Have You Seen Luis Velez?
Catherine Ryan Hyde
Top 10 Best Quotes
“What would you do if you had a friend who had just fallen into total despair about the world?” “Hmm,” she said. And sat back. “Interesting question. So, this friend. Does the despair have to do with the world being a place where people do terrible things?” “Right. That.” “I figured. That’s usually what it is. Well, then I’d say you have to do wonderful things.” Raymond felt his eyes go wide. “Me?” “Somebody has to. And you’re the one asking the question.” “So if I do wonderful things . . .” He stalled there. “The world will still be a place where people do terrible things. But here’s the thing about despair. We fall into despair when the terrible gangs up on us and”
“Living long is a gift denied to many, and so it comes with a responsibility to make the most of it. At very least to appreciate it. People gripe about growing older—their aches and pains, how much harder everything is—as if they had forgotten that the alternative is dying young.”
“People laugh at things they don't understand. It makes them feel safe. But it's a false feeling. They are no safer. They just feel as if they are. The world is full of people too foolish to judge the difference.”
“I think you’re the first person I’ve ever known . . . I might not say it right. We’ll see . . . who really sees me. And I mean the whole thing of me, not just the part that fits with how they want to see me. And it seems weird to me, because the first person I met who really sees me for all of who I am . . . you know . . . can’t see.”
“And here is the thing about experiences that wake you up, Raymond: You try to get back to sleep, but it’s easier said than done. Once you’re awake, you’re awake. Good luck hitting the snooze button, my friend.”
“when you decide to be alone or have a family, you’re pretty much choosing between feeling lonely or feeling aggravated.”
“After all, the only thing that hurts more than tears shed is tears unshed.”
“We fall into despair when the terrible gangs up on us and we forget the world can also be wonderful. We just see terrible everywhere we look. So what you do for your friend is you bring up the wonderful, so both are side by side. The world is terrible and wonderful at the same time. One doesn’t negate the other, but the wonderful keeps us in the game. It keeps us moving forward. And, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Raymond, but that’s as good as the world is going to get.”
“The world will still be a place where people do terrible things. But here’s the thing about despair. We fall into despair when the terrible gangs up on us and we forget the world can also be wonderful. We just see terrible everywhere we look. So what you do for your friend is you bring up the wonderful, so both are side by side. The world is terrible and wonderful at the same time. One doesn’t negate the other, but the wonderful keeps us in the game. It keeps us moving forward.”
“The world is a tough place, my friend. I’m not ready to change my mind about that. And yet we’re called upon to be grateful that we’re in it. That seems to be our challenge.”
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Book Keywords:
isolation, ringing, wish, secret, more-often, loneliness, phone, friendlessness
