

“As I鈥檝e told you many times, I鈥檓 split in two. One side contains my exuberant cheerfulness, my flippancy, my joy in life and, above all, my ability to appreciate the lighter side of things. By that I mean not finding anything wrong with flirtations, a kiss, an embrace, an off-color joke. This side of me is usually lying in wait to ambush the other one, which is much purer, deeper and finer. No one knows Anne鈥檚 better side, and that鈥檚 why most people can鈥檛 stand me. Oh, I can be an amusing clown for an afternoon, but after that everyone鈥檚 had enough of me to last a month. Actually, I鈥檓 what a romantic movie is to a profound thinker鈥攁 mere diversion, a comic interlude, something that is soon forgotten: not bad, but not particularly good either. I hate having to tell you this, but why shouldn鈥檛 I admit it when I know it鈥檚 true? My lighter, more superficial side will always steal a march on the deeper side and therefore always win. You can鈥檛 imagine how often I鈥檝e tried to push away this Anne, which is only half of what is known as Anne鈥攖o beat her down, hide her. But it doesn鈥檛 work, and I know why. I鈥檓 afraid that people who know me as I usually am will discover I have another side, a better and finer side. I鈥檓 afraid they鈥檒l mock me, think I鈥檓 ridiculous and sentimental and not take me seriously. I鈥檓 used to not being taken seriously, but only the 鈥渓ighthearted鈥 Anne is used to it and can put up with it; the 鈥渄eeper鈥 Anne is too weak. If I force the good Anne into the spotlight for even fifteen minutes, she shuts up like a clam the moment she鈥檚 called upon to speak, and lets Anne number one do the talking. Before I realize it, she鈥檚 disappeared. So the nice Anne is never seen in company. She鈥檚 never made a single appearance, though she almost always takes the stage when I鈥檓 alone. I know exactly how I鈥檇 like to be, how I am 鈥 on the inside. But unfortunately I鈥檓 only like that with myself. And perhaps that鈥檚 why鈥攏o, I鈥檓 sure that鈥檚 the reason why鈥擨 think of myself as happy on the inside and other people think I鈥檓 happy on the outside. I鈥檓 guided by the pure Anne within, but on the outside I鈥檓 nothing but a frolicsome little goat tugging at its tether. As I鈥檝e told you, what I say is not what I feel, which is why I have a reputation for being boy-crazy as well as a flirt, a smart aleck and a reader of romances. The happy-go-lucky Anne laughs, gives a flippant reply, shrugs her shoulders and pretends she doesn鈥檛 give a darn. The quiet Anne reacts in just the opposite way. If I鈥檓 being completely honest, I鈥檒l have to admit that it does matter to me, that I鈥檓 trying very hard to change myself, but that I鈥檓 always up against a more powerful enemy. A voice within me is sobbing, 鈥淵ou see, that鈥檚 what鈥檚 become of you. You鈥檙e surrounded by negative opinions, dismayed looks and mocking faces, people who dislike you, and all because you don鈥檛 listen to the advice of your own better half.鈥 Believe me, I鈥檇 like to listen, but it doesn鈥檛 work, because if I鈥檓 quiet and serious, everyone thinks I鈥檓 putting on a new act and I have to save myself with a joke, and then I鈥檓 not even talking about my own family, who assume I must be sick, stuff me with aspirins and sedatives, feel my neck and forehead to see if I have a temperature, ask about my bowel movements and berate me for being in a bad mood, until I just can鈥檛 keep it up anymore, because when everybody starts hovering over me, I get cross, then sad, and finally end up turning my heart inside out, the bad part on the outside and the good part on the inside, and keep trying to find a way to become what I鈥檇 like to be and what I could be if 鈥 if only there were no other people in the world. Yours, Anne M. Frank ANNE鈥橲 DIARY ENDS HERE.”
― The Diary of a Young Girl
― The Diary of a Young Girl

“Balanced people go nowhere. They stay in one spot.”
― Rich Dad, Poor Dad
― Rich Dad, Poor Dad

“Keep writing, dreaming and creating. There are no boundaries to your imagination. Writers are gifts to the world.”
―
―

“Something must have happened, your mother speculated. In her mind a woman with no child could only be explained by vast untrammeled calamity.
Maybe she just doesn't like children.
Nobody likes children, your mother assured you. That doesn't mean you don't have them.”
― This Is How You Lose Her
Maybe she just doesn't like children.
Nobody likes children, your mother assured you. That doesn't mean you don't have them.”
― This Is How You Lose Her

“The mayor stood, his surprise at her interruption apparent by his twitching mustache. 鈥淵ou鈥攜ou can鈥檛 just burst in here. Who are you?”
― Trouble on Main Street
― Trouble on Main Street
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