Money Or Social Status Or Even Love Is Usually Trouble. The Point Is That Marriage Is A Maze Into Which We Wander - A Maze That Is Best Got Through With A Great Companion.
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Marriage
Love Is
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Life
Work
Cutting
To Understand Our Love They'd Have To Turn The World Upside Down
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Our Love
Upside Down
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Believe
Mean
Now Everybody Has Some Secret Goals In Life.
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Secret
Life Goal
Instructions For Wayfarers They Will Declare: Every Journey Has Been Taken. You Shall Respond: I Have Not Been To See Myself. They Will Insist: Everything Has Been Spoken. You Shall Reply: I Have Not Had My Say. They Will Tell You: Everything Has Been Done. You Shall Reply: My Way Is Not Complete. You Are Warned: Any Way Is Long, Any Way Is Hard. Fear Not. You Are The Gate - You, The Gatekeeper. And You Shall Go Through And On . . . —alexandros Evangelou Xenopouloudakis, Third Wish
Taken
Journey
Long
You May Never Have Proof Of Your Importance But You Are More Important Than You Think. There Are Always Those Who Couldn’t Do Without You. The Rub Is That You Don’t Always Know Who.
Thinking
Important
May
Only Now Have I Finally Realized That My Life Has Been An Unending Field Trip. And I Have Tried Hard Not To Be A Tourist. But To Be An Adventurer, A Traveler, An Explorer, A Learner, And A Pilgrim.
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Fields
Unending
I Wanted To Be A Citizen Of The World But Not In A Superficial Way.
World
Way
Citizens
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Inspirational
Dance
Believe
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Home
Self
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Regret
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I'd Like To Speak A Foreign Language Well Enough To Get The Jokes. I'd Like To Talk With Socrates, And Watch Michelangelo Sculpt David. I'd Like To See The World As It Was A Million Years Ago And A Million Years Hence.
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Years
Watches
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Real
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Then He Read The Words Of The Scroll Slowly, First In Japanese And Then Carefully Translated Into English: 'there Is Really Nothing You Must Be. And There Is Nothing You Must Do. There Is Really Nothing You Must Have. And There Is Nothing You Must Know. There Is Really Nothing You Must Become. However. It Helps To Understand That Fire Burns, And When It Rains, The Earth Gets Wet. . . .' 'whatever, There Are Consequences. Nobody Is Exempt,' Said The Master.
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Fire
Earth
Maybe We Should Develop A Crayola Bomb As Our Next Secret Weapon. A Happiness Weapon. A Beauty Bomb. And Every Time A Crisis Developed, We Would Launch One. And People Would Smile And Get A Little Funny Look On Their Faces And Cover The World With Imagination.
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Imagination
Secret
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Book
Church
World
Hide-and-seek, Grown-up Style. Wanting To Hide. Needing To Be Sought. Confused About Being Found.
Confused
Style
Found
So You Drive As Far As You Can, Even When You Can Clearly Read The Sign. You Want To Think You Are Exempt, That It Doesn’t Apply To You. But It Does. Life Is Still A Dead End. And We Still Have A Hard Time Believing It
Believe
Hard Times
Thinking
