Marc P. Robinson

What drives me to be who I am, to do all that I do, is not what words will be engraved for my epitaph. What drives me to be who I am, to do what I do, is not vanity, is not for adulation in the eyes of others. What drives me is my own desire to be better; to be happy. When I am dead and buried, the words above will not bring me back to life, I choose to live out my epitaph, and not just for it to be a collection of words someone has chosen to define me.

I always forgive others. The anger; sadness; frustration; pain, whatever feelings I felt, no matter the hurt; the tears, I always found understanding and reason to forgive them; to not hold onto it; to not resent them. But there is one, who I never seem to be able to give absolution, and that’s myself.

Always seeking acceptance from others, searching for belonging. Striving for individuality, yet wanting to fit in. Never understanding that acceptance for one’s own individuality make all of that redundant.

I look up at the universe and ask, ‘What are you trying to teach me here?’ I know I won’t hear a reply, but asking the question, makes me begin looking for the answer.

My love for you was like a poem I wrote; one that I disregarded as average. Torn out, thrown away to the rubbish heap, waiting; wishing to be picked up and appreciated by someone else, for the masterpiece that it is.

I want to be free; to escape. I use my pen as oars; the paper as my boat. I fill these pages to keep me afloat. I ride the waves of turmoil, so I can paddle away to calmer seas.

Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

Children demand that their heroes should be freckleless, and easily believe them so: perhaps a first discovery to the contrary is less revolutionary shock to a passionate child than the threatened downfall of habitual beliefs which makes the world seem to totter for us in maturer life.

Nothing that grieves us can be called little: by the eternal laws of proportion a child’s loss of a doll and a king’s loss of a crown are events of the same size.

When you’ve got them by their wallets, their hearts and minds will follow.

For who is pleased with himself.

By trying we can easily learn to endure adversity. Another man’s, I mean.

Knowledge does not come to us in details, but in flashes of light from heaven.

There is, indeed, nothing that so much seduces reason from vigilance, as the thought of passing life with an amiable woman.

My evening visitors, if they cannot see the clock should find the time in my face.

Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.

We are taught by great actions that the universe is the property of every individual in it.

Men on their side must force themselves for a while to lay their notions by and begin to familiarize themselves with facts.

The ancient Romans built their greatest masterpieces of architecture, their amphitheaters, for wild beasts to fight in.

There is no sincerer love than the love of food.

We should come home from adventures and perils and discoveries with new experiences and character.