Each thing I do, I rush through so I can do something else. In such a way do the days pass - -a blend of stock car racing and the never ending building of a gothic cathedral. Through the windows of my speeding car I see all that I love falling away: books unread, jokes untold, landscapes unvisited.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the hurry of life and the potential loss of cherished experiences while rushing through daily tasks.
In this quote, Stephen Dobyns expresses a poignant observation about the fast pace of modern life, where the constant rush to complete tasks and engage in new activities leads to a sense of loss. He compares this experience to a blend of fast racing and the painstaking construction of a cathedral, illustrating the tension between speed and meaningful accomplishment. The imagery of love and beauty slipping away—represented by unread books and unvisited landscapes—highlights the importance of slowing down to appreciate life's moments instead of just rushing through them.
In practice
In a speech about work-life balance, I might use this quote to emphasize the importance of slowing down to appreciate what truly matters.
The traveling salesmen fed me pills that made the lining of my veins feel scraped out, my jaw ached... I knew every raindrop by its name, I sensed everything before it happened. Like I knew a certain oldsmobile would stop even before it slowed, and by the sweet voices of the family inside, I knew we'd have an accident in the rain. I didn't care. They said they'd take me all the way.
You have left me so long to struggle against death, alone, that I feel and see only death! I feel like death!
Life was a fairy-tale, then, it is a tragedy now. When I was 43 and John Hay 41 he said life was a tragedy after 40, and I disputed it. Three years ago he asked me to testify again: I counted my graves, and there was nothing for me to say. I am old; I recognize it but I don't realize it. I wonder if a person ever really ceases to feel young - I mean, for a whole day at a time.
I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks.
Do not the most moving moments of our lives find us without words?
There is nothing more enticing, disenchanting, and enslaving than the life at sea.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.