Through the years — the many years — among the things I have collected, saved, are quotations, sayings, bits and pieces of wisdom or eloquence, gleaned from a lifetime of reading.

And just what do you do with all this esoterica, Mr. Column Writer, you may ask.

Well, now. Some of it I use as a “prompt” for a column. Most of it, however, I don’t really “do” anything with. Just collect it.

One might reasonably suspect that non-readers would find such a proclivity useless and a waste of time. One also might reasonably suspect that most who would feel this way never read this column, either. That’s just the way of it.

So. Just where am I going with this? Probably really not anywhere of importance.

However, in an attempt to “parse” this week’s column endeavor with my opening paragraph, let me just put a little, a tiny sliver, of my collected material herein for your perusal. (There is no concatenation between or among any of the following.)

“ … I was drifting away on the quiet tide of my own irrelevance.”

“ … All the money anyone needs is just enough to prevent one from being a burden on others.”

“ Amantium irae amoris ingratio est.” (Lover’s quarrels are a part of love.)

“Open your eyes … and see what you can with them before they close forever.”

“The notion of self sacrifice is not one that comes easily in American culture today.”

“Nothing is enough for the man (person) for whom enough is too little.”

“We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.”

“Some see things as they are, and ask ‘why?’ I dream things that never were, and ask, ‘why not?’”

“Count where man’s glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was, I had such friends.”

“A child, more than all other gifts earth can offer declining man, brings with it hope and forward-looking thoughts.”

And on and on and on ad infinitum.

Should any of you be interested in who wrote or said what, I can provide the source.

May your day be a good one.