I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Gilda RadnerRead
My life had made me funny, and cancer wasn't going to change that.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the resilience of humor despite life's challenges, including serious illnesses like cancer.
Gilda Radner's quote reflects her belief that humor is an integral part of her identity, one that persists even in the face of adversity such as cancer. She suggests that no matter the difficulties one faces, including serious health issues, one's inherent traits and coping mechanisms, like a sense of humor, remain unchanged and can provide strength and perspective during tough times.
In practice
In a speech about overcoming adversity, one might quote Gilda Radner to highlight the importance of humor.
I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end.
[Motherhood is] the biggest gamble in the world. It is the glorious life force. It's huge and scary-it's an act of infinite optimism.
You feel completely in control when you hear a wave of laughter coming back at you that you have caused.
Cancer changes your life, often for the better. You learn what's important, you learn to prioritize, and you learn not to waste your time. You tell people you love them. My friend Gilda Radner used to say, 'If it wasn't for the downside, having cancer would be the best thing and everyone would want it.' That's true. If it wasn't for the downside.
Having cancer gave me membership in an elite club I'd rather not belong to.
It's such an act of optimism to get through a day and enjoy it and laugh and do all that without thinking about death. What spirit human beings have!
I learned how fast you can go from being an international hero to being a reference in a joke on a late night talk show.
HAND, n. A singular instrument worn at the end of the human arm and commonly thrust into somebody's pocket.
Calvin: Isn't it strange that evolution would give us a sense of humor? When you think about it, it's weird that we have a physiological response to absurdity. We laugh at nonsense. We like it. We think it's funny. Don't you think it's odd that we appreciate absurdity? Why would we develop that way? How does it benefit us? Hobbes: I suppose if we couldn't laugh at things that don't make sense, we couldn't react to a lot of life.
I don't mind anything that's written about me, as long as it's not true.
When someone pitches a joke for a character that is just perfect, and you can imagine that actor reading that line at your table read or on the set, it's like the sound of a snap snapping into place.
God bless the homicidal maniacs. They make life worthwhile.
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