I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
A day may come when the courage of Men falls, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship.
But it is not this day.
An hour of wolves and shattered shields when the Age of Men comes crashing down.
But it is not this day.
This day we fight! By all you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!
Visit either you like: they're both mad.'
'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad.'
~C.S. Louis, Alice in Wonderland
"Go on, admit it, the book whispers its story to you at night." "Sometimes, yes," Meggie had said
~Cornelia Funke, Inkheart
Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. And then there are books...which you can’t tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal.
~John Greene, The Fault in Our Stars
Do not cringe and make yourself small if you are called the black sheep, the maverick, the lone wolf. Those with slow seeing say a nonconformist is a blight on society.
But it has been proven over the centuries, that being different means standing at the edge, means one is practically guaranteed to make an original contribution, a useful and stunning contribution to her culture.
When seeking guidance, don't ever listen to the tiny-hearted. Be kind to them, heap them with blessings, cajole them, but do not follow their advice.
If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, rebellious, you're on the right track.
Wild Woman is close by.
If you have never been called these things, there is yet time. Practice your Wild Woman.
~ Clarissa Pinkola Estes
I love all these, but the artwork and the sentiment of the Wild Woman in the last one is especially beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love the thought of being "Wild Woman." Yet, I have never been wild in my whole life to this point. I have been very reserved and quiet to those I do no know. Some days I ponder over the fact that I may be boring. That I should do more with my life. I like adventure, I just do not seek it out as much as my heart desires. I feel like maybe those things would be different if I lived in a different part of the world. Not a place that has lakes and plains, but instead a mountainous terrain that sits on the edge of the magnificent ocean. So I can watch the waves crashing below me or at my feet, if I choose to stand while I sink into the sand. Then, my mind will be less reserved, and maybe I could think more freely and unlock a part of my soul that I have never witnessed much in my life so far.
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