Just Perks

I remember going to sleep last night, and I realized something. Something that I think is important. I realized that throughout the course of the evening, I wasn't happy about Craig and Sam breaking up. Not at all. I never once thought that it would mean Sam might start liking me. All I cared about was the fact that Sam got really hurt. And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter.

I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these people exist.

So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.

We accept the love we think we deserve.

And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.

I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.

Sam and Patrick looked at me. And I looked at them. And I think they knew. Not anything specific really. They just knew. And I think that's all you can ever ask from a friend.

“It's great that you can listen and be a shoulder to someone, but what about when someone doesn't need a shoulder? What if they need the arms or something like that? You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can't. You have to do things.”

If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me.

It’s like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the photograph was beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took it, I would know that the only reason it’s beautiful is because of Sam.

It almost feels like of the three things involved: Mary Elizabeth, me, and the great things, only the first one matters to Mary Elizabeth. I don't understand that. I would give someone a record so they could love the record, not so they would also know that I gave it to them.

These are some of my favorite quotes from Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. There are many more memorable and popular ones, but these are the quotes that I feel like I really connect with. These are the lines of dialogue, that once read, I was like, "Holy moley! My thoughts EXACTLY!!!"

I really love this book. It's one of the reasons why I have this blog. One of my first entries was about Perks, as I first read it about two years ago. It's one of those stories that inspires you to write. Maybe it's because each chapter is in the form of a letter/diary entry. And the way the main character openly talks about his life makes me feel more confident and comfortable to talk freely about mine. Whether someone, anyone, or no one reads the entries I write, this book reminds me that I'm writing for me and no one else. If you can grab onto something and connect with me, rock on.

Reading this book a second time was even more insightful. Instead of reading it for face value and grasping the big picture, I was able to really study the characterization, the nuances of each sentence. Amazing. What was taken from it was a whole new slew of memorable quotes. If you Google The Perks of Being a Wallflower quotes, you'll see the same ones over and over. But, as mentioned above, I found new excerpts that I can connect with on so many more levels. If you've read this book, I suggest you revisit it and read it again. You'll peel back the onion and find something new!

If you haven't read it, READ IT!


Much love,
Jono