--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But … even if I did – which I didn’t –…" description: "\"“But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have found them myself, found them old and faded? If I only wrote them down myself – later? How can..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg" --- # But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have… ![“But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have found them myself, found them old and faded? If I only wrote them down myself – later? How can Sebastian have found them a hundred years ago – if I hadn’t even written them yet? And where did the information come from?” quote by Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg) > ““But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have found them myself, found them old and faded? If I only wrote them down myself – later? How can Sebastian have found them a hundred years ago – if I hadn’t even written them yet? And where did the information come from?”” [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She questions how historical artifacts could be discovered before being documented, highlighting paradoxes of memory and record. **In simple terms:** She wonders how things can be found before they're written down. Key Takeaway Acknowledge gaps in historical knowledge. Themes history memory paradox Mood curious analytical Type philosophical inquisitive When to use this quote - research methodology - genealogy - museum curation - family history - digital preservation Key Concepts archival theory epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms preserve forgotten knowledge? - How do we validate oral histories? A Different Perspective Assuming unknowns exist may hinder verification. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“In writing 'here', I freely admit that many times I read it 'there' and placed it 'here'. But the ultimate joy comes when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-fitchett/in-writing-here-i-freely-admit-that-many-times-i-read-it-there-and/) [Garry Fitchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-fitchett/) > [I don't think I could have written what I did any earlier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/i-don-t-think-i-could-have-written-what-i-did-any-earlier/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [I hadn't written a love story before and I hadn't written a novel with a happy ending before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-hadn-t-written-a-love-story-before-and-i-hadn-t-written-a-novel/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [I just love language. I mean, I love it. I love stage directions. Any opportunity to write. I hadn't written in so long, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joss-whedon/i-just-love-language-i-mean-i-love-it-i-love-stage-directions-any/) [Joss Whedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joss-whedon/) > [Capitol Records were very keen for me to write and see how I got on; I think that is what defined my sound. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-filan/capitol-records-were-very-keen-for-me-to-write-and-see-how-i-got-on-i/) [Shane Filan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-filan/) > [If Francoise Sagan hadn't written a book called A Chateau in Sweden, I would certainly write a short story called A Chateau in Puerto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/if-francoise-sagan-hadn-t-written-a-book-called-a-chateau-in-sweden-i/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [“She hadn't written so much as a word of a story, but for the first time in a long time she felt she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-murray/she-hadn-t-written-so-much-as-a-word-of-a-story-but-for-the-first/) [Paul Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-murray/) > [I wasn't a normal professor. I had worked in government. I hadn't written nine zillion books. I was a hands-on professor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-albright/i-wasn-t-a-normal-professor-i-had-worked-in-government-i-hadn-t/) [Madeleine Albright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-albright/) > [I think I felt compelled in a way because if I hadn't written the part, I never would have been offered the part. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/i-think-i-felt-compelled-in-a-way-because-if-i-hadn-t-written-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“I was winning awards, getting raises, lecturing college classes, appearing on TV shows, and judging journalism contests. And then I wrote some stories that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-webb/i-was-winning-awards-getting-raises-lecturing-college-classes/) [Gary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-webb/) > [Yeah, well I can't see a situation where I wouldn't at least re-write as a director something I was going to direct. At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/yeah-well-i-can-t-see-a-situation-where-i-wouldn-t-at-least-re-write/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > ['Nation' was one that I'd have killed myself if I hadn't written it. It was absolutely important to me that I wrote it. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/nation-was-one-that-i-d-have-killed-myself-if-i-hadn-t-written-it-it/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The country that I was coming from, the island I was in, hadn't been written about, really. So I thought that I virtually had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/the-country-that-i-was-coming-from-the-island-i-was-in-hadn-t-been/) [Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/) > [“Other people were turning in their papers and I still hadn't written a word. I was starting to panic until out of the blue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-diamant/other-people-were-turning-in-their-papers-and-i-still-hadn-t-written/) [Anita Diamant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-diamant/) > [Everyone always asks, was he mad at you for writing the book? and I have to say, Yes, yes, he was. He still