--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that…" description: "\"“So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that time. A man who turned out to be old, a house that turned out to be empty.”\" — Jennifer Egan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/jennifer-egan-825_aging_so-this-is-it-what-cost-me-all-that-time_1815428.jpg" --- # So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that time. A man who… ![“So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that time. A man who turned out to be old, a house that turned out to be empty.” quote by Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/jennifer-egan-825_aging_so-this-is-it-what-cost-me-all-that-time_1815428.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/jennifer-egan-825_aging_so-this-is-it-what-cost-me-all-that-time_1815428.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/jennifer-egan-825_aging_so-this-is-it-what-cost-me-all-that-time_1815428.jpg) > ““So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that time. A man who turned out to be old, a house that turned out to be empty.”” [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing that time and expectations have emptied a once‑promising life, prompting reflection on what truly matters. **In simple terms:** Time and expectations can leave life feeling empty. Key Takeaway Reflect on what truly matters beyond material goals. Themes time disillusionment reflection loss Mood melancholic contemplative Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - career transition - midlife crisis - retirement planning Key Concepts existential questioning life assessment Questions to Reflect On - What does “empty” feel like for you? - How can you rebuild purpose after loss? A Different Perspective May ignore the possibility of renewal after loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) [Cost Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost-time-1277751/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Getting old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-old/) [Getting older](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-older/) [House Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/house-turned-2149529/) [Man Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-turned-860301/) [Old house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-house/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Turned Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned-old-1501513/) [Wasting time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wasting-time/) ## Related quotes > [“I wonder either their God has turned old, sick or died, because even the religious people no more believe in shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/i-wonder-either-their-god-has-turned-old-sick-or-died-because-even/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [How can you respect the world when you see it's being run by a bunch of kids turned old?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/how-can-you-respect-the-world-when-you-see-it-s-being-run-by-a-bunch/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [At a certain point, you have to face the fact that you've turned into an old fart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/at-a-certain-point-you-have-to-face-the-fact-that-you-ve-turned-into/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [The greatest cost, namely time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antiphon/the-greatest-cost-namely-time/) [Antiphon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antiphon/) > [Since your time is your main involvement here - I mean, the clay doesn't cost very much. Even the glaze and the firing doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/since-your-time-is-your-main-involvement-here-i-mean-the-clay-doesn-t/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [“Even free things, things that cost no money, still cost time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/even-free-things-things-that-cost-no-money-still-cost-time/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Sending too many messages will cost you nothing, but the time you invest cost you every thing...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/sending-too-many-messages-will-cost-you-nothing-but-the-time-you/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“It was the waiting and watching that cost the most. For during that time he had to endure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/it-was-the-waiting-and-watching-that-cost-the-most-for-during-that/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“Everything comes at a cost to others, most of the time at a cost to ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecelia-ahern/everything-comes-at-a-cost-to-others-most-of-the-time-at-a-cost-to/) [Cecelia Ahern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecelia-ahern/) > [“I was falling for the man who had turned me. He could never know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-heffner/i-was-falling-for-the-man-who-had-turned-me-he-could-never-know/) [Heather Heffner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-heffner/) > [“His name was Mu-nan, the man who never turned back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/his-name-was-mu-nan-the-man-who-never-turned-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And as man turned from the light of day, all that was left to him was the endless night. Without contrast, he threw open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-dembski-bowden/and-as-man-turned-from-the-light-of-day-all-that-was-left-to-him-was/) [Aaron Dembski-Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-dembski-bowden/) > [“Good God! What in the hell was that noise?” The man in front of them turned in his seat. “That’s what I’ve been asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/good-god-what-in-the-hell-was-that-noise-the-man-in-front-of-them/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [“Little Man turned around and watched saucer-eyed as a bus bore down on him spewing clouds of red dust like a huge yellow dragon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mildred-d-taylor/little-man-turned-around-and-watched-saucer-eyed-as-a-bus-bore-down/) [Mildred D. