There is a special mystique to Texas. Texans represent many things to the uninitiated: We are bigger than life in our boots and Stetsons, rugged individualists whose two-steppin' has achieved world-wide acclaim, and we were the first to define hospitality.

Ann Richards

Categorized in : Two Special Texas

We're not going to have the America that we want until we elect leaders who are going to tell the truth - not most days, but every day.

Ann Richards

truth leadership america

After all, Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.

Ann Richards

women dance inspirational

Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican: 1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault. 2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own. 3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.

Ann Richards

gasoline-prices believe years

Learn to enjoy your own company. You are the one person you can count on living with for the rest of your life.

Ann Richards

rest-of-your-life enjoy inspirational

We have forgotten to be our brothers and sisters keepers. And we have forgotten that the Number 1 goal is to love one another.

Ann Richards

brother goal numbers

I've been tested by fire, and the fire lost.

Ann Richards

tested fire lost

I'm really glad that our young people missed the Depression and missed the great big war. But I do regret that they missed the leaders that I knew, leaders who told us when things were tough and that we'd have to sacrifice, and that these difficulties might last awhile. They didn't tell us things were hard for us because we were different, or isolated, or special interests. They brought us together and they gave us a sense of national purpose.

Ann Richards

sacrifice regret war

The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it's all we'll need.

Ann Richards

crush success motivational

I get a lot of cracks about my hair, mostly from men who don't have any.

Ann Richards

cracks hair men

You can put lipstick and earrings on a hog and call it Monique, but it's still a pig.

Ann Richards

hog stills pigs

Life isn't fair, but government must be.

Ann Richards

fairs government

Now we Democrats believe that America is still the country of fair play, that we can come out of a small town or a poor neighborhood and have the same chance as anyone else, and it doesn't matter whether we are black or Hispanic, or disabled or women.

Ann Richards

play believe country

I believe in recovery, and I believe that as a role model I have the responsibility to let young people know that you can make a mistake and come back from it.

Ann Richards

mistake inspirational believe

They blame the low income women for ruining the country because they are staying home with their children and not going out to work. They blame the middle income women for ruining the country because they go out to work and do not stay home to take care of their children.

Ann Richards

home country children

The public does not like you to mislead or represent yourself to be something you're not. And the other thing that the public really does like is the self-examination to say, you know, I'm not perfect. I'm just like you. They don't ask their public officials to be perfect. They just ask them to be smart, truthful, honest, and show a modicum of good sense.

Ann Richards

smart self perfect

If you think taking care of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don't, you're simply ducking your responsibilities.

Ann Richards

selfish responsibility inspiring

I have a real soft spot in my heart for librarians and people who care about books.

Ann Richards

real reading book

I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.'

Ann Richards

tombstone house want

I've always told my children that life is like a layer cake. You get to put one layer on top of the other, and whether you frost it or not is up to you.

Ann Richards

cake life-is-like children

I did not want my tombstone to read, 'She kept a really clean house.' I think I'd like them to remember me by saying, 'She opened government to everyone.'

Ann Richards

government tombstone thinking