--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I finally made it across the dune, I…" description: "\"“When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing at the ocean and holding a weathered fence post as if it were the mast of a sailboat. 'That..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/emily-colson-86986_fence-post_when-i-finally-made-it-across-the-dune-i_391389.jpg" --- # When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing… ![“When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing at the ocean and holding a weathered fence post as if it were the mast of a sailboat. 'That was quite a sprint you did on that soft sand,' I said, huffing and puffing. She smiled, but didn't respond. So I clarified, 'That sand is hard to…” quote by Emily Colson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/emily-colson-86986_fence-post_when-i-finally-made-it-across-the-dune-i_391389.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/emily-colson-86986_fence-post_when-i-finally-made-it-across-the-dune-i_391389.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05d/emily-colson-86986_fence-post_when-i-finally-made-it-across-the-dune-i_391389.jpg) > ““When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing at the ocean and holding a weathered fence post as if it were the mast of a sailboat. 'That was quite a sprint you did on that soft sand,' I said, huffing and puffing. She smiled, but didn't respond. So I clarified, 'That sand is hard to get through.' She laughed. 'It's easier to get through the tough stuff if I give it a little muscle.' I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and said coyly, 'I think there's a life lesson there.' 'Nah,' she refuted. 'I've exercised my whole life. Lots of practice. It comes naturally now.' Like I said.”” Emily Colson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A woman uses humor and a physical metaphor to suggest that confronting challenges becomes easier with effort and perspective. **In simple terms:** Facing tough situations is easier with effort and humor. Key Takeaway Apply effort and humor to tough problems. Themes resilience humor metaphor Mood reflective lighthearted Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - teamwork - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology motivation storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How can humor change your approach to difficulty? - What 'muscle” does your challenge need? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fence post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fence-post/) ## Related quotes > [“The sand was hard-packed and solid and wet, speckled all over with cockle shells in colors and patterns of such profusion and variety that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-sand-was-hard-packed-and-solid-and-wet-speckled-all-over-with/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The shrine I prayed at not to go to university,” Sand said. “I guess your prayer was answered,” Perrotte said. 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And it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/how-often-do-we-pass-by-a-need-a-life-that-could-be-changed-with-the/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [“The application of this knife, the division of the world into parts and the building of this structure, is something everybody does. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirsig-robert-m/the-application-of-this-knife-the-division-of-the-world-into-parts/) Pirsig, Robert M > [Historically, Hollywood comedy has arrived in skinny envelopes. From fence post Buster Keaton to herky-jerky Jerry Lewis to wiry nerve-bundle Woody Allen to hung-loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/historically-hollywood-comedy-has-arrived-in-skinny-envelopes-from/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [Things change when you learn to loosen your grip. I think one way and the future is desperate. I think another way everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-finn/things-change-when-you-learn-to-loosen-your-grip-i-think-one-way-and/) [Tim Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-finn/) > [“Installing a Vertical Frame MATERIALS To construct a vertical frame, you need: two 5-foot electrical conduit pipes (1/2-inch diameter); one 4-foot conduit pipe (1/2-inch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-bartholomew/installing-a-vertical-frame-materials-to-construct-a-vertical-frame/) [Mel Bartholomew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-bartholomew/) > [“Brod's life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and-2/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [He has the vocal modulation of a railway-station announcer, the expressive power of a fence-post and the charisma of a week-old head of lettuce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fintan-o-toole/he-has-the-vocal-modulation-of-a-railway-station-announcer-the/) Fintan O'Toole > [“Brod’s life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Charles Snow had been as spiritually curious as a fence post, and Pete doubted that his father had ever changed in any meaningful way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-henderson/charles-snow-had-been-as-spiritually-curious-as-a-fence-post-and-pete/) [Smith Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smith-henderson/) ## More by Emily Colson > [“Everyone ... is scared and messy with a history of failures; it's just that only some of us show it on the outside