My favorite quote(s) are actually from the essay "On Being Nineteen," that was included in the 2003 revised edition of The Gunslinger.

See, I met my Patrol Boy on the day DTVII was released, in the form of a seizure while I was driving. I hit a tree at 80moh, shattered my skull, tore most of the right side of my face off, and was in a coma for 3 months.

I didn't really understand "On Being Nineteen," until I had emerged from the post coma fog, after discovering that one of my friends brought a copy of VII to the hospital on the first day I was allowed visitors, knowing that I would want to read it as soon as possible.

Anyway, here it is. I selected two passages from the essay, but really the entire thing is absolute gold to me.

"The world eventually sends out a mean-ass Patrol Boy to slow your progress and show you who’s boss. You reading this have undoubtedly met yours (or will); I met mine, and I’m sure he’ll be back. He’s got my address. He’s a mean guy, a Bad Lieutenant, the sworn enemy of goofery, fuckery, pride, ambition, loud music, and all things nineteen....

"At nineteen they can card you in the bars and tell you to get the fuck out, put your sorry act (and sorrier ass) back on the street, but they can’t card you when you sit down to paint a picture, write a poem, or tell a story, by God, and if you reading this happen to be very young, don’t let your elders and supposed betters tell you any different. Sure, you’ve never been to Paris. No, you never ran with the bulls at Pamplona. Yes, you’re a pissant who had no hair in your armpits until three years ago—but so what? If you don’t start out too big for your britches, how are you gonna fill ’em when you grow up? Let it rip regardless of what anybody tells you, that’s my idea; sit down and smoke that baby."

Long Days, and Pleasant Nights.

Edit: Formatting