Know what we did, Lucy? You and me? We spent our whole lives yearning. Isn't that the God damndest thing?
Interpretation
The quote reflects on how people can spend their lives in longing and desire, which may ultimately be unfulfilled.
In this quote, Richard Yates expresses a profound realization about the human condition, emphasizing the idea that much of life can be spent in yearning for what we do not have, rather than appreciating what we do have. This sentiment captures the bittersweet nature of existence, where desires often overshadow the present moment, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction and regret. It suggests a reflective examination of life and the futility of longing, inviting readers to consider their own experiences with desire and fulfillment.
In practice
In a speech about pursuing happiness, this quote can illustrate the need to focus on living fully rather than desiring what is out of reach.
She was calm and quiet now with knowing what she had always known, what neither her parents nor Aunt Claire nor Frank nor anyone else had ever had to teach her: that if you wanted something to do something absolutely honest, something true, it always turned out to be a thing that had to be done alone.
He found it so easy and so pleasant to cry that he didn’t try to stop for a while, until he realized he was forcing his sobs a little, exaggerating their depth with unnecessary shudders. … The whole point of crying is to quit before you coined it up. The whole point of grief itself was to cut it out while it was still honest, while it still meant something. Because the thing was so easily corrupted
Do you know what the definition of insane is? Yes. It’s the inability to relate to another human being. It’s the inability to love.
It's a disease. Nobody thinks or feels or cares any more; nobody gets excited or believes in anything except their own comfortable little God damn mediocrity.
She just happened to feel like it. Wasn’t that after all, the only reason there was? Had she ever had a less selfish, more complicated reason for doing anything in her life?
He knew it was possible for shame to be nursed and doctored like an illness, if you wanted to keep it separate from the rest of your life, but that didn't mean there'd be any way to keep from knowing it was there.
I love running cross-country...You come up a hill and see two deer going, 'What the hell is he doing?' On a track I feel like a hamster.
Live a vital life. If you live well, you will earn well. If you live well, it will show in your face; it will show in the texture of your voice. There will be something unique and magical about you if you live well. It will infuse not only your personal life but also your business life. And it will give you a vitality nothing else can give.
Things have dropped from me. I have outlived certain desires; I have lost friends, some by death... others through sheer inability to cross the street.
It has been said that sometimes we need a story more than food in order to live. p 374
What are the best things and the worst things in your life, and when are you going to get around to whispering or shouting them?
Sometimes life is so hard you can only do the next thing.Whatever that is just do the next thing.God will meet you there.
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