--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole idea of it makes me feel like…" description: "\"“The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, something worse than any stomach ache or the headaches I get from reading in b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png" --- # The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down… ![“The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, something worse than any stomach ache or the headaches I get from reading in bad light-- a kind of measles of the spirit, a mumps of the psyche, a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul. You tell me it is too early to be looking…” quote by Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png) > ““The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, something worse than any stomach ache or the headaches I get from reading in bad light-- a kind of measles of the spirit, a mumps of the psyche, a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul. You tell me it is too early to be looking back, but that is because you have forgotten the perfect simplicity of being one and the beautiful complexity introduced by two. But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit. At four I was an Arabian wizard. I could make myself invisible by drinking a glass of milk a certain way. At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince. But now I am mostly at the window watching the late afternoon light. Back then it never fell so solemnly against the side of my tree house, and my bicycle never leaned against the garage as it does today, all the dark blue speed drained out of it. This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself, as I walk through the universe in my sneakers. It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends, time to turn the first big number. It seems only yesterday I used to believe there was nothing under my skin but light. If you cut me I could shine. But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed.”” [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes an overwhelming, almost physical illness of the spirit, reflecting on childhood imagination, loss, and the painful transition into adult reality. **In simple terms:** A poetic meditation on growing up and losing youthful wonder. Key Takeaway Acknowledge grief while honoring past imagination. Themes nostalgia loss growth imagination transition Mood melancholic introspective poignant Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - reflecting on childhood fantasies - processing adult disillusionment - writing about emotional pain - exploring metaphorical illness - contemplating mortality Key Concepts identity memory existential angst creative imagination Questions to Reflect On - What does the “measles of the spirit” symbolize for you? - How can you balance melancholy with hope in creative work? A Different Perspective The vivid metaphor may romanticize suffering, obscuring practical coping strategies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beginning Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-sadness-312178/) [Dark blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark-blue/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Late afternoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/late-afternoon/) [Light Fell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-fell-1421122/) [Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Sadness Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness-say-312179/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Too early](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-early/) ## Related quotes > [“The whole idea of it makes me feel Like I’m coming down with something, Something worse than any stomach ache Or the headaches I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“Before heading back up the road, she had turned for a moment toward the sea. 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You tell me it is too early to be looking back, but that is because you have forgotten the perfect simplicity of being one and the beautiful complexity introduced by two. But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit. At four I was an Arabian wizard. I could make myself invisible by drinking a glass of milk a certain way. At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince. But now I am mostly at the window watching the late afternoon light. Back then it never fell so solemnly against the side of my tree house, and my bicycle never leaned against the garage as it does today, all the dark blue speed drained out of it. This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself, as I walk through the universe in my sneakers. It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends, time to turn the first big number. It seems only yesterday I used to believe there was nothing under my skin but light. If you cut me I could shine. But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life, I skin my knees. I bleed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Billy Collins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dark blue" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/427/billy-collins-3004_dark-blue_the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like_2209580.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The whole idea of it makes me feel like I'm coming down with something, something worse than any stomach…” — Billy Collins", "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": "Billy Collins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The whole idea of it makes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/the-whole-idea-of-it-makes-me-feel-like-i-m-coming-down-with-2/#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 } } ] } ```