Reading is the unbelievably healthy way _x000D_ my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. _x000D_ Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to _x000D_ make contact with reality after a day of making things up.
With any child entering adolescence, one hunts for signs of health, is desperate for the smallest indication that the child's problems will never be important enough for a television movie.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Parents are anxious about their children's well-being during adolescence, hoping for signs that they will navigate this period without significant issues.
This quote reflects the deep concern parents have as their children transition into adolescence. It highlights the hopes and fears that accompany this pivotal stage in development, where parents search for reassurance that their children will avoid serious emotional or social problems that could lead to drama, even to the point of being featured in sensational media. The mention of television movies underscores the societal anxiety surrounding the struggles of youth and the wish for a smoother path for their children.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a parenting seminar, a speaker might use this quote to discuss the challenges of raising adolescents.
More from Nora Ephron
All quotes βReading makes me feel I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. ... Reading is bliss.
I just want to go on making movies, and some of them will be completely meaningless, except, of course, to me.
Every so often I would look at my women friends who were happily married and didn't cook, and I would always find myself wondering how they did it. Would anyone love me if I couldn't cook? I always thought cooking was part of the package: Step right up, it's Rachel Samstat, she's bright, she's funny and she can cook!
Marriages come and go, but divorce is forever.
What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It's a sure thing! It's a sure thing in a world where nothing is sure; it has a mathematical certainty in a world where those of us who long for some kind of certainty are forced to settle for crossword puzzles.
Similar quotes
The minute my child was born, I was reborn as a feminist. It's so incredible what women can do... birthing naturally, as most women do around the globe, is a superhuman act. You leave behind the comforts of being human and plunge back into being an animal.
I think, a lot of time, I'm just writing my worst fears, of the idea of losing my mom or my best friend or doing something so terrible to somebody that's kind of deemed unforgivable or having a really broken family.
My parents gave me stability and a belief in myself and in all the possibilities life has to offer. I was told the only limitations I would ever face were those I placed upon myself.
My father died beside trees on iron rails... He had 77 dollars on him at the time, and we used the money for Thai takeout because, as my friend Julie says about times like this, 'You still have to eat.'
I have never once regretted missing a business opportunity so that I could be with my children and grandchildren.
The natural term of the affection of the human animal for its offspring is six years.