--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Homework, root canals, and deadlines are…" description: "\"Homework, root canals, and deadlines are the important things in life, and only when we have these major dramas taken care of can we presume to look at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png" --- # Homework, root canals, and deadlines are the important… ![“Homework, root canals, and deadlines are the important things in life, and only when we have these major dramas taken care of can we presume to look at the larger questions.” quote by Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png) > “Homework, root canals, and deadlines are the important things in life, and only when we have these major dramas taken care of can we presume to look at the larger questions.” [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Basic responsibilities must be managed before tackling existential questions. **In simple terms:** Handle chores before big philosophical thoughts. Key Takeaway Prioritize essential tasks before deep reflection. Themes responsibility prioritization philosophy Mood practical calm Type advice reflective When to use this quote - daily chores - work deadlines - financial planning - health appointments Key Concepts time management existentialism stress relief Questions to Reflect On - Which daily task can you complete now? - How does clearing chores affect your mental space? A Different Perspective Neglecting basics can cause anxiety and hinder insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Canals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canals/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Deadline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline/) [Deadlines Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadlines-important-3891788/) [Drama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drama/) [Homework](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homework/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things/) [Important Things In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-things-in-life/) [Larger Questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-questions-3253816/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Major Dramas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/major-dramas-3891789/) [Majors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majors/) [Root canals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/root-canals/) [Roots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roots/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Things in life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-in-life/) ## Related quotes > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [Marriage. It's a hard term to define. Especially for me--I've ducked it like root canal. Still there's no denying the fact that marriage ranks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-schneider/marriage-it-s-a-hard-term-to-define-especially-for-me-i-ve-ducked-it/) [Andrew Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-schneider/) > [I had rather get a root canal without anesthesia than to call your customer service office for help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-jones/i-had-rather-get-a-root-canal-without-anesthesia-than-to-call-your/) [Jon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-jones/) > [I could give you absolutely sterling advice on how to avoid writing, how when you run out of things to do other than going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kushner/i-could-give-you-absolutely-sterling-advice-on-how-to-avoid-writing/) [Tony Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kushner/) > [I hate dentists. That's why my tooth fell out. I was in the middle of a root canal and wouldn't go back, so it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-moss/i-hate-dentists-that-s-why-my-tooth-fell-out-i-was-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Kate Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-moss/) > [Remember, the political idea being expressed a year ago was that because the GOP interpreted its 1994 mandate as a call to budget-balancing austerity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jude-wanniski/remember-the-political-idea-being-expressed-a-year-ago-was-that/) [Jude Wanniski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jude-wanniski/) > [The average household might prepare for root canal, traffic accident, unemployment or illness, but how the household will meet, manage and even survive violent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-longenecker/the-average-household-might-prepare-for-root-canal-traffic-accident/) [John Longenecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-longenecker/) > [I've come to look upon death the same way I look upon root-canal work. Everyone else seems to get through it all right, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-ve-come-to-look-upon-death-the-same-way-i-look-upon-root-canal-work/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [Love is the grand prize and the garbage heap. Love is a spiritual root canal and the only thing that makes life worth living.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-fulghum/love-is-the-grand-prize-and-the-garbage-heap-love-is-a-spiritual-root/) [Robert Fulghum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-fulghum/) > [The last time I had this much fun was a root-canal operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-ziegler/the-last-time-i-had-this-much-fun-was-a-root-canal-operation/) [Larry Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-ziegler/) > [I have had a number of patients with breast cancer, all of whom had root canals on the tooth related to the breast area…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-diamond/i-have-had-a-number-of-patients-with-breast-cancer-all-of-whom-had/) [John Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-diamond/) > [dating you would be like a series of unnecessary root canals interspersed with occasional makeout sessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/dating-you-would-be-like-a-series-of-unnecessary-root-canals/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [So we took out those 3 root canals when she had 3-6 months to live. And that was 6 years ago, and she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-huggins/so-we-took-out-those-3-root-canals-when-she-had-3-6-months-to-live/) [Hal Huggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-huggins/) > [To ask larger questions is to risk getting things wrong. Not to ask them at all is to constrain the life of understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-steiner/to-ask-larger-questions-is-to-risk-getting-things-wrong-not-to-ask/) [George Steiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-steiner/) > [The two most important things in life are good friends and a strong bullpen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-lemon/the-two-most-important-things-in-life-are-good-friends-and-a-strong/) [Bob Lemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-lemon/) ## More by Cynthia Heimel > [Swingers are all from the suburbs and consequently brain-addled by car pools, shopping malls, and welcome wagons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/swingers-are-all-from-the-suburbs-and-consequently-brain-addled-by/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [Throughout their lives, women try to pummel their bodies into some phantom ideal shape that exists only with a lot of airbrushing. ... I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/throughout-their-lives-women-try-to-pummel-their-bodies-into-some/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [Here is Heimel's Law: Anything you fantasize about won't come true. So just cut it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/here-is-heimel-s-law-anything-you-fantasize-about-won-t-come-true-so/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [We have no faith in ourselves. I have never met a woman who, deep down in her core, really believes she has great legs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/we-have-no-faith-in-ourselves-i-have-never-met-a-woman-who-deep-down/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [The buying of a self-help book is the most desperate of all human acts. It means you've lost your mind completely: You've entrusted your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/the-buying-of-a-self-help-book-is-the-most-desperate-of-all-human/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [“Prune these alleged friends ruthlessly from your life. You need all the positive reinforcement you can get. You need friends who think you're fabulous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/prune-these-alleged-friends-ruthlessly-from-your-life-you-need-all/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [There is one thing that humans strive for with every cell, every gene, every nerve fiber of our beings. ... More than Mallomars, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/there-is-one-thing-that-humans-strive-for-with-every-cell-every-gene/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [Possessions, for the terminally frightened, bring peace of mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/possessions-for-the-terminally-frightened-bring-peace-of-mind/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [ \[On peanut M&Ms:\] It is the eggness of them. A shell, chocolate placenta, proteiny peanut baby. Life shape, birth shape, cell shape, protoplasmic-ooze shape.