Writers, especially those of us with roots in other countries, are rarely left to ourselves. We are asked to declare our allegiances, or they are determined for us.
Dinaw MengestuRead
It is always the first and last steps that are the hardest to take. We walk away and try not to turn back, or we stand just outside the gates, terrified to find what's waiting for us now that we've returned. In between, we stumble blindly from one place and life to the next. We try to do the best we can. There are moments like this, however, when we are neither coming nor going, and all we have to do is sit and look back on the life we have made.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life's journey often begins and ends with difficult decisions and reflections.
This quote reflects on the challenges and uncertainties we face at both the beginning and end of significant life changes. It emphasizes the idea that while the journey through life can feel chaotic and challenging, there are moments to pause and reflect on our choices, understanding that these pivotal points shape who we are and where we go next.
Themes
LifeJourneyReflectionChoicesChange
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker might use this quote in a motivational context to inspire students who are about to graduate.
More from Dinaw Mengestu
All quotes →At night my father often heard sporadic gunfire mixed in with the sound of dogs howling. If the war came closer, soon there would be only minor difference between shooting a dog and shooting a man.
Dinaw MengestuRead
Similar quotes
So many years of preparation, for what was called adult life: was it for this?
Hilary MantelRead
Life is essentially a cheat and its conditions are those of defeat; the redeeming things are not happiness and pleasure but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle.
F. Scott FitzgeraldRead
I think it is unnatural to think that there is such a thing as a blue-sky, white-clouded happy childhood for anybody. Childhood is a very, very tricky business of surviving it. Because if one thing goes wrong or anything goes wrong, and usually something goes wrong, then you are compromised as a human being. You're going to trip over that for a good part of your life.
Maurice SendakRead
Wine is one of the agreeable and essential ingredients of life
Julia ChildRead
I've had a very full life, and I've enjoyed it very much. I've learned a great deal and feel indebted to all the people who have worked so hard.
Tony BennRead
Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls - family, health, friends, integrity - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.
Gary W. KellerRead