One Of The Very Few Reasons I Had Any Respect For My Mother When I Was Thirteen Was Because She Would Reach Into The Sink With Her Bare Hands - Bare Hands - And Pick Up That Lethal Gunk And Drop It Into The Garbage. To Top That, I Saw Her Reach Into The Wet Garbage Bag And Fish Around In There Looking For A Lost Teaspoon. Bare Hands - A Kind Of Mad Courage.
Family
Mother
Hands
Even The Finest Workman Needs To Inspect His Work Critically.
Needs
Finest
Workmen
Public Lives Are Lived Out On The Job And In The Marketplace, Where Certain Rules, Conventions, Laws, And Social Customs Keep Most Of Us In Line. Private Lives Are Lived Out In The Presence Of Family, Friends, And Neighbors Who Must Be Considered And Respected Even Though The Rules And Proscriptions Are Looser Than What's Allowed In Public. But In Our Secret Lives, Inside Our Own Heads, Almost Anything Goes.
Jobs
Law
Secret
Making A Living And Having A Life Are Not The Same Thing. Making A Living And Making A Life That's Worthwhile Are Not The Same Thing. Living The Good Life And Living A Good Life Are Not The Same Thing. A Job Title Doesn't Even Come Close To Answering The Question. "what Do You Do?".
Life
Jobs
Titles
If You Notice Phrases, Ideas, And Anecdotes That Closely Resemble Those That Appear Elsewhere In My Writing, It's Not A Matter Of Sloppy Editing. I'm Repeating Myself. I'm Reshuffling Words In The Hope That Just Once I Might Say Something Exactly Right. And I'm Still Wrestling With Dilemmas That Are Not Easily Resolved Or Easily Dismissed. I Run At Them Again And Again Because I Am Not Finished With Them. Any May Never Be. Work-in- Progress On A Life-in-progress Is What My Writing Is About. And Some Progress In The Work Is Enough To Keep It Going On.
Life
Running
Hope
We Could Learn A Lot From Crayons; Some Are Sharp, Some Are Pretty, Some Are Dull, While Others Bright, Some Have Weird Names, But They All Have Learned To Live Together In The Same Box.
Names
Together
Dull
Even If Your Watch Is Full Of Diamonds The Hour Is Still 60 Minutes
Wisdom
Watches
Hours
Is It Always To Be A Winners-losers World, Or Can We Keep Everyone In The Game? Do We Still Have What It Takes To Find A Better Way?
Games
World
Way
I Talk About Very Serious Human Affairs But With A Lightness Of Heart.
Heart
Serious
Affair
Dreams Are More Powerful Than Facts.
Hope
Dream
Powerful
My Goal Now Is To Dance All The Dances As Long As I Can, And Then To Sit Down Contented After The Last Elegant Tango Some Sweet Night And Pass On Because There Wasn't Another Dance Left In Me.
Dance
Sweet
Night
For Thirty Years Now, In Times Of Stress And Strain, When Something Has Me Backed Against The Wall And I'm Ready To Do Something Really Stupid With My Anger, A Sorrowful Face Appears In My Mind And Asks... "problem Or Inconvenience?" I Think Of This As The Wollman Test Of Reality. Life Is Lumpy. And A Lump In The Oatmeal, A Lump In The Throat, And A Lump In The Breast Are Not The Same Lump. One Should Learn The Difference.
Wall
Stress
Stupid
But Since Everything And Anything Are Always Possible, The Miraculous Is Always Nearby, And Wonders Shall Never, Ever Cease.
Wonder
Miraculous
Cease
Only An Open Mind Still Has Room For New Knowledge. What Is Outgrown And Used Up Must Be Discarded To Make Room For What Is Yet To Be Learned. And Much Of The Best Thinking Is Done Alone-in Deserts, On Beaches, In Bed, Behind Closed Doors. It Is Why We Say We Need To Get Away-to Escape From Clutter And Busyness-to Hear Ourselves Think.
Beach
Learning
Thinking
If I Don't Have Time To Live My Life Well The First Time, When Am I Going To Find The Time To Go Back And Live It Over?
Firsts
Living My Life
First Time
Clean Up Your Own Mess.
Cleaning
Clean
Mess
To Ponder Is Not To Brood Or Grieve Or Even Meditate. It Is To Wonder At A Deep Level.
Grieving
Levels
Wonder
Never Forget That Music Is Too Important To Be Left Entirely In The Hands Of Professionals.
Hands
Important
