--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was depressed, but that was a side…" description: "\"I was depressed, but that was a side issue. This was more like closing up shop, or, say, having a big garage sale, where you look at everything you've ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/jane-smiley-2120_bigs_i-was-depressed-but-that-was-a-side-issu_1517135.png" --- # I was depressed, but that was a side issue. This was more… ![“I was depressed, but that was a side issue. This was more like closing up shop, or, say, having a big garage sale, where you look at everything you've bought in your life, and you remember how much it meant to you, and now you just tag it for a quarter and watch 'em carry it off, and you don't…” quote by Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/jane-smiley-2120_bigs_i-was-depressed-but-that-was-a-side-issu_1517135.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/jane-smiley-2120_bigs_i-was-depressed-but-that-was-a-side-issu_1517135.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d2/jane-smiley-2120_bigs_i-was-depressed-but-that-was-a-side-issu_1517135.png) > “I was depressed, but that was a side issue. This was more like closing up shop, or, say, having a big garage sale, where you look at everything you've bought in your life, and you remember how much it meant to you, and now you just tag it for a quarter and watch 'em carry it off, and you don't care. That's more like how it was.” [Jane Smiley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-smiley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Depression is portrayed as a secondary issue compared to the profound sense of loss when life’s possessions and memories are discarded, feeling detached from their value. **In simple terms:** Loss of cherished things feels worse than sadness. Key Takeaway Recognize and honor what truly matters. Themes loss memory detachment Mood melancholic thoughtful Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - moving house - selling heirlooms - end of relationships - personal inventory Key Concepts materialism grief identity Questions to Reflect On - What items hold your deepest memories? - How can you preserve meaning without physical objects? A Different Perspective Letting go can feel like erasing part of yourself. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Depressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depressed/) [Garage sale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garage-sale/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [I retired at twenty-nine, bought a life-time pass on American Airlines and my only goal in life was to party like a mad man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/i-retired-at-twenty-nine-bought-a-life-time-pass-on-american-airlines/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [The Giants are usually described as rag tag, kind of a great garage sale team, and the Democrats are described as the Mommies to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/the-giants-are-usually-described-as-rag-tag-kind-of-a-great-garage/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The punctuation of anniversaries is terrible, like the closing of doors, one after another between you and what you want to hold on to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/the-punctuation-of-anniversaries-is-terrible-like-the-closing-of/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [Choosing not to read is like closing an open door to paradise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/choosing-not-to-read-is-like-closing-an-open-door-to-paradise/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“But when you're sad and the walls feel like they're closing in, I want you to remember that the only way to get out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joelle-charbonneau/but-when-you-re-sad-and-the-walls-feel-like-they-re-closing-in-i-want/) [Joelle Charbonneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joelle-charbonneau/) > [I just don't like closing doors. 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