--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As I trailed dumbly up the next flight it…" description: "\"“As I trailed dumbly up the next flight it seemed strange that we had never said goodbye. We didn’t know when, if ever, we would see each other again y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/james-herriot-11324_quote_as-i-trailed-dumbly-up-the-next-flight-i_1533296.jpg" --- # As I trailed dumbly up the next flight it seemed strange… ![“As I trailed dumbly up the next flight it seemed strange that we had never said goodbye. We didn’t know when, if ever, we would see each other again yet neither of us had said a word. I don’t know if Siegfried wanted to say anything but there was a lot try trying to burst from me. I wanted to…” quote by James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/james-herriot-11324_quote_as-i-trailed-dumbly-up-the-next-flight-i_1533296.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/james-herriot-11324_quote_as-i-trailed-dumbly-up-the-next-flight-i_1533296.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/439/james-herriot-11324_quote_as-i-trailed-dumbly-up-the-next-flight-i_1533296.jpg) > ““As I trailed dumbly up the next flight it seemed strange that we had never said goodbye. We didn’t know when, if ever, we would see each other again yet neither of us had said a word. I don’t know if Siegfried wanted to say anything but there was a lot try trying to burst from me. I wanted to thank him for being a friend as well as a boss, for teaching me so much, for never letting me down. There were other things, too, but I never said them. Come to think of it, I’ve never even thanked him for that fifty pounds…until now.”” [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on unspoken gratitude and missed farewells, realizing the importance of expressing thanks before it’s too late. **In simple terms:** Unsaid thanks linger; speak appreciation now. Key Takeaway Express gratitude before parting. Themes gratitude farewell reflection Mood reflective nostalgic Type personal emotional When to use this quote - workplace - friendship - endings - personal growth Key Concepts emotional intelligence human connection Questions to Reflect On - What thanks have you left unsaid? - How can you make gratitude a habit? A Different Perspective People often avoid awkward goodbyes, leading to regret. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Siegfried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/siegfried-1809755/) [Strange Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-said-2248240/) [Thanked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thanked/) [Thanked Pounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thanked-pounds-5694124/) [Try Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-try/) [Wanted Thank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-thank-517903/) ## Related quotes > [“But Siegfried held up a restraining hand. “Just one moment,” he slurred. “The windscreen is very dirty. I’ll give it a rub for you.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/but-siegfried-held-up-a-restraining-hand-just-one-moment-he-slurred/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [In traditional 'Swan Lakes,' it's Prince Siegfried's 21st-birthday celebration, his coming-of-age. The entire court, from his mother the Queen on down, is on hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/in-traditional-swan-lakes-it-s-prince-siegfried-s-21st-birthday/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [He helps me every day to do my exercises. Siegfried told me once, 'The one who is a hero is the one who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-horn/he-helps-me-every-day-to-do-my-exercises-siegfried-told-me-once-the/) [Roy Horn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-horn/) > [“One IGHS member said that, yup, she could hear it, too. Then again, during a dinner conversation earlier in the trip, this same woman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/one-ighs-member-said-that-yup-she-could-hear-it-too-then-again-during/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [“She shook her head in puzzlement. 'You're very strange,' she said. 'No, I'm very ordinary,' said Arthur,'but some very strange things have happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/she-shook-her-head-in-puzzlement-you-re-very-strange-she-said-no-i-m/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [“Would you think it strange if I said I was having a good time? We're lost and confused and carrying around a cat. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-shepard-gray/would-you-think-it-strange-if-i-said-i-was-having-a-good-time-we-re/) [Shelley Shepard Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-shepard-gray/) > [How strange is that the one who said that he loves u the most in the world and cant live without you , just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidhi-sahrma/how-strange-is-that-the-one-who-said-that-he-loves-u-the-most-in-the/) [Sidhi Sahrma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidhi-sahrma/) > [She thought how strange it would be if she ever said 'Hello' to him. One did not greet oneself each morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/she-thought-how-strange-it-would-be-if-she-ever-said-hello-to-him-one/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [“Sam said something to me today that I thought was strange. He said his friendship with me made him want to be a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-s-scott/sam-said-something-to-me-today-that-i-thought-was-strange-he-said-his/) [J.S. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-s-scott/) > [“It's just so strange...," she said. He couldn't tell from her voice whether she was sad or angry. "I can remember a time when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/it-s-just-so-strange-she-said-he-couldn-t-tell-from-her-voice-whether/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [I didn't lose my smile from the first to the last match at Arsenal. I remember when I left I wanted to thank everyone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervinho/i-didn-t-lose-my-smile-from-the-first-to-the-last-match-at-arsenal-i/) [Gervinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervinho/) > [Just wanted to thank you for always being there for me. You motivate & inspire me every day. I'll never forget that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-wanted-to-thank-you-for-always-being-there-for-me-you-motivate/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just wanted to thank you for understanding and reaching out. Love Jean, holla back at your homie, peace, I'm out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-grae/just-wanted-to-thank-you-for-understanding-and-reaching-out-love-jean/) [Jean Grae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-grae/) > [“I wanted to thank you," I said. She wrinkled her nose and squinted like I'd said something funny. "Thank me for what?" she said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-wanted-to-thank-you-i-said-she-wrinkled-her-nose-and-squinted-like/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [I never searched but I found, I never wish but it came true. I never asked but I got an answer, and I never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeigh-ilano/i-never-searched-but-i-found-i-never-wish-but-it-came-true-i-never/) [Jeigh Ilano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeigh-ilano/) ## More by James Herriot > [That quotation about not having time to stand and stare has never applied to me. I seem to have spent a good part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/that-quotation-about-not-having-time-to-stand-and-stare-has-never/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“I went back to my conversation with Siegfried that morning; we had just about decided that the man with a lot of animals couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-went-back-to-my-conversation-with-siegfried-that-morning-we-had/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [If a farmer calls me to a sick animal, he couldn't care less if I were George Bernard Shaw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/if-a-farmer-calls-me-to-a-sick-animal-he-couldn-t-care-less-if-i-were/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“... a bullock, backing in alarm from the halter, crashed its craggy behind into my midriff. 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I’ll give it a rub for you.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/but-siegfried-held-up-a-restraining-hand-just-one-moment-he-slurred/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [No animal is a better judge of comfort than a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/no-animal-is-a-better-judge-of-comfort-than-a-cat/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“This old man had once told me that he left school when he was twelve, whereas I had spent most of the twenty-four years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/this-old-man-had-once-told-me-that-he-left-school-when-he-was-twelve/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [And the peace which I always found in the silence and emptiness of the moors filled me utterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/and-the-peace-which-i-always-found-in-the-silence-and-emptiness-of/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [A farmer once told me one of the greatest luxuries of his life was to wake up early only to go back to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/a-farmer-once-told-me-one-of-the-greatest-luxuries-of-his-life-was-to/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/if-having-a-soul-means-being-able-to-feel-love-and-loyalty-and/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [Animals are unpredictable things, and so our life is unpredictable. 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But just because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pink/where-there-is-a-fire-there-s-gonna-be-a-flame-where-there-s-a-flame/) [Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pink/) [Browse all 23 Try Try quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-try/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As I trailed dumbly up the next flight it seemed strange that we had never said goodbye. We didn’t know when, if ever, we would see each other again yet neither of us had said a word. I don’t know if Siegfried wanted to say anything but there was a lot try trying to burst from me. I wanted to thank him for being a friend as well as a boss, for teaching me so much, for never letting me down. There were other things, too, but I never said them. 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