I don't know what any individual should do about crossing her own borders. I only know that I live a happier, more adventurous life, by crossing borders.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the value of stepping out of one's comfort zone to experience life more fully.
In this quote, Sherman Alexie expresses the idea that personal growth and happiness often come from crossing boundaries, whether they are physical, emotional, or cultural. While he acknowledges the uncertainty that individual choices carry, he emphasizes that embracing challenges and adventures leads to a richer and more fulfilling life experience.
In practice
During a motivational speech about embracing new experiences, this quote can highlight the importance of taking risks.
Gordie, the white boy genius, gave me this book by a Russian dude named Tolstoy, who wrote, 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' Well, I hate to argue with a Russian genius, but Tolstoy didn't know Indians, and he didn't know that all Indian families are unhappy for the same exact reasons: the frikkin' booze.
My wife was the first romantic partner who understood both American and native parts of me - not so much the positive stuff, but the damage.
I draw because words are too unpredictable. I draw because words are too limited. If you speak and write in English, or Spanish, or Chinese, or any other language, then only a certain percentage of human beings will get your meaning. But when you draw a picture everybody can understand it. If I draw a cartoon of a flower, then every man, woman, and child in the world can look at it and say, "That's a flower.
We all have to find our own ways to say good-bye.
I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers. I don't write to protect them. It's far too late for that. I write to give them weapons-in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters. I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed.
A lot of people have no idea that right now Y.A. (young adult). is the Garden of Eden of literature.
If you don't like the way the world is, you change it. You have an obligation to change it. You just do it one step at a time.
At any given time, there are a lot of million-dollar luxury charter boats cruising around the Mentawai Islands finding the most incredible waves. And yet the people on shore are suffering. The whole scene is wrong. As a surf community, we have to do something.
Everything connects to everything; therefore, as we change, the world cannot but change with us.
If you want to change the future, you must change what you're doing in the present.
Look, you've got a generation of people coming along who are going to form their own new relationship with the idea of supporting the causes that they care about or changing the world. And these people are not going to do it the way our parents do it.
You cannot ignore 50% of your nation and think that your country is going to grow.
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