The First State of Being Quotes

“That's third-state thinking. You'll never get anywhere if you what-if everything. You've got to live in the now. The first state.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“Not knowing might be part of life, but that didn't make it any easier.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“For every bad outcome you can anticipate, you should consider at least one positive outcome.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“The first state of being. That's what my mom calls the present moment. It's the first state of existence. It's right now, this moment, in this car. The past is the past. The future is the future. But this, right now? This is the first state, the most important one, the one in which everything matters." - Ridge”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“He thought of what Ridge had said. It's not one of those dangerous times.

Michael didn't believe that. It was always a dangerous time. Danger lurked everywhere, especially when you weren't expecting it...It was all around. Waiting to strike. Just like Y2K.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“It's not your job to figure out why walnut-brained people do walnut-brained things. It's your job to make sure you don't become one of those people." - Mr. Mosely”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“And it's 1999! The best year!" He leaned back against the bench. "The Backstreet Boys! Britney Spears! Fight Club! The Matrix! Ricky Martin, livin' la vida loca! I mean, yes, I was goaded, but the truth is, I wanted to see it. All of it. Especially the mall. Ordinary, everyday life. Word?" - Ridge”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“I took every breath," she said.

It was what she always said. I took every breath. In other words: if she was still here, still breathing, it was a good day, and she was thankful for it.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“The world would shut down at midnight on January first. Michael knew it. Everyone knew it. People couldn't stop talking about how computers would automatically glitch when the year switched from 1999 to 2000. Electricity grids, airline flight controls, phone towers, all of it. Michael's mother didn't seem worried, but Michael knew she was too busy working three jobs to truly consider the implications of Y2K. That was why Michael was preparing for both of them.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“What if he's not an innocent kid, though?" Michael said. It was easy enough to imagine an endless series of dangerous scenarios. Sociopathic teenager burns down apartment complex. Sociopathic teenager kidnaps beautiful sixteen-year-old babysitter who smells like strawberries and loves mystery novels. Click, click, click.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“I can't remember the last time I read a book. I was probably Michael's age. Fifty years ago, now. Man, time goes fast." - Mr. Mosley”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being

“Michael wasn't one for swearing. He heard it all the time, of course - at school, around the complex, in movies - but for whatever reason, it made him feel squirmy. Like he was doing something wrong, even though he wasn't doing anything.”
― Erin Entrada Kelly, The First State of Being