Notable Quotables

Read Proverbs 21:11

Thank you, Readers! 

Your affirming responses to last week’s Toni Morrison tribute made me ponder: What other such notables have dropped on me one-on-one “sound bites,” as my life’s guard-rails?

Here are a few, . . .

• (October 1970) ex-Seventh-day Adventist, future Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier: “Stay in the church, and do the will of God”;
• (September 1973) Poet Haki Madhubuti (nee Don L. Lee): “ Brotha: if she has nothing on her body, she has nothing on her mind”;
• (June ‘74) Dad/namesake Thomas Allston: “Timmy, there are two kinds of people in this world: one who has to say something, and one who has something to say; think thrice before you speak once”;
• (April ‘75) Essence Magazine Editor-in-Chief Emerita Susan L. Taylor: “Don’t be so busy that when Love comes you won’t recognize it”;
• (April 76) Minister Louis Farrakhan: “My brother: study hard, stay focused; God/Allah has plans for you, . . . ”;
• (September 78) Hampton Institute (now University) president, Dr. William R. Harvey: “My mother taught me, ‘if you have $1, you can’t buy $1.52 worth of groceries’”;
• (April ‘81) Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.: “The reason I get more media coverage than other Black leaders is that I understand the science of the media: I talk in 90-second ‘sound bites,’ and not like I’m preaching in a pulpit”;
• (March ‘91) Illinois State 1991 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Nolan W. McCants: “A big shot is simply a little shot who just kept on shooting!”;
• (March ‘97) Motivational speaking legend Zig Ziglar: “Are you practicing, and are you studying? If you are, Tim, then I’ll see you OVER THE TOP”;
• (May ‘97) Speak & Grow Rich author Ms. Lily Walters: “Want to become an expert? Start right where you are, and never stop learning, growing!”;
• (April ‘98) UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden, best advice (scribbled instead on giving his autograph): “1st Corinthians 13”;
• (December ‘98) Grammy Awards-winning Take 6-er David Thomas: “You can have the world’s best product, but if you don’t have distribution, it’s like having a Picasso sitting in your garage”; and
• (Forever) Jesus Christ, to me toward ministry: “Don’t be afraid; from now on, you will catch men” (Luke 5:10).