Bless Me, Ultima Coming-of-Age Quotes

Growth and coming-of-age can only come with knowledge and understanding. But as Antonio's father points out, understanding only comes with growing up and living life. It's like a positive feedback mechanism. The only problem is that with those things comes the loss of innocence, which is a bit of a bummer. It makes sense that a priest says this to Antonio (even if it is in a dream), because clearly this sentiment ties in directly to the story of Adam and Eve.

Antonio beats the Vitamin Kid in a race for the first time, because the Kid is too busy walking with Ida to bother to race (we're left wondering how that even counts, but oh well). As much as Antonio has grown up, there are still things about his youth and innocence that he clings to. The Vitamin Kid passing on a race for a girl is truly the end of an era. The days of just horsing around with the guys are over. Girls and romance have entered the picture, and the truly innocent days of youth are over.

Again, some wise words from Ultima. Antonio will grow up regardless of whether or not he wants to. It is simply a part of life. However, he has a choice to make. He can embrace the changes that are coming into his life and use them to make him a better man, or he can turn to fear. A lot of people fear change, and it ends up keeping them from a great deal of awesome experiences. Ultima doesn't want Antonio to be one of those people frozen by their fear of change and growth.