---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Remember the first time you ever came?…"
description: "\"“Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it.\" His brown eyes laughed warmly. \"What wasn't to dread? A godforsaken isla..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg"
---

#  Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You…

![“Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it.&quot; His brown eyes laughed warmly. &quot;What wasn't to dread? A godforsaken island in the middle of the Atlantic-&quot; &quot;It's only eleven miles out.&quot; &quot;Same difference. If it didn't have a hospital, it wasn't on my radar screen.&quot; &quot;You…” quote by Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg)

> ““Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it." His brown eyes laughed warmly. "What wasn't to dread? A godforsaken island in the middle of the Atlantic-" "It's only eleven miles out." "Same difference. If it didn't have a hospital, it wasn't on my radar screen." "You thought there'd be dirt roads and nothing to do." He gave a wry chuckle. Between lobstering, clamming, and sailing, then movie nights at the church and mornings at the cafe, not to mention dinners at home, in town, or at the homes of friends, Nicole had kept him busy. "You loved it," she dared. "I did," he admitted. "It was perfect. A world away.””

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A couple’s simple, ordinary moments create a perfect, escapist world.

**In simple terms:** Everyday experiences build a cherished, ideal life.

Key Takeaway

Value ordinary moments to create lasting happiness.

Themes

love adventure contentment

Mood

romantic nostalgic

Type

fiction inspirational

When to use this quote

- vacations
- daily routines
- shared hobbies
- family gatherings

Key Concepts

relationship dynamics escape mundane magic

Questions to Reflect On

- Which mundane moments feel most meaningful to you?
- How do you balance adventure with everyday responsibilities?

A Different Perspective

Idealizing simplicity can overlook underlying challenges.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Activities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activities/) [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Brown eyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brown-eyes/) [Chuckle Lobstering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chuckle-lobstering-6161358/) [Dirt Road](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt-road/) [Dirt roads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt-roads/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Island](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/island/) [Laughed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughed/) [Laughed Warmly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughed-warmly-6161357/) [Maine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maine/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/)

## Related quotes

> [I have always been inspired by the dream of America-families in the country, weathered trucks and farmhouses; sailing off the coast of Maine; following…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-lauren/i-have-always-been-inspired-by-the-dream-of-america-families-in-the/)

[Ralph Lauren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-lauren/)

> [I'm tired of talkin' man y'all ain't listenin' Them ol' dirt roads, is what y'all missin'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-aldean/i-m-tired-of-talkin-man-y-all-ain-t-listenin-them-ol-dirt-roads-is/)

[Jason Aldean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-aldean/)

> [I lived a few miles outside of a tiny town in central Oklahoma. I would often run amok though the fields of wheat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/i-lived-a-few-miles-outside-of-a-tiny-town-in-central-oklahoma-i/)

[Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/)

> [I was born in 1940 in Minnesota and grew up in the country... dirt roads, swamps, lakes, woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gilliam/i-was-born-in-1940-in-minnesota-and-grew-up-in-the-country-dirt-roads/)

[Terry Gilliam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gilliam/)

> [A lot of us who grew up in the country, hunting and fishing, being very familiar with the woods and dirt roads, have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-lot-of-us-who-grew-up-in-the-country-hunting-and-fishing-being-very/)

[Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/)

> [“For when one thinks of Guiana one thinks of a country whose inadequate resources are strained in every way, a country whose geography imposes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul-2/for-when-one-thinks-of-guiana-one-thinks-of-a-country-whose/)

[V.S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul-2/)

> [The information superhighway is a dirt road that won't be paved over until 2025.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/the-information-superhighway-is-a-dirt-road-that-won-t-be-paved-over/)

[Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/)

> [Can you tell the guys I'm sorry.. Yes ma'am sure can, would you like a escort? Yes. He stuck out his arm for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade/can-you-tell-the-guys-i-m-sorry-yes-ma-am-sure-can-would-you-like-a/)

[Jade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade/)

