Six of My Favorite Quotes (Because Any More Would Be Ridiculous)

In response to MamaKat’s weekly writing prompt, I am sharing some of my favorite quotations. Six of them to be exact. Which was pretty challenging. It’s like when someone asks me to pick a favorite song … or movie … or kid. Actually, I can usually answer that last one but the answer varies. And it doesn’t always share my last name.

Anyway, here they are. In no particular order. I went with the first six that popped into my head. Needless to say, there are many more I could list here. And my brain droned on and on with other suggestions for hours. But rules are rules, brain. And we agreed. Only six.

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“It’s true you know. You’re only young once. But, if you work it right, once is enough.” – Gidget

I used this quote in my high school yearbook. And I’m talking about TV’s Sally Field (not Sandra Dee of the movie) for the record. The show came on in syndication back then and Gidget was a high school nickname of mine. So the quote seemed fitting. Never mind the fact that all of my fellow classmates were quoting heavy hitters like Nietzche, Gandhi and Demosthenes.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

I can still remember reading these famous lines for the first time in school. They’ve always struck me. Pure poetry. Literally.

“To love another person is to see the face of God.” – Victor Hugo

Fine. Make fun of me. I can take it. I’m comfortable enough as a person to state unequivocally that some of the lines from Les Miserables get me every time. And, as if they weren’t salient enough, when my young daughter sings them to me, well …. in a word … Kleenex.

“Has anyone in this family ever even seen a chicken?” – Michael Bluth

There is a magnet on my refrigerator featuring this quote. It’s one of thousands I could have written here from the short-lived FOX Classic Arrested Development. Yes, I am a disciple. Yes, I will be tuning in for the new episodes. And, yes, I cannot WAIT for the movie.

“I find that a duck’s opinion of me is very much influenced by whether or not I have bread.” – Mitch Hedberg

This man was funny. It’s not often that I laugh out loud at something that someone does on purpose. But I was never able to stay quiet through much of what he said.

“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!” – Theodor Geisel

In truth, I could have listed any couplet from this entire book. But I think I’m especially fond of this one ever since Smithers and Mr. Burns spoofed it so beautifully back in 1993.

* * * * * * * * * *

What about YOU?

Do you have a favorite quote you want to share with the class?

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35 responses to “Six of My Favorite Quotes (Because Any More Would Be Ridiculous)

  1. Love them,Dr. Suess is the best

    • I would have been just as happy to include something here featuring his “roast beast.” He’s always been an inspiration to me. And, apparently, 600 million other readers. Lemmings!

  2. Like you, I have many. I think the day and time affect dearly which ones rise to the top. I could quote Leonard Cohen all day. I’m not sure Leonard himself would dig that too much,but whatcha gonna do?

    My favorite, and I didn’t use it in the prompted writing is this one:

    Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you – Gandhi

  3. There are a few there that go through my mind regularly, but the Frost poem is the most frequent.

  4. “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.”
    -Robert Fulghum adapted from Dr. Seuss’

  5. Loved all of these! Missed that Simpson’s episode I guess but now I can’t wait to see it!

    • It’s from the 4th season and it’s called ‘Last Exit to Springfield.” According to the writers, fans have dubbed it “the greatest one ever written” and, like me, they simply refer to it as “the strike episode.” I recommend dropping whatever you’re doing and watching it. Right now. (Seriously … that email can wait.) Then, come back and tell me what you think. 🙂

      • Simpsons Quote? Those are among my favorite – I am going to guess the quote from the episode you mention – “Why have you turned my office into a house of lies?”

      • Who is … Dr. Wolfe, the dentist, immediately before torturing Ralph Wiggum with ‘The Big Book of British Smiles?’

        Lagniappe Simpsons Trivia – Dr. Wolfe was portrayed by series V/O regular Hank Azaria after two actors (Anthony Hopkins & Clint Eastwood) rejected the role and another (Anthony Perkins) died before recording it.

  6. Ah yes the gritty voice is reminiscent of Moe when he is conspiring.

    Dental Plan…Lisa needs braces…Dental Plan…Lisa needs braces…Dental Plan…Lisa needs braces…

  7. These quotes are all fabulous. (I found you from Mama Kat. (I wrote about facing a fear, but will be sharing my quotes Monday – it’s not often I can write 2 blog posts from a list of prompts. I’m kind of a loser that way. My muse has been sleepy lately.)
    But the Les Miserables quote – I could never make fun of anyone for that. (Sniff sniff!) And the fact that you quoted both Sally Field Gidget AND Robert Frost – you might just be my new girl crush!

