Erin of Transracial Blog fame here on AdoptionBlogs.com gave a call for favorite quotes. Mine leapt immediately to mind. Not words that would ever have passed over the lips of the Mahatma, the simple eloquence has inspired me through the years, as succinctly pithy phrases are meant.

It's Hemingway, pure and simple:

The road to hell is paved with unbought stuffed dogs.

To give context, it's from a scene in "The Sun Also Rises" where a drunken Jake Barns and his equally soused buddy are discussing deeply meaningful issues, as those in an inebriated state tend to do.

Okay, so not exactly a lofty, spiritual, bring-a-tear-to-the-eye collection of words, but meaningful, nonetheless ... words to live by.

How often have I (to stick with the whole Hemmingway-in-Spain thing) found myself on the horns of a dilemma, torn this way and that, plagued by indecision? Many. Many. When in doubt of which side to fall, I will ask: Is this a stuffed dog?

Yes, it's all about regrets and trying not to end up with many.




PS: Having seen a few episodes of "Scrubs" I'm going to guess that someone on that team is a Hemmingway fan; Rowdy being TV's modern version of the stuffed dog, a co-star and testament to gusto-grabbing. He's a better actor than some I've seen, too. Is there an Emmy category, "Best Taxidermy in a Comedy or Musical"? Could have gone to that moose in "Fawlty Towers" a couple of decades ago.