To me a saint is a severely edited sinner. That's what I think. Malachy McCourt More Quotes by Malachy McCourt More Quotes From Malachy McCourt Organized religions have all the facets of organized crime, except the compassion of organized crime. Malachy McCourt facets crime compassion My purpose in life always has been to avoid work. And I hear these people saying, "I work hard and I pay my taxes." Well, you're an asshole. Malachy McCourt hard-work purpose people I am an alcoholic, as I said. And it is however we call it, a disease. That's an explanation, but not an excuse. Malachy McCourt excuse disease said Conservatism is not a political ideology, it is a severe form of brain damage for which there's hardly any cure. Malachy McCourt damage political brain Somebody once said that the Irish derived the greatest benefit from the English language. They court it like a beautiful woman. They make it bray with donkey laughter, they fling it at the sky like paint pots full of rainbow colors. Malachy McCourt laughter color beautiful They don't allow a dying on the highway. No Passing. They give you a ticket if you die on the highway. Malachy McCourt tickets dying giving I tell my children, shut up and let me speak. What I've learned, I have been married for 45 years and in my own family It is that I've learned to stop being judgmental, to listen. Malachy McCourt married children years I would never become an alcoholic like my father because my father deserted us. But diseases, there's no let up. Malachy McCourt alcoholics disease father Imagination in the child is powerful. Reading and laughter and love are essential in our lives. Malachy McCourt laughter powerful children Do whatever you want because that's not what you are. That's what you do for the moment. Malachy McCourt do-whatever-you-want moments want Once I know I'm an alcoholic then it is my obligation, duty to see what I can do about healing myself. Malachy McCourt obligation duty healing I see the way I look upon organized religion, I was a victim of that of mythology, and of cruelty, and all the absurd stuff. Malachy McCourt stuff looks way This is the place for me where every single dream I ever had came to fruition and I love it dearly. I love ya, New York. Malachy McCourt fruition new-york dream I was not a good father in my first marriage. Although there are ways of deserting the family without leaving physically, I was deserted in my head. I was always out, always in the saloons, always drinking, always messing about. Malachy McCourt leaving drinking father There were a few people who got jobs in Limerick, a big barrel on wheels, and it was a barrel that went back and forth, and a shovel and a broom. So, they went around shoveling the horseshit into this barrel. So, you got that job when you were around 15, and then you got to retire at the age of 65, with a pension. A small pension. So that would be 50 years of shoveling horseshit. And I was advised very seriously that I should get that job. Malachy McCourt jobs people years Being a kid myself, I loved playing and I loved playing with words, and making up things and riddles and songs and not afraid of being silly in public. Malachy McCourt silly song kids If you look up the word "gab" in the dictionary, it's insignificant of importance, of no substance. That's what gab is. Malachy McCourt look-up substance looks Never make any reference to the other person's family. "You're just like your - " because that is out, completely. Malachy McCourt like-you persons There's no recovery from alcoholism, it is an incurable disease. And it also is a disease that tells you, you don't have a disease. Malachy McCourt incurable-disease recovery disease The alcoholism got me and I ruined my first marriage with drinking and the lying and the deceit and infidelity, and all of that. The whole bloody thing. Malachy McCourt infidelity drinking lying