is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/everyone-always-asks-was-he-mad-at-you-for-writing-the-book-and-i/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) ## More by Christine Morton-Shaw > [“Why on earth do adults have to laugh so loudly at everything? Hyena laughs, the women worse than the men—except for the times the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/why-on-earth-do-adults-have-to-laugh-so-loudly-at-everything-hyena/) [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) > [“There are many wonders in this world that will remain quite beyond your reach unless, in fact, you reach for them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/there-are-many-wonders-in-this-world-that-will-remain-quite-beyond/) [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) > [“The O was not a number – a zero. It was a letter – the first letter of the word One. But it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/the-o-was-not-a-number-a-zero-it-was-a-letter-the-first-letter-of-the/) [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) > [“There was no answer. I looked up. Epsilon’s light shone out onto a picture on the wall. A round picture in a square frame.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/there-was-no-answer-i-looked-up-epsilon-s-light-shone-out-onto-a/) [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) > [“What the tide takes away, the tide brings back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/what-the-tide-takes-away-the-tide-brings-back/) [Christine Morton-Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) [Explore all 6 Christine Morton-Shaw quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/) ## More Years ago quotes > [“Probably it goes without saying, but time machine guys don't get a lot of action. Had a one night stand with something cute a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-yu/probably-it-goes-without-saying-but-time-machine-guys-don-t-get-a-lot/) [Charles Yu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-yu/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [“A traveling salesman was driving in the country when his car broke down. He hiked several miles to a farmhouse and asked the farmer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-traveling-salesman-was-driving-in-the-country-when-his-car-broke/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm a vegetarian - I think there's a strong possibility, had I not become a vegetarian, I would not be working now. I became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barker/i-m-a-vegetarian-i-think-there-s-a-strong-possibility-had-i-not/) [Bob Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barker/) > [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [“Graham Newman reports years ago. “Coat-tailing” was the term.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-wrenn/graham-newman-reports-years-ago-coat-tailing-was-the-term/) Corey Wrenn > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [“Nothing, again, could be more prosaic and impenetrable than the domestic energies of Miss Diana Duke. But Innocent had somehow blundered on the discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nothing-again-could-be-more-prosaic-and-impenetrable-than-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [Many years ago I was fishing, and as I was reeling in the poor fish, I realised, 'I am killing him - all for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/many-years-ago-i-was-fishing-and-as-i-was-reeling-in-the-poor-fish-i/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [2,000 years ago one man got nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be if everyone was nice to each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/2-000-years-ago-one-man-got-nailed-to-a-tree-for-saying-how-great-it/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [Its funny how you can grow away from your friends, when just a few years ago they were the most important people in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/its-funny-how-you-can-grow-away-from-your-friends-when-just-a-few/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My gramps died 4 years ago from a heart attack .. I came in late at the hospital because I was buying dope.. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yankit/my-gramps-died-4-years-ago-from-a-heart-attack-i-came-in-late-at-the/) [Yankit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yankit/) > [We're in a golden age for television. TV 25 years ago was slow, plodding , boring. The production values were not great. Today it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-dunbar/we-re-in-a-golden-age-for-television-tv-25-years-ago-was-slow/) [Adrian Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-dunbar/) Browse all 6,765 Years ago quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have found them myself, found them old and faded? If I only wrote them down myself – later? How can Sebastian have found them a hundred years ago – if I hadn’t even written them yet? And where did the information come from?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christine Morton-Shaw" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-could-i-have-found-them-myself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Years ago" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-could-i-have-found-them-myself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42a/christine-morton-shaw-56731_years-ago_but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-cou_2633665.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But … even if I did – which I didn’t – how could I have found them myself, found them old and faded? If I…” — Christine Morton-Shaw", "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": "Christine Morton-Shaw", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-morton-shaw/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“But … even if I did...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-could-i-have-found-them-myself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-morton-shaw/but-even-if-i-did-which-i-didn-t-how-could-i-have-found-them-myself/#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 } } ] } ```