A short story is the ultimate close-up magic trick -- a couple of thousand words to take you around the universe or break your heart.
Neil GaimanRead
So the day became one of waiting, which was, he knew, a sin: moments were to be experienced; waiting was a sin against both the time that was still to come and the moments one was currently disregarding.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the idea that waiting can be detrimental to our experience of life, emphasizing the importance of engaging with the present moment.
Neil Gaiman's quote explores the tension between waiting for future experiences and fully embracing the moments we have now. It suggests that waiting, while often seen as a benign state, can actually hinder our ability to appreciate life as it unfolds and signifies a neglect of both the present and future opportunities. By labeling waiting as a 'sin,' Gaiman urges us to actively participate in life rather than passively hold out for what is next.
Themes
WaitingPresentExperienceLifeMoments
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about living in the moment.
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As a teenager I wrote to R.A. Lafferty. And he responded, too, with letters that were like R.A. Lafferty short stories, filled with elliptical answers to straight questions and simple answers to complicated ones.
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Nothing’s changed. You’ll go home. You’ll be bored. You’ll be ignored. No one will listen to you, really listen to you. You’re too clever and too quiet for them to understand. They don’t even get your name right.
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I like the stars. It's the illusion of permanence, I think. I mean, they're always flaring up and caving in and going out. But from here, I can pretend...I can pretend that things last. I can pretend that lives last longer than moments. Gods come, and gods go. Mortals flicker and flash and fade. Worlds don't last; and stars and galaxies are transient, fleeting things that twinkle like fireflies and vanish into cold and dust. But I can pretend.
Neil GaimanRead
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