So Long, Chester Wheeler Quotes

“All the way down to my gut I got something I’d never gotten before. I got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else. Does that make sense? It’s the first time I’ve tried to put it into words.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I was thinking maybe I’d keep it. Maybe some other client will decide there’s something they always wanted to see before they die.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“if people knew how much they were revealing about themselves when they tell you what they think of you, everybody would just shut up and never say anything to anybody again.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I mean, they say everybody has something they can bring into the world. What if this is my something? What if I end up being of some use to somebody else, and all because somehow I learned not to take it personally, and that puts me in a position to help? You know what I mean?”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“before. I got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else. Does that make sense? It’s the first time I’ve tried to put it into words.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“Think about a baby. A baby pees and poops and vomits. A parent cleans it all up. And a parent’s job is not seen as degrading. They care for that baby out of love, and it’s noble. And nobody blames the baby. The baby feels no shame, and nobody tries to shame babies for having no control over their bodily functions. Somehow we see the adults differently, the elderly and the dying, but I’m not sure why. I’m not sure how different it really is. A human body is a fragile, messy undertaking.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“It started when I thought, I’m back in my life. That’s when it all caught up to me. Because “I” was not the “I” I’d been when I left. And my life was not the life it had been. So who was I, and what was this life I’d just rejoined?”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I wasn’t a religious guy, though I did think there was something going on in the universe that was bigger than us mere mortals. So I addressed the universe in general. Out loud.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“felt like the best possible advertisement for kindness. Treat people well, otherwise you might die and no one will notice or find it especially relevant to their life.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“It’s weird how you think you know somebody, but then suddenly you don’t. How you think you know what a person thinks and how they feel, but then it turns out you only knew what they chose for you to know. How there are two whole people in there, and one is a perfect stranger.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“Because somewhere along the line . . . somewhere down the road in this process I got something. All the way down to my gut I got something I’d never gotten before. I got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else. Does that make sense?”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“He was a difficult guy, but I don’t think he started out to be. I don’t think he meant to be. It probably wasn’t what he had in mind. I guess he just got kicked and pounded into that condition.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else. Does that make sense? It’s the first time I’ve tried to put it into words.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“People think complaining about a bad thing will make them feel better. But it just stokes it. It keeps it alive.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“You can’t teach somebody to do something if you don’t even know how to do it yourself.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“Look, I get it,” she added. “I’m not without empathy. He upset you, and the upset needs time to move through you. It usually takes me about three days to let a thing like that move all the way through my system and move on. But while you’re waiting, try not to feed it.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“People think complaining about a bad thing will make them feel better. But it just stokes it. It keeps it alive. It’s like feeding it.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“Somehow we see the adults differently, the elderly and the dying, but I’m not sure why. I’m not sure how different it really is. A human body is a fragile, messy undertaking. There’s a time in the middle of our lives when we tend to have it under good control, but coming into the world and going out of the world, we’re much more vulnerable. We need help. And being willing to be that help for someone is a very high calling, in my opinion. It’s really the purest definition of the word serve.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“But you have a way of pushing decisions down the road. It’s like you’re waiting to be sure how it’ll pan out before you decide. But that never works. We can’t ever know that going in. I think you just need to choose a path and see where it takes you.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“got that when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else. Does that make sense?”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“People think complaining about a bad thing will make them feel better. But it just stokes it. It keeps it alive. It’s like feeding it. This is why I never liked the expression pet peeve. Why keep a peeve as a pet? Why give it a dish of water and a nice spot to lie down in the corner? It’s just choosing to be peeved.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I’m not saying this to be mean, Estelle, but this is not your day. I’m sorry. You have to let go and let things change.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“when a person is rude and abusive to me, it’s not about me at all. They can say something terrible to me or about me, but they’re revealing themselves, not me. It has nothing to do with me. They’re just showing me the landscape on the inside of themselves as they project it out onto somebody else.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“There’s a time in the middle of our lives when we tend to have it under good control, but coming into the world and going out of the world, we’re much more vulnerable. We need help. And being willing to be that help for someone is a very high calling, in my opinion. It’s really the purest definition of the word serve.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“I can’t entirely explain why, but in that moment my life felt like a better place than it had been for as long as I could remember.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“Joseph Campbell that says something like “We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“A human brain is a very odd place to have to live your life. And that’s really all I have to say about that.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler

“When you’re working with dementia patients, life is hard for both of you, but at least you don’t have to keep coming up with new repartee. And I really don’t say that to make light of the situation. I say it to find light in the situation, which I honestly think is a favor to all involved.”
― Catherine Ryan Hyde, So Long, Chester Wheeler