Words I Wish I Wrote by Robert Fulghum

A Collection of Writing that Inspired my Ideas

This isn’t so much a Book I Should Have Read By Now. It’s more of an Idea I Wish I Had. I picked it up from the library when I was looking for my own inspiration in writing about other people’s writing. It is so chock-full of great quotations and personal commentary by Fulghum that I thought I’d post my thoughts about it on what would normally be Favorite Lines Friday.

In this volume, Fulghum has collected the words of others who have inspired him and helped to create his ever-evolving philosophy and world view. I’m glad that Fughum has not been afraid to allow his personal philosophy to change over time. It gives me some hope for the future of my own sanity. I suppose one could say that I’m finishing up a sort of philosophical boot-camp phase in my life. That is, I’ve torn down most of the dumb and wrong-headed ideas I’ve had, or was told to have, and am ready to rebuild. Since I’m fully aware that I’m unlikely to have an idea that someone else hasn’t already had, and that someone has undoubtedly expressed it much more eloquently than I ever could, I like the idea of scribbling down the words of others that strike a meaningful chord as Fulghum has for much of his life.

Here are some lines quoted by Fulghum from John W. Gardner:

The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because philosophy is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.

I couldn’t agree more…unless you replace the word philosophy with politics and theories with policies.


I also jotted down a few good words from Fulghum’s own reflections. Here’s what he wrote about reading Joseph Heller:

The books are not about death and horror, but about what the system does to the better inclinations of human nature. I laugh when I read Heller, fully understanding that what I’m reading isn’t funny.


And on a similar note:

Nothing connects me with a person quicker than knowing what he laughs at. Nothing is more valuable in a relationship than loose and easy laughter.

Ha!

A Year of Books I Should Have Read By Now