Men's memories are uncertain and the past that was differs little from the past that was not. Cormac McCarthy More Quotes by Cormac McCarthy More Quotes From Cormac McCarthy If a dream can tell the future it can also thwart that future. For God will not permit that we shall know what is to come. He is bound to no one that the world unfold just so upon its course and those who by some sorcery or by some dream might come to pierce the veil that lies so darkly over all that is before them may serve by just that vision to cause that God should wrench the world from its heading and set it upon another course altogether and then where stands the sorcerer? Where the dreamer and his dream? Cormac McCarthy vision dream lying Life is a memory, and then it is nothing. Cormac McCarthy life-is memories I'd rather to make a good run as a bad stand. Cormac McCarthy running I think by the time you're grown you're as happy as you're goin to be. You'll have good times and bad times, but in the end you'll be about as happy as you was before. Or as unhappy. I've knowed people that just never did get the hang of it. Cormac McCarthy unhappy people thinking The things that I loved were very frail. Very fragile. I didn't know that. I thought they were indestructible. They weren't. Cormac McCarthy indestructible frail knows Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it. Cormac McCarthy dumb choices decision He rose and turned toward the lights of town. The tidepools bright as smelterpots among the dark rocks where the phosphorescent seacrabs clambered back. Passing through the salt grass he looked back. The horse had not moved. A ship's light winked in the swells. The colt stood against the horse with its head down and the horse was watching, out there past men's knowing, where the stars are drowning and whales ferry their vast souls through the black and seamless sea. Cormac McCarthy horse stars dark If you could breathe a breath so strong you could blow out the wolf. Like you blow out the copo. Like you blow out the fire from the candela. The wolf is made the way the world is made. You Cormac McCarthy strong fire blow Do you know what happens with people who cannot govern themselves? That's right. Others come in to govern for them. Cormac McCarthy knows happens people You go back home and everything you wished was different is still the same and everything you wished was the same is different. Cormac McCarthy back-home different home There's hard lessons in this world. What's the hardest? I dont know. Maybe it's just that when things are gone they're gone. They aint comin back. Cormac McCarthy lessons gone world What business is it of yours where I'm from, friendo? Cormac McCarthy toss My daddy used to tell me not to chew on somethin that was eatin you. Cormac McCarthy all-the-pretty-horses daddy used By early evening all the sky to the north had darkened and the spare terrain they trod had turned a neuter gray as far as the eye could see. They grouped in the road at the top of a rise and looked back. The storm front towered above them and the wind was cool on their sweating faces. They slumped bleary-eyed in their saddles and looked at one another. Shrouded in the black thunderheads the distant lightning glowed mutely like welding seen through foundry smoke. As if repairs were under way at some flawed place n the iron dark of the world. Cormac McCarthy eye dark wind Only that man who has offered up himself entire to the blood of war, who has been to the floor of the pit and seen the horror in the round and learned at last that it speaks to his inmost heart, only that man can dance. - The judge Cormac McCarthy heart men war Things happen to you they happen. They dont ask first. They dont require your permission. Cormac McCarthy permission happens firsts But this man had set down with a hammer and chisel and carved out a stone water trough to last ten thousand years. Why was that? What was it that he had faith in? It wasn't that nothin' would change. Which is what you might think, I suppose. He had to know better'n that. I've thought about it a good deal. . . And I have to say that the only thing I can think is that there was some sort of promise in his heart. And I don't have no intentions of carvin' a stone water trough. But I would like to be able to make that kind of promise. I think that's what I would like most of all. Cormac McCarthy heart men thinking He was just hungry, Papa. He's going to die. He's going to die anyway. He's so scared, Papa. The man squatted and looked at him. I'm scared, he said. Do you understand? I'm scared. The boy didn't answer. He just sat there with his head down, sobbing. You're not the one who has to worry about everything. The boy said something but he couldn't understand him. What? He said. He looked up, his wet and grimy face. Yes I am, he said. I am the one. Cormac McCarthy worry men boys Ah me, thou Destiny, Giver of evil gifts. Cormac McCarthy giver destiny evil Usually, you don't know where a book comes from ... it's just there, some kind of an itch that you can't quite scratch. Cormac McCarthy scratches kind book