A short, sharp salute to the quotes of Mark Twain covering honesty, momentum, silence, and suspiciously flexible memory….

I consider myself a wordsmith… I have loved words, quotes, and storytelling all my years. I was so blessed to have so many storytellers in my life to feed my mind and heart. I heard a lot about Mark Twain from my mama and my Pawpaw and Granny. Mark Twain had a gift for making wisdom sound like it had just slipped out sideways at a dinner table. His best lines are funny because they are true and slightly annoying because they ring true. In my English Literature classes, I became good friends it felt like with Twain and his thoughts. I admit that his wit and words have followed me into old age. These are a few of my favorite ones…

Take honesty… “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.” It is the rare life hack that requires no app, no password, and no tiny notebook full of alibis. Truth may not always be comfortable, but it is wonderfully low maintenance.

Then there is ambition… “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Twain reduces the entire productivity industry to one sentence. Before the planner, the podcast, the color-coded calendar, and the inspirational mug, there is one heroic act: begin.

As for arguments, Twain, or at least the internet’s Twain-shaped shadow, warns… “Never argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” This one came to me, and I will admit, the advice is spotless and true. Some debates are not contests of reason, but mud pits filled with quicksand.

And finally: “When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.” A favorite of my Mama’s. That is not just a joke about memory, but also it is a gentle poke at all of us who improve the past every time we retell it. Tell your stories, share life… No one is going to get out alive, and stories make the journey so much more fun anyway.

Twain’s genius was not that he made life simple. It was that he made life look simple long enough for us to laugh and then notice he had a point. Laughter can change the mood of the room and make life lighter. I suppose that is why Twain’s words are so special to me.