We have a game we play when we’re waiting for tables in…
![“We have a game we play when we’re waiting for tables in restaurants, where you have to write the five things that describe yourself on a piece of paper. When I was [in my twenties], I would have put: ambitious, Wellesley graduate, daughter, Democrat, single. Ten years later not one of those five…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/ad4/nora-ephron-1217_ambitious_we-have-a-game-we-play-when-we-re-waitin_586047.jpg)
“We have a game we play when we’re waiting for tables in restaurants, where you have to write the five things that describe yourself on a piece of paper. When I was [in my twenties], I would have put: ambitious, Wellesley graduate, daughter, Democrat, single. Ten years later not one of those five things turned up on my list. I was: journalist, feminist, New Yorker, divorced, funny. Today not one of those five things turns up in my list: writer, director, mother, sister, happy.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Personal identity evolves; self‑descriptions change as life stages and priorities shift.
In simple terms: We change over time.
Key Takeaway
Embrace growth.
Themes
identity
change
self‑discovery
Mood
introspective
nostalgic
Type
reflective
inspirational
When to use this quote
- career transitions
- personal reinvention
- relationship changes
Key Concepts
psychology
life narrative
Questions to Reflect On
- How have your core values shifted?
- What new descriptors define you now?
A Different Perspective
Self‑labels can become limiting if clung to rigidly.