Saturday, September 23, 2006

He who never quotes is never quoted

Quote
More about Spurgeon is here.

The above is the first quote noted in my mini collection of quotes. I guess I started it sometime in 1994 or 1995, but my tickler has no indication of any dates. Perhaps it could be earlier. But I remembered that it was in a library that I started all this. I remembered that year when I frequent the school’s library, and that was in 1992. And it has become my daily routine to spend my time lazily at the library. No! I was not there to study my lessons. I was there to read newspapers, magazines like the Philippines Free Press, Time, Newsweek, and Readers’ Digest. But it was only later that I scribbled down some of those quotes that fascinated me.

I was first introduced to appreciate quotes when I was in high school. It was in literature class that our teacher required us to submit one quotable quote a week. She then asked some of us to explain the quotes, and why it caught our attention. There were some funny quotes, and I joined in the laughter. But deep inside, I shuddered at the thought of being asked to explain my piece. I really had a hard time sourcing my quotes, and didn’t even realize that the Bible, wherein I memorized plenty of verses by heart, was a very rich source. I barely passed the subject, but it ignited a spark in my brain to appreciate such beautiful passages.

But there was also another reason for the collections (and I bare it now): To add flavor to the love letters I would supposedly write. No specific object of desire then. Just the romantic side of me anticipating what was about to happen.

I still have my tickler now in my office and the list stopped at number 301. But only a few are about love, and most are about life and other human experiences.

8 comments:

jef said...

Now I know how much a certain write up can be more colorful and insightful when I use quotes.

...If I'm not mistaken, Charles Spurgeon is often quited in Christian writings, righT?

Lazarus said...

welcome to my blog jef! you're right. Spurgeon is quoted in many Christian sermons and writings.

tin-tin said...

i started appreciating quotes when i got a cellphone. hehe. i would write down the text messages so i could send it to friends later. but i recall that when i was in highschool, sometimes i would leave a quote to my friends' pagers :)

Anonymous said...

Quotations by great men and women are often used to reinforce a person's arguments in a discussion or debate for example.

It's nice to know you have many of that in your arsenal.

Iskoo said...

i often use quaotation on my blog it somehow give the gist of mhat i want to tell on a certain post.

Bible verses really provides encourangement and also leading us to knowing our great our God is!

Lazarus said...

tin-tin - there are many nice quotes also forwarded sa text messages. i think txtmates has plenty of that in his blog.

bystander - a great man in the making. thanks for dropping by my blog. I'm a regular visitor of your blog.

iskoo - the Bible is the best source of quotes and words to live by. It's a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path.

bing said...

quotations are truly amazing, makes me wonder how those people ever thought of those beautiful words.. who knows you would be sharing yours one day to the world? :-)

niceheart said...

Wow, that's impressive, 301. I've only just started writing quotes in a notebook a few years ago.