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/on-peanut-m-ms-it-is-the-eggness-of-them-a-shell-chocolate-placenta/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [Men, being conditioned badly, are always feeling nooses closing around their necks, even dumpy boors no girl would take on a bet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/men-being-conditioned-badly-are-always-feeling-nooses-closing-around/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/when-in-doubt-make-a-fool-of-yourself-there-is-a-microscopically-thin/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [In Manhattan, marriage is a trend. Couples kiss over their arugula and radicchio salads. They fondle each other's genitals while devouring their pasta puttanesca.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/in-manhattan-marriage-is-a-trend-couples-kiss-over-their-arugula-and/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [The moment you decide that you're a grownup now, and therefore must put away foolish things like staying out all night or cruising down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/the-moment-you-decide-that-you-re-a-grownup-now-and-therefore-must/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [I remember the day we were hanging around the band's commune and Roger came in with the press kit for a rock band (Moby…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/i-remember-the-day-we-were-hanging-around-the-band-s-commune-and/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) > [Reading is an escape, an education, a delving into the brain of another human being on such an intimate level that every nuance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/reading-is-an-escape-an-education-a-delving-into-the-brain-of-another/) [Cynthia Heimel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) [Explore all 66 Cynthia Heimel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/) ## More Canals quotes > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [Actors do have good and bad sides. It's because the passage down the birth canal distorts the face. People born by caesarean section are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-griffiths/actors-do-have-good-and-bad-sides-it-s-because-the-passage-down-the/) [Richard Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-griffiths/) > [My daughter squealed again and both Bubba and I winced. It’s not an attractive sound, that. It’s high-pitched and it enters your ear canals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/my-daughter-squealed-again-and-both-bubba-and-i-winced-it-s-not-an/) [Dennis Lehane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-lehane/) > [The citizens of Love Canal provided an example of how a blue-collar community with few resources can win against great odds (a multi-billion-dollar international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-gibbs/the-citizens-of-love-canal-provided-an-example-of-how-a-blue-collar/) [Lois Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-gibbs/) > [The problem was that Panama technically belonged to Colombia, which refused to sign a treaty leasing it to the United States. So Roosevelt sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-problem-was-that-panama-technically-belonged-to-colombia-which/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [All this piling up of one technology on top of another-railroad on steamboat, interstate highway on railroad, hydroelectric dam on watermill-had reduced the Mississippi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-raban/all-this-piling-up-of-one-technology-on-top-of-another-railroad-on/) [Jonathan Raban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-raban/) > [I miss that time. The cities back then, just after the forests died, were full of wonders, and you'd stumble on them--these princes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-that-time-the-cities-back-then-just-after-the-forests-died/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One learns little more about a man from his feats of literary memory than from the feats of his alimentary canal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/one-learns-little-more-about-a-man-from-his-feats-of-literary-memory/) [Frank Moore Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-colby/) > [“The city's canals outnumber those in Venice,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lonely-planet/the-city-s-canals-outnumber-those-in-venice/) [Lonely Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lonely-planet/) > [dating you would be like a series of unnecessary root canals interspersed with occasional makeout sessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/dating-you-would-be-like-a-series-of-unnecessary-root-canals/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I have had a number of patients with breast cancer, all of whom had root canals on the tooth related to the breast area…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-diamond/i-have-had-a-number-of-patients-with-breast-cancer-all-of-whom-had/) [John Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-diamond/) > [The digestive canal represents a tube passing through the entire organism and communicating with the external world, i.e. as it were the external surface…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-pavlov/the-digestive-canal-represents-a-tube-passing-through-the-entire/) [Ivan Pavlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-pavlov/) > [People generally have more feeling for canals and roads than education. However, I hope we can advance them with equal pace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/people-generally-have-more-feeling-for-canals-and-roads-than/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The crowning fortune of a man is to be born to some pursuit which finds him employment and happiness, whether it be to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-crowning-fortune-of-a-man-is-to-be-born-to-some-pursuit-which/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Equally important is the lack of cultivable land for farmers, a profound problem when you take into account that Afghanistan has always largely been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/equally-important-is-the-lack-of-cultivable-land-for-farmers-a/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) [Browse all 129 Canals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Homework, root canals, and deadlines are the important things in life, and only when we have these major dramas taken care of can we presume to look at the larger questions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cynthia Heimel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-the-important-things-in-life/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Canals" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-the-important-things-in-life/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b7/cynthia-heimel-10285_canals_homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-t_1243715.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Homework, root canals, and deadlines are the important things in life, and only when we have these major…” — Cynthia Heimel", "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": "Cynthia Heimel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-heimel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Homework, root canals, and deadlines are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-the-important-things-in-life/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-heimel/homework-root-canals-and-deadlines-are-the-important-things-in-life/#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 } } ] } ```