--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You see, Elner, life is like one big…" description: "\"“You see, Elner, life is like one big roller-coaster ride, with all kinds of bumps and twists and turns, and ups and downs along the way.” “Ahh,” said ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png" --- # You see, Elner, life is like one big roller-coaster ride… ![“You see, Elner, life is like one big roller-coaster ride, with all kinds of bumps and twists and turns, and ups and downs along the way.” “Ahh,” said Elner, “so all we have to do is just sit back and enjoy it.” Raymond said, “Exactly. But the problem is … most people think they are steering, and…” quote by Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png) > ““You see, Elner, life is like one big roller-coaster ride, with all kinds of bumps and twists and turns, and ups and downs along the way.” “Ahh,” said Elner, “so all we have to do is just sit back and enjoy it.” Raymond said, “Exactly. But the problem is … most people think they are steering, and get so busy trying to control it that they miss all the fun parts.” Elner”” [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life is unpredictable with highs and lows, and trying to control everything can cause us to miss enjoyment. **In simple terms:** Life is a roller coaster; enjoy it instead of over‑controlling. Key Takeaway Embrace the ride, let go of excessive control. Themes uncertainty joy control perspective Mood reflective optimistic Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career stress - relationships - travel - personal growth Key Concepts existentialism mindfulness acceptance Questions to Reflect On - Do you try to control outcomes? - How can you savor moments without fear? A Different Perspective Over‑controlling can lead to anxiety and missed opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Roller coaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roller-coaster/) [Twists and turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twists-and-turns/) [Ups and downs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ups-and-downs/) ## Related quotes > [“I think most people are confused about life, because it’s not just one thing going on,” said Elner. “It’s many things going on at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-think-most-people-are-confused-about-life-because-it-s-not-just-one/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Everybody loves a horror story because it's a roller coaster ride -you wait for the slow ride to the top then speed down with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-todd/everybody-loves-a-horror-story-because-it-s-a-roller-coaster-ride-you/) [Tony Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-todd/) > [I've said this before, and I'll say this again: NXT is like a rock concert, roller coaster ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/i-ve-said-this-before-and-i-ll-say-this-again-nxt-is-like-a-rock/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [Everybody likes a roller coaster ride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-waterman/everybody-likes-a-roller-coaster-ride/) [Pete Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-waterman/) > [Life is like a roller coaster ride. . .it has it's ups, downs, twists, and turns but you have friends there with you along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-like-a-roller-coaster-ride-it-has-it-s-ups-downs-twists-and/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [I'll be honest with you: love is not always what we think it is. It is a roller coaster ride going through this, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/latoya-jackson/i-ll-be-honest-with-you-love-is-not-always-what-we-think-it-is-it-is/) [LaToya Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/latoya-jackson/) > [You have another 365 days of your life waiting to give you a roller coaster ride to take you from one destination of happiness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-another-365-days-of-your-life-waiting-to-give-you-a-roller/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is a roller-coaster ride and come what may, one should embrace everything with a smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koel-mallick/life-is-a-roller-coaster-ride-and-come-what-may-one-should-embrace/) [Koel Mallick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koel-mallick/) > [Authentic Christianity is a roller-coaster ride, not a merry-go-round.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hart/authentic-christianity-is-a-roller-coaster-ride-not-a-merry-go-round/) [Mark Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hart/) > [“She loved airports. She loved the smell, she loved the noise, and she loved the whole atmosphere as people walked around happily tugging their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/she-loved-airports-she-loved-the-smell-she-loved-the-noise-and-she/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [Flight out of the atmosphere is a simple thing to do and should have been available to the public twenty years ago. Ten years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burt-rutan/flight-out-of-the-atmosphere-is-a-simple-thing-to-do-and-should-have/) [Burt Rutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burt-rutan/) > [I never plan anything-life is a roller coaster ride - I just hang on for dear life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morrone/i-never-plan-anything-life-is-a-roller-coaster-ride-i-just-hang-on/) Marc Morrone > [I think the thing that made this stand out the most was just the fact that there's a lot more character to these characters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-think-the-thing-that-made-this-stand-out-the-most-was-just-the-fact/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [I better make the plot good. I wanted to make it grip people on the first page and have a big turning point in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-haddon/i-better-make-the-plot-good-i-wanted-to-make-it-grip-people-on-the/) [Mark Haddon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-haddon/) > [“With peaks of joy and valleys of heartache, life is a roller coaster ride, the rise and fall of which defines our journey. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-cole/with-peaks-of-joy-and-valleys-of-heartache-life-is-a-roller-coaster/) [Sebastian Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-cole/) ## More by Fannie Flagg > [“Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/oh-it-don-t-make-no-kind-of-sense-big-ol-ox-like-grady-won-t-sit-next/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession-of-long-black-nights-and/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“The little girl knew if she bit any member of her family, they would get rabies too, and she died without ever having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/the-little-girl-knew-if-she-bit-any-member-of-her-family-they-would/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [There Lives More Faith in Honest Doubt, Believe Me, Than Half the Creeds. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/there-lives-more-faith-in-honest-doubt-believe-me-than-half-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Harris had done exactly what he had been told to do by the sexy dame from Oklahoma. After he had removed all of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/harris-had-done-exactly-what-he-had-been-told-to-do-by-the-sexy-dame/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-surprised-her-by-signing-you-are-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Because, honey," she said, "after you've been to the moon, where else is there to go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/because-honey-she-said-after-you-ve-been-to-the-moon-where-else-is/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Hello... is this Mrs. Fritzi Bevins?' 'Yes, it is.' 'From Pulaski, Wisconsin?' 'Yes.' 'Uh... you don't know me, but I recently received some papers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/hello-is-this-mrs-fritzi-bevins-yes-it-is-from-pulaski-wisconsin-yes/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lenore had pushed her into had been a complete disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lenore-had-pushed-her-into-had-been-a-complete-disaster/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Face it girls. I'm older and I have more insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/face-it-girls-i-m-older-and-i-have-more-insurance/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“I hate a book that jumps around. Also I can promise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-hate-a-book-that-jumps-around-also-i-can-promise/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Remember, if people talk behind your back, it only that you are two steps ahead of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/remember-if-people-talk-behind-your-back-it-only-that-you-are-two/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Depression years come back to me now as the happy times, even though we were all struggling. We were happy and didn't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/depression-years-come-back-to-me-now-as-the-happy-times-even-though/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [One gal drank a can of floor wax and topped it off with a cup of Clorox, trying to separate herself from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/one-gal-drank-a-can-of-floor-wax-and-topped-it-off-with-a-cup-of/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) [Explore all 137 Fannie Flagg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You see, Elner, life is like one big roller-coaster ride, with all kinds of bumps and twists and turns, and ups and downs along the way.” “Ahh,” said Elner, “so all we have to do is just sit back and enjoy it.” Raymond said, “Exactly. But the problem is … most people think they are steering, and get so busy trying to control it that they miss all the fun parts.” Elner”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Fannie Flagg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-roller-coaster-ride-with-all-kinds/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Life" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-roller-coaster-ride-with-all-kinds/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/014/fannie-flagg-3065_life_you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-rolle_911685.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You see, Elner, life is like one big roller-coaster ride, with all kinds of bumps and twists and turns, and…” — Fannie Flagg", "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": "Fannie Flagg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You see, Elner, life is like...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-roller-coaster-ride-with-all-kinds/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/you-see-elner-life-is-like-one-big-roller-coaster-ride-with-all-kinds/#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 } } ] } ```