Pay Attention, Carter Jones Quotes

“Make good decisions and remember who you are." "Make good decisions and remember who loves you.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“Make good decisions and remember who you are, young Master Jones.’ He put his bowler back on. ‘You think I’m going to forget who I am?’ I said.
‘You are entering middle school now,’ he said. ‘I think it quite likely.’ Then he opened his door, folded his umbrella, and got inside again.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“The living of your life is hard work, young Master Carter... You may act the gentleman or the barbarian."

"Those are the only two choices?"

"Yes," said the Butler, "the only two...”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“Make good decisions and remember who loves you."
I looked at him. "I thought it was 'remember who you are.'"
The Butler looked back at me. "It is the very same thing," he said.
"What?"
"Young Master Carter, when you walk Ned for your mother; when you attend Miss Anne's robotics competition without observing that such attendance is, if you'll pardon the expression, 'a pain in the glutes'; when you cheer at Miss Charlotte's football match even though she barely had a touch; when you accompany your sister to a Turner art exhibition; when you take your young sisters to buy Dreamsicles; when you appear as exhibit A for Miss Emily's Favorite Person of the Week event; when you attend two ballet exhibitions despite your unfortunate and undiscerning distaste for the art; you are telling them that it is the same thing."
"Is that sort of what being a gentleman is supposed to be?"
"We are what we love, young Master Carter.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“And so you face a curious dilemma, one you will face often if you choose to live a life of integrity and challenge. Is it better to consider all ideas, to determine which one seems to you most reasonable and worthy, and then to speak your mind? Or is it better to follow old patterns and to acquiesce quietly into a general conformity?”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“In the midst of great anxiety and great sadness, it takes an honorable man to nourish the goodness around him, small and fragile as it may seem.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“Do not heft onto your shoulders burdens you do not own.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“The guy sighed. “The contents are self-explanatory.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones

“There are times...when we find ourselves in a position of great purpose. It may be that the apt word, spoken at the apt moment, leads to great good in the world—and most often, that is a word of kindness and encouragement.”
― Gary D. Schmidt, Pay Attention, Carter Jones