--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...as if the world had become a giant…" description: "\"“...as if the world had become a giant train station in which everything was delayed until further notice.”\" — Ann Patchett" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg" --- # ...as if the world had become a giant train station in… ![“...as if the world had become a giant train station in which everything was delayed until further notice.” quote by Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg) > ““...as if the world had become a giant train station in which everything was delayed until further notice.”” [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life feels chaotic and stalled, as if all events wait for an indefinite pause. **In simple terms:** World feels like a delayed train station. Key Takeaway Accept uncertainty and seek personal momentum. Themes uncertainty delay patience Mood reflective melancholic Type literary observational When to use this quote - career setbacks - travel delays - project hold-ups - personal growth - relationship pauses Key Concepts existentialism modern life waiting Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain purpose when everything seems postponed? - What small actions can you take despite the waiting? A Different Perspective The metaphor may overlook moments of progress within delays. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [The world is a giant puzzle that hasnt been put together yet, and were trying to find the other piece of this puzzle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-e-cummings-3/the-world-is-a-giant-puzzle-that-hasnt-been-put-together-yet-and-were/) [E E Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-e-cummings-3/) > [Eventually, Americans would be stuck with government-run health care whether they like it or not. That's when the worst scenario would take shape, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/eventually-americans-would-be-stuck-with-government-run-health-care/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Uh-oh...Delayed in Memphis for lightening. 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In the meantime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobe-hooper/the-original-return-of-the-living-dead-i-was-attached-to-direct-it/) [Tobe Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobe-hooper/) > [I think, like a lot of other people who have been in the service, you'd been delayed in what you were doing. You wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-evans/i-think-like-a-lot-of-other-people-who-have-been-in-the-service-you-d/) [Daniel J. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [Love delayed is lust augmented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/love-delayed-is-lust-augmented/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [“could go wrong on the way did—the plane was delayed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manu-s-pillai/could-go-wrong-on-the-way-did-the-plane-was-delayed/) Manu S. Pillai > [My flights delayed and I found a pube in my sushi. Good times at the airport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-mccarthy/my-flights-delayed-and-i-found-a-pube-in-my-sushi-good-times-at-the/) [Jenny McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-mccarthy/) ## More by Ann Patchett > [She sang as if she was saving the life of every person in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/she-sang-as-if-she-was-saving-the-life-of-every-person-in-the-room/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [If I had problems, I kept them to myself. I didn't make a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/if-i-had-problems-i-kept-them-to-myself-i-didn-t-make-a-scene/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I can't write the book I want to write, but I can and will write the book I am capable of writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-can-t-write-the-book-i-want-to-write-but-i-can-and-will-write-the/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Without worry to protect me, every thought that came into my mind received real attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/without-worry-to-protect-me-every-thought-that-came-into-my-mind/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“I wrote the last sentence of The Patron Saint of Liars in early April and stumbled out of my apartment and into the beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-wrote-the-last-sentence-of-the-patron-saint-of-liars-in-early-april/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“In the future, he will try to say her name enough, but he never can.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/in-the-future-he-will-try-to-say-her-name-enough-but-he-never-can/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [My novels are very much the same, as I think many people's novels are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/my-novels-are-very-much-the-same-as-i-think-many-people-s-novels-are/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“He was in love, and never had he felt such kindness towards another person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/he-was-in-love-and-never-had-he-felt-such-kindness-towards-another/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Gen was sleeping the sleep of the heavily drugged.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/gen-was-sleeping-the-sleep-of-the-heavily-drugged/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [If I was a waitress, I was too tired at the end of the day when I came home to try to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/if-i-was-a-waitress-i-was-too-tired-at-the-end-of-the-day-when-i-came/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“She didn't know how to hate her mother yet, but every time she left her father crying in the airport she came that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/she-didn-t-know-how-to-hate-her-mother-yet-but-every-time-she-left/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“When you think of love you think as an American. You must think like a Russian. It is a more expansive view.' 'Americans havea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/when-you-think-of-love-you-think-as-an-american-you-must-think-like-a/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“...Nebraska was white, a page as still as fallen snow. It was not crosshatched with roads, overrun with the hard lines of interstate systems.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/nebraska-was-white-a-page-as-still-as-fallen-snow-it-was-not/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“Clearly he needed a father, but some other father, any other father, would have been preferable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/clearly-he-needed-a-father-but-some-other-father-any-other-father/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [“I don't have any talent for vacations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-don-t-have-any-talent-for-vacations/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) [Explore all 413 Ann Patchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) ## More Delayed quotes > [My flights delayed and I found a pube in my sushi. 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That's when the worst scenario would take shape, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-mcconnell/eventually-americans-would-be-stuck-with-government-run-health-care/) [Mitch McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-mcconnell/) > [Love delayed is lust augmented.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/love-delayed-is-lust-augmented/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [I think, like a lot of other people who have been in the service, you'd been delayed in what you were doing. You wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-evans/i-think-like-a-lot-of-other-people-who-have-been-in-the-service-you-d/) [Daniel J. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [The original Return of the Living Dead, I was attached to direct it, and I wrote the story. Production was delayed. In the meantime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobe-hooper/the-original-return-of-the-living-dead-i-was-attached-to-direct-it/) [Tobe Hooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobe-hooper/) > [Too-lateness, I realized, has nothing to do with age. It’s a relation of self to the moment. Or not, depending on the person and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-hoban/too-lateness-i-realized-has-nothing-to-do-with-age-it-s-a-relation-of/) [Russell Hoban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-hoban/) > [Justice is justice though it's always delayed and finally done only by mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/justice-is-justice-though-it-s-always-delayed-and-finally-done-only/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Matthew: Shall I remind you of some of the choicest remarks you made about me when I arrived here? Because they live in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-fellowes/matthew-shall-i-remind-you-of-some-of-the-choicest-remarks-you-made/) [Jessica Fellowes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-fellowes/) > [Inevitably you're going to be delayed somewhere. Always have a book. Always have a movie. Always have a notebook. And then always have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-keoghan/inevitably-you-re-going-to-be-delayed-somewhere-always-have-a-book/) [Phil Keoghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-keoghan/) > [The payment for certain sins can be delayed. But they can't be avoided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-ryan/the-payment-for-certain-sins-can-be-delayed-but-they-can-t-be-avoided/) [Shawn Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-ryan/) > [Justice too long delayed is justice denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/justice-too-long-delayed-is-justice-denied/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The only time Republicans will shake fists and point fingers is over a war delayed, one that isn't led by the US, or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/the-only-time-republicans-will-shake-fists-and-point-fingers-is-over/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [Uh-oh...Delayed in Memphis for lightening. Good thing I packed a lunch!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-soni/uh-oh-delayed-in-memphis-for-lightening-good-thing-i-packed-a-lunch/) [Rebecca Soni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-soni/) > [If a train doesn’t stop at your station, it’s simply because it’s not your train. Don’t try to flag down the conductor and convince…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/if-a-train-doesn-t-stop-at-your-station-it-s-simply-because-it-s-not/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) Browse all 206 Delayed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“...as if the world had become a giant train station in which everything was delayed until further notice.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ann Patchett" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train-station-in-which-everything/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Delayed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train-station-in-which-everything/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/06a/ann-patchett-670_fitness_as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train_1511328.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“...as if the world had become a giant train station in which everything was delayed until further notice.” — Ann Patchett", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ann Patchett", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“...as if the world had become...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train-station-in-which-everything/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/as-if-the-world-had-become-a-giant-train-station-in-which-everything/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```