We are here to witness. There is nothing else to do with those mute materials we do not need. Until Larry teaches his stone to talk, until God changes his mind, or until the pagan gods slip back to their hilltop groves, all we can do with the whole inhuman array is watch it. Annie Dillard
About This Quote

The "mute materials" referred to in the quote are what we would call fossils, the remains of ancient life forms. The idea here is that there is meaning in everything that happens. There is meaning to why a particular fossil was preserved in a place where it was found. There is meaning to the form and shape of a fossil.

This meaning can be found if we see things from a different perspective, which involves seeing the world through the eyes of a scientist or a historian or one who has studied something for years and years. The meaning of the world can be anything, be it an artifact or an animal or even a plant.

Source: Teaching A Stone To Talk: Expeditions And Encounters

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  2. You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth. - William W. Purkey
  3. You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. - Dr. Seuss
  4. A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you. - Elbert Hubbard
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More Quotes By Annie Dillard
  1. Don't appreciate me, I'm not up to it. Don't criticize me, I don't deserve it. Just be my friend and forgive me, because I am craving for it.
  2. Always be friendly, always be kind, Like the most beautiful flower that you can find.
  3. If you think life is magical or life is hard, either way you are right. Your thoughts are the source of reality.
  4. Writing blooms flowers for mind, which last forever.
  5. No dirt can touch me, like an ocean, everything that comes to me becomes clean.
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