Don't be so anxious about it,' she laughed. 'I'm not used to being loved. I wouldn't know what to do; I never got the trick of it.' She looked down at him, shy and fatigued. 'So here we are. I told you years ago that I had the makings of Cinderella.' He took her hand; she drew it back instinctively and then replaced it in his. 'Beg your pardon. Not even used to being touched. But I'm not afraid of you, if you stay quiet and don't move suddenly.
Do you ever wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the idea of anticipation and the disappointment of missed opportunities.
F. Scott Fitzgerald's quote captures the essence of human experiences surrounding expectation and regret. It speaks to the tendency we have to look forward to significant moments, such as the longest day of the year, only to find ourselves unprepared or distracted when they arrive. This repetition implies a cycle of hope and letdown, emphasizing the importance of being present and appreciating moments as they happen.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about living in the moment, one might say, 'Do you ever wait for the longest day of the year and then miss it?' to illustrate the importance of appreciating life as it unfolds.
More from F. Scott Fitzgerald
All quotes →The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.
It was about then [1920] that I wrote a line which certain people will not let me forget: "She was a faded but still lovely woman of twenty-seven."
The words seemed to bite physically into Gatsby.
But you can love more than just one person, can't you?
A sudden gust of rain blew over them and then another - as if small liquid clouds were bouncing along the land. Lightning entered the sea far off and the air blew full of crackling thunder. The table cloths blew around the pillars. They blew and blew and blew. The flags twisted around the red chairs like live things, the banners were ragged, the corners of the table tore off through the burbling billowing ends of the cloths.
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Regret, already sogging me down, burst its dam. It seeped into my legs, it pooled in my heart.
I really haven't had that exciting of a life. There are a lot of things I wish I would have done, instead of just sitting around and complaining about having a boring life. So I pretty much like to make it up. I'd rather tell a story about somebody else.
Life is like a box of chocolates.
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I say that is wine," Brett held up her glass. "We ought to toast something. 'Here's to royalty.'" "This wine is too good for toast-drinking, my dear. you don't want to mix emotions up with a wine like that. you lose the taste." Brett's glass was empty.