--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were halfway across the road when a…" description: "\"“They were halfway across the road when a birdcall tugged her back, pulling at some strange, secret part of her. A crow, she thought, from its husky ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/emilia-hart-51354_childhood-memory_they-were-halfway-across-the-road-when-a_118049.jpg" --- # They were halfway across the road when a birdcall tugged… ![“They were halfway across the road when a birdcall tugged her back, pulling at some strange, secret part of her. A crow, she thought, from its husky caw---she had already learned to recognize most of the birds that sang in her parents' garden, and crows were her favorite. There was something…” quote by Emilia Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/emilia-hart-51354_childhood-memory_they-were-halfway-across-the-road-when-a_118049.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/emilia-hart-51354_childhood-memory_they-were-halfway-across-the-road-when-a_118049.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75f/emilia-hart-51354_childhood-memory_they-were-halfway-across-the-road-when-a_118049.jpg) > ““They were halfway across the road when a birdcall tugged her back, pulling at some strange, secret part of her. A crow, she thought, from its husky caw---she had already learned to recognize most of the birds that sang in her parents' garden, and crows were her favorite. There was something intelligent---almost human---about their sly voices and dark, luminous eyes. Kate turned, scanning the trees that lined the road behind them. And there it was: a velvet flash of black, shocking against the lurid green and blue of the June day. A crow, just as she'd thought.”” [Emilia Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-hart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vivid scene captures a woman's sudden, instinctive connection to a crow, highlighting the bird’s intelligent, almost human presence amid a bright natural setting. **In simple terms:** A crow’s presence feels eerily intelligent. Key Takeaway Nature can evoke profound, uncanny awareness. Themes nature observation animal symbolism sensory perception Mood poetic wonderful Type descriptive vignette nature reflection When to use this quote - bird‑watching - creative writing - nature photography Key Concepts anthropomorphism mindfulness Practical Applications - use animal encounters for meditation - incorporate vivid detail in storytelling Questions to Reflect On - Why do crows often symbolize mystery? - How does sensory detail shape emotional response? A Different Perspective Interpretation may be subjective; not all readers feel the same awe. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Childhood-memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/childhood-memory-2/) [Crows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crows/) ## Related quotes > [Crows pick out the eyes of the dead, when the dead have no longer need of them; but flatterers mar the soul of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/crows-pick-out-the-eyes-of-the-dead-when-the-dead-have-no-longer-need/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When they're born outside, crows come and pluck their eyes out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/when-they-re-born-outside-crows-come-and-pluck-their-eyes-out/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [I am in love with Counting Crows. It is so manly and American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-am-in-love-with-counting-crows-it-is-so-manly-and-american/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [“Crows played a significant Role during my Psychosis, they reminded me of the Apocalypse – even nowadays, their cawing reminds me to stay humble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sino-melo/crows-played-a-significant-role-during-my-psychosis-they-reminded-me/) [Sino Melo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sino-melo/) > [(after listening to people gripe and complain just smile and remember) Crows can’t hang with eagles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/after-listening-to-people-gripe-and-complain-just-smile-and-remember/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [Crows don’t take from you,” Dean said. “They give your soul wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-kittredge/crows-don-t-take-from-you-dean-said-they-give-your-soul-wings/) [Caitlin Kittredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-kittredge/) > [“Somewhere off to my left, a little voice chirped: The redhead is smart. We can help. In a nearby tree sat a murder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/somewhere-off-to-my-left-a-little-voice-chirped-the-redhead-is-smart/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [The world is a nest of crows; some caw in praise; some caw in derision. But men should be above the reach of praise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/the-world-is-a-nest-of-crows-some-caw-in-praise-some-caw-in-derision/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [But the positive thoughts would give way to negative thoughts, and the negative thoughts seemed to swoop into her mind the way a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/but-the-positive-thoughts-would-give-way-to-negative-thoughts-and-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Our minds are like crows. They pick up everything that glitters, no matter how uncomfortable our nests get with all that metal in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/our-minds-are-like-crows-they-pick-up-everything-that-glitters-no/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Crows appear in many of my new unpublished poems. In these walks, they take on a symbolic life apart from their irritating, undeniable, interruptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/crows-appear-in-many-of-my-new-unpublished-poems-in-these-walks-they/) [Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/) > [If you want to fly with the eagles you can't hang out with the crows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-lesnar/if-you-want-to-fly-with-the-eagles-you-can-t-hang-out-with-the-crows/) [Brock Lesnar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-lesnar/) > [Paraphrased: When Chuang Tzu was about to die, his disciples began planning a splendid funeral. However some disciples expressed concern that given a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/paraphrased-when-chuang-tzu-was-about-to-die-his-disciples-began/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [You know, all is development. The principle is perpetually going on. First, there was nothing, then there was something; then-I forget the next-I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/you-know-all-is-development-the-principle-is-perpetually-going-on/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [“Do you know where we are Papa? the boy said. Sort of. How sort of? Well. I think we're about two hundred miles from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/do-you-know-where-we-are-papa-the-boy-said-sort-of-how-sort-of-well-i/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) ## More by Emilia Hart > [“I had nature in my heart, she said. Like she did, and her mother before her. There was something about us---the Weyward women---that bonded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-hart/i-had-nature-in-my-heart-she-said-like-she-did-and-her-mother-before/) [Emilia Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-hart/) > [“December. The days begin white and glittering with snow---on the roof, the branches of the sycamore, where a robin has taken up residence. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-hart/december-the-days-begin-white-and-glittering-with-snow-on-the-roof/) [Emilia Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-hart/) > [“ Altha . A strange name. Soft and yet powerful. Like an incantation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-hart/altha-a-strange-name-soft-and-yet-powerful-like-an-incantation/) [Emilia Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-hart/) > [“She is a Weyward. And she carries another Weyward inside her. She gathers herself together, every cell blazing, and thinks: Now . 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