Ann Richards (1933-2006)

Quotes

• Teaching was the hardest work I had ever done, and it remains the hardest work I have done to date.

• I've always said that in politics, your enemies can't hurt you, but your friends will kill you.

• I'm really glad that our young people missed the Depression, and missed the great big war. But I do regret that they missed the leaders that I knew. Leaders who told us when things were tough, and that we would have to sacrifice, and these difficulties might last awhile. They didn't tell us things were hard for us because we were different, or isolated, or special interests. They brought us together and they gave us a sense of national purpose.

• The here and now is all we have, and if we play it right it's all we'll need.

• I believe in recovery, and I believe that as a role model I have the responsibility to let young people know that you can make a mistake and come back from it.

• They blame the low income women for ruining the country because they are staying home with their children and not going out to work. They blame the middle income women for ruining the country because they go out to work and do not stay home to take care of their children.

• I feel very strongly that change is good because it stirs up the system.

• There is a lot more to life than just struggling to make money.

• The public does not like you to mislead or represent yourself to be something you're not. And the other thing that the public really does like is the self-examination to say, you know, I'm not perfect. I'm just like you. They don't ask their public officials to be perfect. They just ask them to be smart, truthful, honest, and show a modicum of good sense.

• I get a lot of cracks about my hair, mostly from men who don't have any.

• If you think taking care of yourself is selfish, change your mind. If you don't, you're simply ducking your responsibilities.

• I have very strong feelings about how you lead your life. You always look ahead, you never look back.