How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I wandered around in my early twenties, paying rent and reading classifieds and wondering why the lights were not turning green for me. My dream was to be a famous musician (I played the piano), but after several years of dark, empty nightclubs, broken promises, bands that kept breaking up and producers who seemed excited about everyone but me, the dream soured. (3.4)
Mitch is living in the illusion that youth is going to magically explode with good things and he's not really going to have to work that hard for them. He realizes that this is unrealistic and he is left very… unhappy. He starts to doubt life a little.
Quote #2
Instead, I buried myself in accomplishments, because with accomplishments, I believed I could control things, I could squeeze in every last piece of happiness before I got sick and died, like my uncle before me, which I figured was my natural fate. (3.11)
Mitch is thinking that happiness is quantitative (measured with amount instead of quality). The flaw in this idea? He's "squeezing" in happiness like he's in some sort of race. He's "controlling" his life, which is going to leave him anxious, tired, and empty. Not happy.
Quote #3
But Morrie, this new, withered version of a man I had once known so well, was smiling in the car, hands folded in his lap, waiting for me to emerge. (5.8)
After following the totally wrong idea of happiness, Mitch comes face to face with his old professor who is much older and sicker than he looked years ago. At the same time, however, he looks happier than Mitch has ever described himself being.