I can't go back. The past won't go away in this family.
Frank MccourtRead
You're beginning to hear the tale of the common man and woman rather than the traditional memoir about the generals who just finished the war or the politicians who just rendered glorious service to the country.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of sharing the stories of ordinary people rather than glorifying only prominent figures.
Frank McCourt's quote highlights a shift in narrative focus from the grandiose accounts of military leaders and politicians to the everyday experiences of common individuals. It suggests that history should be inclusive of the voices of regular men and women, acknowledging their struggles and stories, as these contribute significantly to our understanding of society and culture.
In practice
During a speech about community history, you could use this quote to emphasize the importance of local stories.
I can't go back. The past won't go away in this family.
Sit and quiet yourself. Luxuriate in a certain memory and the details will come. Let the images flow. You'll be amazed at what will come out on paper. I'm still learning what it is about the past that I want to write. I don't worry about it. It will emerge. It will insist on being told.
Kids all want to look cool, as if knowledge is a great burden, but they're always looking around. They remember.
That's what kept us going - a sense of absurdity, rather than humor.
A mother's love is a blessing No matter where you roam. Keep her while you have her, You'll miss her when she's gone -- Angela's Ashes.
You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.
The government was set to protect man from criminals-and the constitution was written to protect man from the government. The Bill of Rights was not directed at private citizens, but against the government-as an explicit declaration that individual rights supersede any public or social power.
Events of October 1962 indicated, as they had all through history, that control of the sea means security. Control of the seas can mean peace. Control of the seas can mean victory. The United States must control the seas if it is to protect your security.
I've told my children that when I die, to release balloons in the sky to celebrate that I graduated. For me, death is a graduation.
Masonry is identical with the Ancient Mysteries
Not much music left inside us for life to dance to. Our youth has gone to the ends of the earth to die in the silence of the truth. And where, I ask you, can a man escape to, when he hasn't enough madness left inside him? The truth is an endless death agony. The truth is death. You have to choose: death or lies. I've never been able to kill myself.
If you get angry easily, it may be because the seed of anger in you has been watered frequently over many years, and unfortunately you have allowed it or even encouraged it to be watered.
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