--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is eighteen years ago, almost to the…" description: "\"“It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day- A sunny day with the leaves just turning, The touch-lines new-ruled - since I watched you play Your first..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/c-day-lewis-2-184761_children_it-is-eighteen-years-ago-almost-to-the-d_369207.jpg" --- # It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day- A sunny day… ![“It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day- A sunny day with the leaves just turning, The touch-lines new-ruled - since I watched you play Your first game of fotball, then, like a satellite Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away Behind a scatter of boys. I can see You walking away from me…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/c-day-lewis-2-184761_children_it-is-eighteen-years-ago-almost-to-the-d_369207.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/c-day-lewis-2-184761_children_it-is-eighteen-years-ago-almost-to-the-d_369207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e46/c-day-lewis-2-184761_children_it-is-eighteen-years-ago-almost-to-the-d_369207.jpg) > ““It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day- A sunny day with the leaves just turning, The touch-lines new-ruled - since I watched you play Your first game of fotball, then, like a satellite Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away Behind a scatter of boys. I can see You walking away from me towards the school with the pathos of a half-fledged thing set free Into a wilderness, the gait of one Who finds no path where the path should be. That hesitant figure, eddying away Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem, Has something I never quite grasp to convey About nature's give-and-take - the small, the scorching Ordeals which fire one's irresolute clay. I had worse partings, but none that so Gnaws at my mind still. Perhaps it is roughly Saying what God alone could perfectly show- How selfhood begins with a walking away, And love proved in the letting go.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving familiar paths can spark personal growth, though it brings pain and uncertainty. **In simple terms:** Walking away from comfort leads to growth. Key Takeaway Embrace change despite fear. Themes growth letting go self-discovery Mood nostalgic hopeful Type poetic inspirational When to use this quote - career change - relationship endings - moving to new city - artistic pursuits Key Concepts existential reflection creative metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What does “walking away” mean for you? - How can you honor what you leave behind? A Different Perspective Change can cause loss of community support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Drifting away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drifting-away/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Parenthood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenthood/) [Sunny day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunny-day/) [Walking away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking-away/) ## Related quotes > [Selfhood begins with a walking away, And love is proved in letting go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-day-lewis/selfhood-begins-with-a-walking-away-and-love-is-proved-in-letting-go/) [Cecil Day-Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-day-lewis/) > [Every single way, every single day, I start drifting away and I'm thinking of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-single-way-every-single-day-i-start-drifting-away-and-i-m/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You die in the same way that you fall asleep: by drifting away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-die-in-the-same-way-that-you-fall-asleep-by-drifting-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I did not practice hours a day for eighteen years to have my success attributed to a myth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-groban/i-did-not-practice-hours-a-day-for-eighteen-years-to-have-my-success/) [Josh Groban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-groban/) > [I am poor - obscure - just eighteen years of age - with a rapacious appetite for everything and principles as light as my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mansfield/i-am-poor-obscure-just-eighteen-years-of-age-with-a-rapacious/) [Katherine Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mansfield/) > [“In eighteen years I would have lived approximately six thousand, six hundred and fifty-six days, nine hundred and fifty weeks, two hundred and eighteen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-skeem/in-eighteen-years-i-would-have-lived-approximately-six-thousand-six/) [Stephanie Skeem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-skeem/) > [I think when you've lost an election by 179, there's going to be a period of time after eighteen years in government when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-archer/i-think-when-you-ve-lost-an-election-by-179-there-s-going-to-be-a/) [Jeffrey Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-archer/) > [There is nothing about resilience that I can say that my father did not first utter silently in eighteen years of living inside a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-edwards/there-is-nothing-about-resilience-that-i-can-say-that-my-father-did/) [Elizabeth Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-edwards/) > [I have always been a fan of music but I didn't really get into playing until I was about seventeen or eighteen years old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/i-have-always-been-a-fan-of-music-but-i-didn-t-really-get-into/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [Hence the Bible has no record of his years of preparation; the record is very abrupt. Something about his childhood is said, very fragmentary.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/hence-the-bible-has-no-record-of-his-years-of-preparation-the-record/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“After eighteen years of being utterly ordinary, I finally found that I can shine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/after-eighteen-years-of-being-utterly-ordinary-i-finally-found-that-i/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) > [“In our thirteen houses, I have made every mistake. It’s been the best education I could have asked for. If I’d never tried, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myquillyn-smith/in-our-thirteen-houses-i-have-made-every-mistake-it-s-been-the-best/) [Myquillyn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myquillyn-smith/) > [I thought if my son was now eighteen years old and he was tempted to join the fight and take the burden of protecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-labaki/i-thought-if-my-son-was-now-eighteen-years-old-and-he-was-tempted-to/) [Nadine Labaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-labaki/) > [The youth of eighteen years his future is not aware, of the future of the country but can be fixed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mal-786/the-youth-of-eighteen-years-his-future-is-not-aware-of-the-future-of/) Mal\_786 > [My first real acting job was 'Skins' at eighteen years old, and I just kind of grew into myself in those two years; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-pasqualino/my-first-real-acting-job-was-skins-at-eighteen-years-old-and-i-just/) [Luke Pasqualino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-pasqualino/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is eighteen years ago, almost to the day- A sunny day with the leaves just turning, The touch-lines new-ruled - since I watched you play Your first game of fotball, then, like a satellite Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away Behind a scatter of boys. I can see You walking away from me towards the school with the pathos of a half-fledged thing set free Into a wilderness, the gait of one Who finds no path where the path should be. That hesitant figure, eddying away Like a winged seed loosened from its parent stem, Has something I never quite grasp to convey About nature's give-and-take - the small, the scorching Ordeals which fire one's irresolute clay. I had worse partings, but none that so Gnaws at my mind still. 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