  8. Les. Mis. I am head-over-heels in love with this movie/play/musical. Your quote from Arrested Development reminded me of my favorite quotes from another very funny tv show. “If there is no God, then what are all these churches for? And who is Jesus’ Dad?” and “I’m not superstitious. I’m just a little stitious”. 🙂 And a Mitch Hedberg, “Escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience!”

  9. I always loved that Robert Frost poem. And I love the one about being young once. 🙂

  10. For some reason the only thing that came to my head was “Hello, my name is Enigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die.” I know, I am so deep. 😉

  11. Pingback: Reading Digest: Retroactive Conan O’Brien Edition | Dead Homer Society

  12. I love the line from Les Miserables. I haven’t seen the film yet, but saw it as a play and it was fantastic!! 😀

  13. Loved your quotes so much that I visited MamaKat’s and did it, too! Thank you! And I don’t know who Mitch Hedberg is (I shall have to Google him), but he is obviously brilliant.

    • Mitch was a gifted comedian and thinker who left the world well before his time. I highly recommend looking him up on YouTube or wherever the Internet will have him. You will not be disappointed.

      Glad you visited MamaKat. She doles out some great prompts. I’ll try to remember to check yours out when I’m not operating from my phone. 🙂

  14. Mitch was a genius! I don’t have *one* that pops to mind first because Matt & I have noticed that we use an abnormally large number of pop culture quotes in our daily conversations. And our kids have started to as well, though I require them to know the origin. For instance, Madelynne saw Ferris Bueller last month and couldn’t believe how much of that dialog we use. Don’t even get me started in Fifth Element or Princess Bride.

    My favorite quote is: “No matter where you go, there you are!” which is similar to something my grandmother used to say but most folks know from Buckaroo Bonzai. It’s also a Mary Engelbreit iron-on transfer on a carry-on bag I had made before mine & Matt’s first international adventure. It’s a bit worn now but it’s still going to Israel next month!

  15. LOVE the quotes, M!

    Frost: my favoritest poet of all.

    Arrested Development: the most intelligent comedy ever put on TV. That line about chickens speaks volumes on the Bluth family’s situation, and I crack up just thinking about the different chicken pantomimes from each character. I think GOB’s is my fave, or maybe Lindsey’s.

    Mitch Hedberg was an original, one of a kind, outrageously brilliant comic, and the bread-for-ducks routine, one of his best. When we saw him perform it on Dave Letterman, my wife and I laughed so hard it hurt.

    As for the Victor Hugo line, it’s very nice, but there’s a similar one from Eden Ahbez that I like even better:
    “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” (It helps to have heard Nat King Cole sing it.)

    Based on your selections here, and your background explanations, I think we’d get along great, you and I. Thanks so much for sharing them!

  16. very good quotes…I love “It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
    But I don’t know who said it….

  17. Oh man! I miss Arrested Development sooooo much. My fix almost got filled by “Better Off Ted” and then they went and cancelled that too!!!! WTHeck?? Here’s one of my faves from that short-lived sitcom so often compared to Arrested Development “Because I’m good at everything I do. I’m not bragging, because bragging is the one thing I’m not good at. Although, if I wanted to be, I’d be excellent at that, too. As I just proved.” Veronica.

  18. Mitch also said fettucine alfredo was macaroni and cheese for adults. Brilliant.

  19. I love #1. That is an excellent yearbook quote. And of course the last one is a favorite. I love anything Seussian, but this one is in my top 5. One year my husband and I did a Christmas card with this quote with a very Grinchy pic of him.

    I’ll share one of my favorite quotes. “I hate reality but it’s still the best place to get a good steak.” – Woody Allen

  20. Love your yearbook quote. Here’s a favorite of mine: “If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, never be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.” ~Flavia Weedn

  21. Aw! Thanks for cheering me up! I def needed this laugh! And hello- I LOVE Arrested Development!!! Hmmm. I have to think of one. YOu hit them pretty much on the nail!!!

  22. I LOVE “Arrested Development” so much! I actually have a crush on Gob Bluth. I’ve changed the ringtone on my phone to “The Final Countdown” in honor of the new season.

    Oh, and the other quotes were good too. 🙂

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