Most of the time, a kid doesn't think about what he's doing or why. This is the privilege of childhood. Robert Fulghum More Quotes by Robert Fulghum More Quotes From Robert Fulghum And good neighbors make a huge difference in the quality of life. I agree. Robert Fulghum neighbor quality differences If you do not join the dancing you will feel foolish. So why not dance? And i will tell you a secret: If you do not join the dance, we will know you are a fool. But if you dance, we will think well of you for trying. if you dance badly to begin and we laugh, what is the sin in that? We will begin there. Robert Fulghum dancing laughing thinking But it does no good--solves nothing--to distance myself from the front lines of human need by using the mail as a safe shelter. I believe that serving the best ends of humanity means getting out in the middle of it just as it is, not staying home writing checks and thinking hopeful thoughts. The world does not need tourists who ride by in a bus clucking their tongues. The world as it is needs those who will love it enough to change it, with what they have, where they are. And you're damned right that's idealistic. No apology. When idealism goes into the trash as junk mail, we're finished. Robert Fulghum distance mean believe All I really need to know... I learned in kindergarten. Robert Fulghum learning teaching needs We even make ourselves up, fusing what we are with what we wish into what we must become. I'm not sure why it must be so, but it is. Robert Fulghum not-sure wish I believe in dancing. Robert Fulghum i-believe dancing believe I don't think there is a hidden purpose to the universe that you have to puzzle out. Robert Fulghum puzzles purpose thinking My secret agenda is to convey my values to my kids. Robert Fulghum agendas secret kids Children are sent to school to be civilized, to learn to be part of the social enterprise. Robert Fulghum social children school Clean up your own mess. Robert Fulghum cleaning clean mess Any fool can make enough money to survive. It's another thing to keep yourself consistently entertained. It's a lot of work, and a lot of fun, to make a life. Robert Fulghum fool enough fun A giraffe has a black tongue twenty-seven inches long and no vocal cords. A giraffe has nothing to say. He just goes on giraffing. Robert Fulghum black twenties long If only the scientific experts could come up with something to get it out of our minds. One cup of fixit fizzle that will lift the dirt from our lives, soften our hardness, protect our inner parts, improve our processing, reduce our yellowing and wrinkling, improve our natural color, and make us sweet and good. Robert Fulghum color mind sweet Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together. Robert Fulghum government naps thinking What I notice is that every adult or child I give a new set of Crayolas to goes a little funny. The kids smile, get a glazed look on their faces, pour the crayons out, and just look at them for a while....The adults always get the most wonderful kind of sheepish smile on their faces--a mixture of delight and nostalgia and silliness. And they immediately start telling you about all their experiences with Crayolas. Robert Fulghum giving kids children If you notice phrases, ideas, and anecdotes that closely resemble those that appear elsewhere in my writing, it's not a matter of sloppy editing. I'm repeating myself. I'm reshuffling words in the hope that just once I might say something exactly right. And I'm still wrestling with dilemmas that are not easily resolved or easily dismissed. I run at them again and again because I am not finished with them. Any may never be. Work-in- progress on a life-in-progress is what my writing is about. And some progress in the work is enough to keep it going on. Robert Fulghum hope running life Doing a straight-forward, clear-cut task that has a beginning and an end balances out the complexity-without-end that often vexes the rest of my life. Sacred simplicity. Robert Fulghum cutting work life As one old gentleman put it, " Son, I don't care if you're stark nekkid and wear a bone in your nose. If you kin fiddle, you're all right with me. It's the music we make that counts. Robert Fulghum gentleman noses son Sometimes history knocks at the most ordinary door to see if anyone is home. Sometimes someone is. Robert Fulghum historical home doors I love this child. Red-haired - patient and gentle like her mother - fey and funny like her father. When she giggles I can hear him when he and I were young. I am part of this child. It may be only because we share genes and that therefore smell familiar to each other.... It may be that a part of me lives in her in some important way.... But for now, it's jelly beans and 'Old MacDonald' that unite us. Robert Fulghum mother father children
