We have been cut off, the past has been ended and the…
![“We have been cut off, the past has been ended and the family has broken up and the present is adrift in its wheelchair. ... That is no gap between the generations, that is a gulf. The elements have changed, there are whole new orders of magnitude and kind. [...] My grandparents had to live their…” quote by Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/q/i/845/wallace-stegner-1352_build-up_we-have-been-cut-off-the-past-has-been-e_1335439.jpg)
““We have been cut off, the past has been ended and the family has broken up and the present is adrift in its wheelchair. ... That is no gap between the generations, that is a gulf. The elements have changed, there are whole new orders of magnitude and kind. [...] My grandparents had to live their way out of one world and into another, or into several others, making new out of old the way corals live their reef upward. I am on my grandparents' side. I believe in Time, as they did, and in the life chronological rather than in the life existential. We live in time and through it, we build our huts in its ruins, or used to, and we cannot afford all these abandonings.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Generational change creates gaps; we must adapt and build anew amid shifting times.
In simple terms: Time changes, we must adapt.
Key Takeaway
Adapt and create in changing eras.
Themes
generations
time
change
continuity
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
historical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- family storytelling
- cultural preservation
- urban planning
Key Concepts
philosophy
history
sociology
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you bridge past and present?
- What can you build from old foundations?
A Different Perspective
Nostalgia can hinder embracing new realities.