Never Forget
The Sikh Gave Him The Money. When Menon Asked For His Address So That He Could Repay The Man, The Sikh Said That Menon Owed The Debt To Any Stranger Who Came To Him In Need, As Long As He Lived. The Help Came From A Stranger And Was To Be Repaid To A Stranger.
Inspirational
Men
Long
Why Is Love Easy? I Don’t Know. And The Raccoons Don’t Say.
Easy
Raccoons
Knows
You Can't Always Explain Everything You Do To Everybody, You Know.
Explanation
Knows
Remember, Most Of Us Got Something For Nothing The First Time Just By Showing Up Here At Birth. Now We Have To Qualify.
Showing Up
Firsts
Birth
It's Not That I'm Not Grateful For All This Attention. It's Just That Fame And Fortune Ought To Add Up To More Than Fame And Fortune.
Success
Grateful
Add
Don't Worry That Children Never Listen To You; Worry That They Are Always Watching You.
Marriage
Mother
Children
We’re All A Little Weird. And Life Is A Little Weird. And When We Find Someone Whose Weirdness Is Compatible With Ours, We Join Up With Them And Fall Into Mutually Satisfying Weirdness — And Call It Love — True Love.
Love
Funny
Life
It Doesn’t Matter What You Say You Believe - It Only Matters What You Do.
Believe
Matter
The World Does Not Need Tourists Who Ride By In A Bus Clucking Their Tongues. The World As It Is Needs Those Who Will Love It Enough To Change It, With What They Have, Where They Are.
Love
Tongue
Tourists
What I Notice Is That Every Adult Or Child I Give A New Set Of Crayolas To Goes A Little Funny. The Kids Smile, Get A Glazed Look On Their Faces, Pour The Crayons Out, And Just Look At Them For A While....the Adults Always Get The Most Wonderful Kind Of Sheepish Smile On Their Faces--a Mixture Of Delight And Nostalgia And Silliness. And They Immediately Start Telling You About All Their Experiences With Crayolas.
Children
Kids
Giving
I Fear The Boredom That Comes With Not Learning And Not Taking Chances.
Blessing
Boredom
Take A Chance
The Heart Will Turn To A Prune If Love Is Always By The Numbers. How Will You Know If Someone Really Loves You If They Only Meet Your Expectations And Not Your Needs?
Love You
Heart
Love Is
Living Things Have Been Doing Just That For A Long, Long Time. Through Every Kind Of Disaster And Setback And Catastrophe. We Are Survivors.
Long
Survivor
Kind
It Is The Chair In Honor Of All Those Who, However Competently, Embrace The Impossible. Sit In That Chair Someday.
Honor
Impossible
Someday
Peace Is Not Something You Wish For, It's Something You Make
Peace
Coping Mechanisms
Wish
Life Is Lumpy. And A Lump In The Oatmeal, A Lump In The Throat, And A Lump In A Breast Are Not The Same Lump. One Should Learn The Difference.
Differences
Oatmeal
Life Is
Children Are Sent To School To Be Civilized, To Learn To Be Part Of The Social Enterprise.
Children
School
Social
When My Neighbor Walks The Dogs, He Performs A Ritual Act Of Sacer Simplicitas, To Use The Church Latin: "sacred Simplicity." Walking The Dog Is In Truth A Ritual Of Renewal And Revival On An Intimate Scale - A Small Rebirth Of Well-being On A Daily Basis.
Dog
Latin
Journey
It Will Be A Great Day When Our Schools Have All The Money They Need, And Our Air Force Has To Have A Bake-sale To Buy A Bomber.
Funny
Military
School
Sometimes During The Day, I Consciously Focus On Some Ordinary Object And Allow Myself A Momentary "paying-attention." This Paying-attention Gives Meaning To My Life. I Don't Know Who It Was, But Someone Said That Careful Attention Paid To Anything Is A Window Into The Universe. Pausing To Think This Way, Even For A Brief Moment, Is Very Important. It Gives Quality To My Day.
Thinking
Giving
Perspective
I've Always Made A Clear Distinction Between Making A Life And Making A Living.
Distinction
Made
Clear
Understanding Quotes: Their Essence and Application

