Back in May, I explained that I don’t really have one favorite quote. I have a toolbox full of them. Some are useful when I need motivation, others help me keep perspective, and a few are especially valuable when dealing with difficult people, poor decisions or situations in which common sense has apparently taken an unscheduled vacation. That answer still works.

Apparently, however, the folks at WordPress expected me to gather a fresh crop of life-changing wisdom before the summer was over. I hate to disappoint them, but I haven’t. No brilliant new philosopher has stepped forward to reorganize my worldview, nobody has whispered a sentence so profound that I immediately embroidered it onto a pillow, and I have not replaced all my old favorites with something I saw printed on the wall of a Cracker Barrel gift shop.

My favorite quotes are still the same ones they were in May. I suppose I could choose one at random and pretend it has always been the unquestioned champion, but choosing one favorite quote is a little like choosing one favorite tool. A hammer is excellent when you need a hammer. It is less helpful when you are trying to tighten a screw, measure a board or remove something delicate from your eye.

Quotes work the same way. The right one depends on what is happening. Sometimes I need encouragement, direction or a reminder to keep my mouth shut. Other times I need a warning about pigs, mud or entering contests with stubborn animals. Life presents a wide range of needs.

Perhaps the real question is why WordPress asked me again so soon. Maybe this is a memory test. Maybe someone in the prompt department forgot to check the archives. Or maybe they have a giant spinning wheel labeled “Questions We Have Already Asked,” and today’s intern gave it another enthusiastic turn.

Whatever the explanation, I have done my part. I checked my previous answer, confirmed that I still agree with myself and resisted the temptation to recycle the entire post word for word. That feels like growth.