Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.
Anne LamottRead
...after a few days at the desk, telling the truth in an interesting way turns out to be as easy and pleasurable as bathing a cat.
Interpretation
Telling the truth can be surprisingly enjoyable and simple, despite initial assumptions.
In this quote, Anne Lamott humorously compares the act of conveying the truth in an engaging manner to the experience of bathing a cat, suggesting that while both may initially seem daunting, they can actually bring joy and satisfaction if approached with the right mindset. This analogy captures the essence of creativity and authenticity in communication, emphasizing that honesty doesn't have to be a chore but can instead be a delightful journey.
In practice
Using this quote in a workshop about effective storytelling.
Life with most teenagers was like having a low-grade bladder infection. It hurts, but you had to tough it out.
Or you might shout at the top of your lungs or whisper into your sleeve, "I hate you, God." That is a prayer too, because it is real, it is truth, and maybe it is the first sincere thought you've had in months.
Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances, or whether you are going to taste it, enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.
It is hard to remember that you are a cherished spiritual being when you're burping up apple fritters and Cheetos.
Gorgeous, amazing things come into our lives when we are paying attention: mangoes, grandnieces, Bach, ponds. This happens more often when we have as little expectation as possible. If you say, "Well, that's pretty much what I thought I'd see," you are in trouble. At that point you have to ask yourself why you are even here. [...] Astonishing material and revelation appear in our lives all the time. Let it be. Unto us, so much is given. We just have to be open for business.
...because when people have seen you at their worst, you don't have to put on the mask as much.
My school was 90 percent white, but 90 percent of the kids I played with were black. So I got the best of both worlds. I think that is where my comedy developed.
When someone is impatient and says, 'I haven't got all day,' I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?
Sometimes the funnier you are, the more vulnerable and scared you are underneath it all. So I think, for me, comedy was always a defense. It was a weapon so that you can't hurt me.
There is a computer disease that anybody who works with computers knows about. It's a very serious disease and it interferes completely with the work. The trouble with computers is that you 'play' with them!
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish.
Clarinets, like lawyers, have cases, mouthpieces, and they need a constant supply of hot air in order to function.
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