Away Quote by James Agee
“How far we all come. How far we all come away from ourselves. So far, so much between, you can never go home again. You can go home, it's good to go home, but you never really get all the way home again in your life. ... whatever it was and however good it was, it wasn't what you once had been, and had lost, and could never have again, and once in a while, once in a long time, you remembered, and knew how far you were away, and it hit you hard enough, that little while it lasted, to break your heart.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: A Death in the Family, 1961
He muses on how distance from our true selves grows, making home feel unreachable, yet returning home offers fleeting comfort that can still hurt.
In simple terms: We drift from ourselves, making home feel distant.
Key Takeaway
Accept change, cherish moments.
Themes
identity
home
loss
memory
longing
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
philosophical
poetic
When to use this quote
- family reunions
- personal crises
- life transitions
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
nostalgia
Questions to Reflect On
- What part of yourself have you left behind?
- Can you find peace without returning home?
A Different Perspective
Returning home may not restore what was lost.
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