> [I'm a dirt road out in the country kind of person, but I remember thinking, I could live in Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-m-a-dirt-road-out-in-the-country-kind-of-person-but-i-remember/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [He is the playfulness of creation, scandal and utter goodness, the generosity of the ocean and the ferocity of a thunderstorm; he is cunning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/he-is-the-playfulness-of-creation-scandal-and-utter-goodness-the/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [For centuries, from the dirt roads of Trenton, to the hills of Virginia, to the trenches of Amiens, our armed forces never fought in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/for-centuries-from-the-dirt-roads-of-trenton-to-the-hills-of-virginia/)

[Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/)

> [I don't keep diaries anymore; They're quite incriminating. I just keep all the dirt road diaries in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/i-don-t-keep-diaries-anymore-they-re-quite-incriminating-i-just-keep/)

[Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/)

> [“If you were on a bus trying to go east in a maze of dirt roads in a large valley, you might not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-c-hayes/if-you-were-on-a-bus-trying-to-go-east-in-a-maze-of-dirt-roads-in-a/)

[Steven C. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-c-hayes/)

> [I grew up in the south, poor - on rock, dirt roads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-turner/i-grew-up-in-the-south-poor-on-rock-dirt-roads/)

[Tina Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-turner/)

> ['Dirt Road Diaries,' in my mind, is a perfect country guy song. It speaks to the hard-working guy, and I'm excited for the fans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bryan/dirt-road-diaries-in-my-mind-is-a-perfect-country-guy-song-it-speaks/)

[Luke Bryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bryan/)

## More by Barbara Delinsky

> [“Life is like a game of cards. It deals you different hands at different times. You don’t have that old hand anymore, Leo. Look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/life-is-like-a-game-of-cards-it-deals-you-different-hands-at/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Waking up Thursday morning to another dreary day and the sense of being physically stuffed, they focused on FISH. While Charlotte interviewed the postmaster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/waking-up-thursday-morning-to-another-dreary-day-and-the-sense-of/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“OLIVIA DIDN’T WANT TO SEE SIMON. She didn’t know how to deal with what she felt. It was raw physical attraction with no emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/olivia-didn-t-want-to-see-simon-she-didn-t-know-how-to-deal-with-what/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Pain is pain. You have a right to feel it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/pain-is-pain-you-have-a-right-to-feel-it/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Não existe vantagem alguma em fazer as coisas do dia para a noite, porque para fazer direito precisamos de planejamento.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/n-o-existe-vantagem-alguma-em-fazer-as-coisas-do-dia-para-a-noite/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Concentrating when it's the hardest is what builds character”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/concentrating-when-it-s-the-hardest-is-what-builds-character/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“My writing style has changed dramatically over the years, growing increasingly clean and exact. I like to think that I'm still improving -- that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/my-writing-style-has-changed-dramatically-over-the-years-growing/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [You kids were all in college, and I suddenly saw that I was stuck alone with a man who, all those years later, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/you-kids-were-all-in-college-and-i-suddenly-saw-that-i-was-stuck/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“The question was whether James would love me if I was someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/the-question-was-whether-james-would-love-me-if-i-was-someone-else/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“There is no point in doing something unless you do it well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/there-is-no-point-in-doing-something-unless-you-do-it-well/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Aim high, hit high.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/aim-high-hit-high/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“You’ll be taking the last a’ those,” Dorey confided. “I had a vendor try to convince me to shrink-wrap and freeze, but they’re never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/you-ll-be-taking-the-last-a-those-dorey-confided-i-had-a-vendor-try/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [“Her ticket to freedom lay in her lap. Ever an avid reader, Annie had escaped into books in recent months, when all else failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/her-ticket-to-freedom-lay-in-her-lap-ever-an-avid-reader-annie-had/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [Wolves go after a wounded deer, it is the nature of the beast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/wolves-go-after-a-wounded-deer-it-is-the-nature-of-the-beast/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

> [I had nothing to fear from my father. Except his disappointment. Which was no small thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/i-had-nothing-to-fear-from-my-father-except-his-disappointment-which/)

[Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

[Explore all 51 Barbara Delinsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/)

## More Activities quotes

> [“Doing activities that you love to do, even a few minutes a day, can help you experience more flow, improve your well-being, and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-e-smith/doing-activities-that-you-love-to-do-even-a-few-minutes-a-day-can/)