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mildred-d-taylor/) > [“the old man turned his head, and his face expressed the sum total of the surprise which a man can still feel after a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/the-old-man-turned-his-head-and-his-face-expressed-the-sum-total-of/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) ## More by Jennifer Egan > [“Behind the desk was nothing but view-the whole city flung out in front of us the way street vendors fling out their towels packed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/behind-the-desk-was-nothing-but-view-the-whole-city-flung-out-in/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I just think that, for my particular personality, feeling slightly invisible is always a help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-just-think-that-for-my-particular-personality-feeling-slightly/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Between books, I have to throw out everything I did before, because the tools I've used to write the previous book will not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/between-books-i-have-to-throw-out-everything-i-did-before-because-the/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [As a reader and a writer, I'm happiest when apparently mutually exclusive states can somehow coexist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/as-a-reader-and-a-writer-i-m-happiest-when-apparently-mutually/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I teach intermittently, and while I enjoy it, I don't find that it's a calling for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-teach-intermittently-and-while-i-enjoy-it-i-don-t-find-that-it-s-a/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Like all failed experiments, that one taught me something I didn’t expect: one key ingredient of so-called experience is the delusional faith that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/like-all-failed-experiments-that-one-taught-me-something-i-didn-t/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“Thousands of solar panels lift and tilt at the same time, in the same way. I clutch at Dad's arm: "Why are they doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/thousands-of-solar-panels-lift-and-tilt-at-the-same-time-in-the-same/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [It was the hat. He looked sweet in the hat. How could a man in a fuzzy blue hat have used human bones to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/it-was-the-hat-he-looked-sweet-in-the-hat-how-could-a-man-in-a-fuzzy/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [“The seconds pass. I know what’s going on because it’s the same thing that always happens: give me something nice, something I love or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/the-seconds-pass-i-know-what-s-going-on-because-it-s-the-same-thing/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I had this idea that I could hire myself out as a person to go on archeological digs and dig, without any training! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-had-this-idea-that-i-could-hire-myself-out-as-a-person-to-go-on/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [At night, the house thick with sleep, she would peer out her bedroom window at the trees and sky and feel the presence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/at-night-the-house-thick-with-sleep-she-would-peer-out-her-bedroom/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I number my drafts, and by the time a book is done, I'll have 75 or 80 drafts of some sections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-number-my-drafts-and-by-the-time-a-book-is-done-i-ll-have-75-or-80/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [Read at the level at which you want to write. Reading is the nourishment that feeds the kind of writing you want to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/read-at-the-level-at-which-you-want-to-write-reading-is-the/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) > [I was a stepchild in two different families. The hardest thing about being a stepchild is you know that in some way everything would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-egan/i-was-a-stepchild-in-two-different-families-the-hardest-thing-about-2/) [Jennifer Egan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) [Explore all 358 Jennifer Egan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-egan/) ## More Aging quotes > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [In the past 40 years, the United States lost more than a million farmers and ranchers. Many of our farmers are aging. Today, only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-vilsack/in-the-past-40-years-the-united-states-lost-more-than-a-million/) [Tom Vilsack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-vilsack/) > [We'll never be as young as we are tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/we-ll-never-be-as-young-as-we-are-tonight/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/prayer-of-an-anonymous-abbess-lord-thou-knowest-better-than-myself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The more I produce, the less I am certain. On the road along which the artist walks, night falls ever more densely. Finally, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-more-i-produce-the-less-i-am-certain-on-the-road-along-which-the/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [All the dangers in our world are like a blessed wake up call. They tell us to live life NOW... not tomorrow, not when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/all-the-dangers-in-our-world-are-like-a-blessed-wake-up-call-they/) [Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/) > [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [“It takes maturity to be able to laugh like a child again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moffat-machingura/it-takes-maturity-to-be-able-to-laugh-like-a-child-again/) [Moffat Machingura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moffat-machingura/) > [Seek ye counsel of the aged for their eyes have looked on the faces of the years and their ears have hardened to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/seek-ye-counsel-of-the-aged-for-their-eyes-have-looked-on-the-faces/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [Growing old-it's not nice, but it's interesting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/growing-old-it-s-not-nice-but-it-s-interesting/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [Anything is possible in the life of a man if he lives long enough. Even maturity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howell-raines/anything-is-possible-in-the-life-of-a-man-if-he-lives-long-enough/) [Howell Raines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howell-raines/) > [I just want to be Patty McCormack. I want to spend every year aging the way she has.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-varney/i-just-want-to-be-patty-mccormack-i-want-to-spend-every-year-aging/) [Janet Varney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-varney/) > [Maturity is reached the day we don't need to be lied to about anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-yerby/maturity-is-reached-the-day-we-don-t-need-to-be-lied-to-about-anything/) [Frank Yerby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-yerby/) [Browse all 2,792 Aging quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aging/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“So this is it ⎯ what cost me all that time. 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