My mother once told me that if a married couple puts a penny in a pot for every time they make love in the first year, and takes a penny out every time after that, they'll never get all the pennies out of the pot.
Armistead MaupinRead
In her opinion, the parrots were annoying arrogant. You could buy the most beautiful one in town, she observed, but that won't make it love you. You could feed it, care for it and exclaim over its loveliness, but there was nothing to guarantee that it would stay home with you. There had to be a lesson in there somewhere.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Just because something is beautiful or appealing, it doesn't guarantee affection or loyalty.
Armistead Maupin reflects on the relationship between beauty and companionship, using parrots as a metaphor for how superficial qualities do not ensure genuine connection or love. This quote suggests that true affection requires more than just external charm; it necessitates authenticity and mutual commitment.
Themes
LoveBeautyCompanionshipLoyaltyRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the complexities of relationships.
More from Armistead Maupin
All quotes →But it's amazing how many people think that gay men should slink off into the shadows when it comes to having friendships with children.
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Oh, Mona, we're all damned fools! Some of us just have more fun with it than others. Loosen up, dear! Don't be so afraid to cry . . . or laugh, for that matter. Laugh all you want and cry all you want and whistle at pretty men in the street and to hell with anybody who thinks you're a damned fool!
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I know I can't tell you what it's like to be gay. But I can tell you what it's not. It's not hiding behind words, Mama. Like family and decency and Christianity.
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I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too damn short.
Armistead MaupinRead
My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too damn short.
Armistead MaupinRead
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