I am a cheerful man, even in ...

I am a cheerful man, even in the dark, and it's all thanks to a good Lutheran mother. . . . Mother was well composed, a true Lutheran, and taught me to Cheer up, Make yourself useful, Mind your manners, and above all, Don't feel sorry for yourself.
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 Garrison Keillor

Quotes from the same author

Growing up in a place that has winter, you learn to avoid self-pity. Winter is not a personal experience, everybody else is just as cold as you, so you shouldn't complain about it too much. You learn this as a kid, coming home crying from the cold, and Mother looks down and says, 'It's only a little frostbite. You're okay.' And thus you learn to be okay. What's done is done. Get over it. Drink your coffee. It's not the best you'll ever get but it's good enough.
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 Garrison Keillor
He was admired for never being at a loss for words and never wasting any either.
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 Garrison Keillor
Being Lutheran, Mother believed that self-pity is a deadly sin and so is nostalgia, and she had no time for either
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 Garrison Keillor
You can go your whole life and not need math or physics for a minute, but the ability to tell a joke is always handy.
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 Garrison Keillor
My ability to keep cool in a crisis is based entirely on not knowing all the facts.
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 Garrison Keillor