[Laurie E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-e-smith/)

> [The activities that went on at Camp King between 1946 and the late 1950s have never been fully accounted for by either the Department…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-jacobsen/the-activities-that-went-on-at-camp-king-between-1946-and-the-late/)

[Annie Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-jacobsen/)

> [I was pursuing the arts with theater in school, and I was doing after-school activities, but not in any real movement towards a professional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzo-aduba/i-was-pursuing-the-arts-with-theater-in-school-and-i-was-doing-after/)

[Uzo Aduba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzo-aduba/)

> [A day at the beach with my kids is one of the least relaxing activities I can think of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-morocco/a-day-at-the-beach-with-my-kids-is-one-of-the-least-relaxing/)

[Chris Morocco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-morocco/)

> [I love downtown Seattle. It's a city that has all of the outdoor activities and is still a very cosmopolitan city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lemond/i-love-downtown-seattle-it-s-a-city-that-has-all-of-the-outdoor/)

[Greg LeMond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lemond/)

> [We didn't discuss Covid at home and did activities like Tik Tok to divert our minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuzvendra-chahal/we-didn-t-discuss-covid-at-home-and-did-activities-like-tik-tok-to/)

[Yuzvendra Chahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuzvendra-chahal/)

> [The United Nations will be at the heart of our international activities. France will assume its full responsibilities at the Security Council by putting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-hollande/the-united-nations-will-be-at-the-heart-of-our-international/)

[Francois Hollande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-hollande/)

> [In my spare time, I volunteer at my daughters' schools so I can stay involved with the activities and parent/teacher community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belinda-johnson/in-my-spare-time-i-volunteer-at-my-daughters-schools-so-i-can-stay/)

[Belinda Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belinda-johnson/)

> [“Society has got a lot of activities and attractions to steal your time and to make you think less about your diminishing life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/society-has-got-a-lot-of-activities-and-attractions-to-steal-your/)

[Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/)

> [I had never been much for outdoor activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-blake/i-had-never-been-much-for-outdoor-activities/)

[Amanda Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-blake/)

> [At Natura, we have long been committed to measure and improve the impacts of our activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guilherme-leal/at-natura-we-have-long-been-committed-to-measure-and-improve-the/)

[Guilherme Leal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guilherme-leal/)

> [There is much more to schools than buildings. There are academic activities, how it reaches the community and its proximity to other programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warner/there-is-much-more-to-schools-than-buildings-there-are-academic/)

[John Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warner/)

> [To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-shorten/to-the-best-of-my-knowledge-when-i-became-national-secretary-and/)

[Bill Shorten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-shorten/)

> [Activism could be defined as activities engaged in by individuals to change there of others situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-edwards/activism-could-be-defined-as-activities-engaged-in-by-individuals-to/)

[Ben Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-edwards/)

> [Sin may result from activities that begin innocently or that are perfectly legitimate in moderation, but in excess they can cause us to veer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/sin-may-result-from-activities-that-begin-innocently-or-that-are/)

[Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/)

[Browse all 215 Activities quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activities/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it.\" His brown eyes laughed warmly. \"What wasn't to dread? A godforsaken island in the middle of the Atlantic-\" \"It's only eleven miles out.\" \"Same difference. If it didn't have a hospital, it wasn't on my radar screen.\" \"You thought there'd be dirt roads and nothing to do.\" He gave a wry chuckle. Between lobstering, clamming, and sailing, then movie nights at the church and mornings at the cafe, not to mention dinners at home, in town, or at the homes of friends, Nicole had kept him busy. \"You loved it,\" she dared. \"I did,\" he admitted. \"It was perfect. A world away.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Barbara Delinsky"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-tell-the-truth-you-were/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Activities"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-tell-the-truth-you-were/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/754/barbara-delinsky-12693_activities_remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-te_807207.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Remember the first time you ever came? Tell the truth. You were dreading it.\" His brown eyes laughed warmly…” — Barbara Delinsky",
                "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": "Barbara Delinsky",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Remember the first time you ever...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-tell-the-truth-you-were/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/remember-the-first-time-you-ever-came-tell-the-truth-you-were/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
