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1 " Everybody is a good person and a bad person at the same time. The only real variation is in the balance. How much good to how much bad. When a person has a bigger good side, we call him a good person. But it’s never absolute. "
― Catherine Ryan Hyde , Take Me with You
2 " It’s one thing to know the right path and another thing to take it. "
3 " The way you feel is the way you feel, and no matter how much you think you should feel some other way, you can’t change that. There’s some things in this life you can change and some you can’t. I’m sure August tells you the same thing. Here’s what you do when the time comes to talk to your dad. Here’s what I do. I say to my creator, ‘I’m about to open my mouth here. And, historically, that’s been a dicey thing, as we both know. So some help is in order. So let me know what you want me to say to this person in this situation. Say it through me. "
4 " But when nobody punishes you, you have to do it yourself, and there’s no release date on that. We’re always harder on ourselves than any governing body could ever get away with being. "
5 " It shouldn’t matter whether you understand it or not, August. Or whether it would be enough of a challenge for you or not. It’s Seth’s dream. Not yours. "
6 " So if you run around putting a pillow under people to cushion their fall . . . well, I’m just not sure it’s quite the favor we think it is. "
7 " People remember what they want to remember and forget what they want to forget. "
8 " People learned by what they experienced. It mattered little what anyone said to anyone. "
9 " I’m not saying I know it all. In one way, we’ve all just got the time since we got up this morning. But I’ve seen a lot of people walk a lot of roads. Some not so happy. And it makes them what they are. So if you run around putting a pillow under people to cushion their fall . . . well, I’m just not sure it’s quite the favor we think it is. "
10 " Everybody goes around missing all the best stuff because they don’t want anything bad to happen. But then when something bad wants to happen it just does. Anyway. No matter how careful you’re being. "
11 " And then you notice the days are going by really fast. And they’re all starting to look alike. And then you start to feel like this can’t be it. This can’t be all. This can’t be . . . you know . . . a whole life. There has to be more. "
12 " the school was the problem, August thought. Maybe everybody wants a science lesson if they’re sitting in the middle of one of the greatest geothermal wonders of the world. Maybe we’ve removed all the relevance from the information we teach kids so they have no idea why they should care. Maybe it’s not the kids’ fault. Maybe we made the first mistake. "
13 " Maybe the school was the problem, August thought. Maybe everybody wants a science lesson if they’re sitting in the middle of one of the greatest geothermal wonders of the world. Maybe we’ve removed all the relevance from the information we teach kids so they have no idea why they should care. "
14 " You worry too much. You think you have to do too much. Like you think you’re always just about to make some terrible mistake. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to learn to dump the tanks. There’s nothing wrong with making coffee for me or walking the dog. It’s nice. But I get a feeling you’re doing it because you always feel like you need to do more. To be more. Like if you don’t make yourself useful, you’re not entitled to the air you breathe. Why not just relax and be a kid on vacation?” Seth’s "
15 " It’s a good summer. A full one. With lots of good firsts. Which is good. Since it’s the last. "
16 " It was August’s turn to smile. “You’re rushing,” he said. “You’ve got a few activities, a few destinations lined up. And you’re rushing from one to the other. My pace was different. It’s just a whole different mindset. It’s more about being than doing. When you find a place you like, you just be there. You don’t have to have something special to do every day. You don’t have to move on to the next place just because you don’t have plans. You camp for the sake of camping. You sit by your campfire in a park and just glory in the fact that you’re there. "
17 " I’ve been trying to think of words to tell you how all this makes me feel.” “The Tetons?” “Yeah, but not just them. All of this. All this . . . you know. These places. Nature. It makes me feel different. But I just can’t figure out what words to use.” “Most people say it makes them feel smaller. Like the world is so big, it makes them feel insignificant.” “No,” Seth said. But then he didn’t immediately elaborate. “Bigger,” he said after a time. "
18 " They’re right next door.” “We can still hike out down the Angels Landing "
19 " Thirty-six years. I’m not saying I know it all. In one way, we’ve all just got the time since we got up this morning. But I’ve seen a lot of people walk a lot of roads. Some not so happy. And it makes them what they are. So if you run around putting a pillow under people to cushion their fall . . . well, I’m just not sure it’s quite the favor we think it is. "
20 " I could try.” “For your own sake. Yeah.” “It’s just . . . I’ve been like this for so long.” August pulled in a deep breath. Sighed it out again. “Yeah, I imagine you have. But I’d still appreciate it if you’d let go of the idea that you constantly need to impress me.” “I’ll try.” But he didn’t sound too sure about his chances of succeeding. “Toast? "