Quotes, or quotations, are powerful tools in communication, encapsulating ideas, emotions, and wisdom in concise expressions. They serve various purposes across different contexts, from academic writing to everyday conversation.

1. Defining Quotes

A quote is a repetition of someone else's statement or thoughts. It can be a direct replication of words spoken or written by another individual, often used to support arguments, provide evidence, or convey profound insights.


2. The Importance of Quotes

2.1. Enhancing Credibility

Incorporating quotes from authoritative sources can bolster the credibility of your work. By referencing experts or primary sources, you demonstrate thorough research and a solid foundation for your arguments.


2.2. Providing Evidence

Quotes serve as concrete evidence to support claims. In academic and professional writing, they validate points made, offering readers a basis to trust the information presented.


2.3. Conveying Emotions and Perspectives

Quotes can encapsulate emotions and perspectives succinctly. They allow writers to express complex feelings or viewpoints through the words of others, often more eloquently than paraphrasing.


3. Types of Quotes

3.1. Direct Quotes

Direct quotes involve copying the exact words from a source, enclosed in quotation marks. They are used when the original wording is significant or particularly well-expressed.


3.2. Indirect Quotes (Paraphrasing)

Indirect quotes restate the original message in your own words. While not enclosed in quotation marks, they still require proper attribution to the original source.


3.3. Block Quotes

Block quotes are lengthy direct quotations, formatted as a separate block of text. They are typically used for quotes exceeding a certain length, varying by citation style. For instance, in APA style, quotes longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotes.



4. Proper Usage of Quotes


4.1. Contextual Relevance

Ensure that the quote you choose is relevant to the topic and adds value to your content. Avoid inserting quotes solely for decorative purposes.


4.2. Integration into Your Writing

Seamlessly integrate quotes into your writing. Introduce them appropriately and follow up with analysis or commentary to connect them to your main points.


4.3. Attribution and Citation

Always attribute quotes to their original authors and provide proper citations according to the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).


5. Common Mistakes to Avoid


5.1. Overusing Quotes

Relying too heavily on quotes can overshadow your voice. Use them sparingly to support your arguments, not replace them.


5.2. Lack of Analysis

Presenting a quote without analysis or explanation can leave readers questioning its relevance. Always follow up with your interpretation or discussion.


5.3. Misquoting or Taking Out of Context

Ensure that quotes are accurate and not taken out of context, as this can mislead readers and undermine your credibility.



6. Quotes in Different Contexts


6.1. Academic Writing

In academic writing, quotes are used to support arguments, provide evidence, and engage with existing literature. Proper citation is crucial to avoid plagiarism.


6.2. Journalism

Journalists use quotes to provide firsthand accounts, add authenticity, and present multiple perspectives within a story.


6.3. Literature and Creative Writing

In literature, quotes can be used to convey character voices, themes, and stylistic elements. They enrich narratives and provide depth to storytelling.



7. Punctuation and Formatting


Understanding the correct punctuation and formatting of quotes is essential:


Quotation Marks: Always enclose direct quotes within quotation marks.


Punctuation Placement: In American English, periods and commas are placed inside quotation marks, while colons and semicolons are placed outside.


Block Quotes: For longer quotes, format them as block quotes without quotation marks, and indent the entire block.



8. Ethical Considerations


Ethical use of quotes involves accurate representation, proper attribution, and respect for intellectual property. Misuse can lead to plagiarism, which carries serious academic and professional consequences.

9. Tools for Managing Quotes


Utilize tools like citation generators and plagiarism checkers to manage quotes effectively. These tools help ensure proper formatting and originality in your writing.



Conclusion


Quotes are invaluable in enriching content, providing evidence, and conveying complex ideas succinctly. When used appropriately, they enhance the quality and credibility of your writing. Always ensure relevance, proper integration, and ethical usage to maximize their impact.


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