too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/everyone-is-scared-and-messy-with-a-history-of-failures-it-s-just/) Emily Colson > [“The Bible is layered, incredibly complex, and yet perfectly simple. But your heart has to be open to truly "read" it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-colson/the-bible-is-layered-incredibly-complex-and-yet-perfectly-simple-but/) Emily Colson Explore all 3 Emily Colson quotes ## More Fence post quotes > [“Charles Snow had been as spiritually curious as a fence post, and Pete doubted that his father had ever changed in any meaningful way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smith-henderson/charles-snow-had-been-as-spiritually-curious-as-a-fence-post-and-pete/) [Smith Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smith-henderson/) > [“Brod’s life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [He has the vocal modulation of a railway-station announcer, the expressive power of a fence-post and the charisma of a week-old head of lettuce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fintan-o-toole/he-has-the-vocal-modulation-of-a-railway-station-announcer-the/) Fintan O'Toole > [“Brod's life was a slow realization that the world was not for her, and that for whatever reason, she would never be happy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/brod-s-life-was-a-slow-realization-that-the-world-was-not-for-her-and-2/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“Installing a Vertical Frame MATERIALS To construct a vertical frame, you need: two 5-foot electrical conduit pipes (1/2-inch diameter); one 4-foot conduit pipe (1/2-inch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-bartholomew/installing-a-vertical-frame-materials-to-construct-a-vertical-frame/) [Mel Bartholomew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-bartholomew/) > [Things change when you learn to loosen your grip. I think one way and the future is desperate. I think another way everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-finn/things-change-when-you-learn-to-loosen-your-grip-i-think-one-way-and/) [Tim Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-finn/) > [Historically, Hollywood comedy has arrived in skinny envelopes. From fence post Buster Keaton to herky-jerky Jerry Lewis to wiry nerve-bundle Woody Allen to hung-loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-wolcott/historically-hollywood-comedy-has-arrived-in-skinny-envelopes-from/) [James Wolcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-wolcott/) > [“The application of this knife, the division of the world into parts and the building of this structure, is something everybody does. All the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirsig-robert-m/the-application-of-this-knife-the-division-of-the-world-into-parts/) Pirsig, Robert M > [“How often ... do we pass by a need, a life that could be changed with the smallest bit of effort? And it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-wingate/how-often-do-we-pass-by-a-need-a-life-that-could-be-changed-with-the/) [Lisa Wingate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-wingate/) > [Everything in Russia is made of cement - phone booths, fence posts and light bulbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-frazier/everything-in-russia-is-made-of-cement-phone-booths-fence-posts-and/) [Ian Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-frazier/) > [“I fell in love with you when you crashed into my fence post and chased after my chickens and fell down in the mud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-andre/i-fell-in-love-with-you-when-you-crashed-into-my-fence-post-and/) [Bella Andre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-andre/) > [“I exhausted myself trying to take it all in, noting every little variation and departure from how things were supposed to be. My notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-johnston/i-exhausted-myself-trying-to-take-it-all-in-noting-every-little/) Wayne Johnston > [Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/anytime-you-see-a-turtle-up-on-top-of-a-fence-post-you-know-he-had/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [“I might like to have someone courting me. But it would have to be someone who is a square shooter and who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-e-turner/i-might-like-to-have-someone-courting-me-but-it-would-have-to-be/) [Nancy E. Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-e-turner/) > [“Human beings in there took turns standing or lying down. The legs of those who stood were like fence posts driven into a warm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/human-beings-in-there-took-turns-standing-or-lying-down-the-legs-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Browse all 29 Fence post quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fence-post/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I finally made it across the dune, I found her gazing at the ocean and holding a weathered fence post as if it were the mast of a sailboat. 'That was quite a sprint you did on that soft sand,' I said, huffing and puffing. She smiled, but didn't respond. So I clarified, 'That sand is hard to get through.' She laughed. 'It's easier to get through the tough stuff if I give it a little muscle.' I looked at her out of the corner of my eye and said coyly, 'I think there's a life lesson there.' 'Nah,' she refuted. 'I've exercised my whole life. Lots of practice. 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