Curtains Quote by Joan Didion
““All I ever did to that apartment was hang fifty yards of yellow theatrical silk across the bedroom windows, because I had some idea that the gold light would make me feel better, but I did not bother to weight the curtains correctly and all that summer the long panels of transparent golden silk would blow out the windows and get tangled and drenched in afternoon thunderstorms. That was the year, my twenty-eighth, when I was discovering that not all of the promises would be kept, that some things are in fact irrevocable and that it had counted after all, every evasion and ever procrastination, every word, all of it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The White Album, Joan Didion, 1979
The narrator realizes that some promises are unkept and certain events are irreversible, highlighting the weight of procrastination and avoidance.
In simple terms: Some promises are broken and some things can’t be changed.
Key Takeaway
Accept that some outcomes are fixed and move forward.
Themes
impermanence
reflection
procrastination
realization
Mood
melancholic
reflective
Type
literary
personal
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- creative writing
- self‑assessment
- dealing with loss
Key Concepts
existentialism
psychology
memory
Questions to Reflect On
- What promises have you let slip?
- How do you cope with irreversible changes?
A Different Perspective
Not all promises can be kept; some things are truly irrevocable.
![“I think-I need to ask an embarrassing question. Do you think I could borrow a pair of scrubs? I-uh-my pants-" "Oh!" Cried the poor nurse. "Yes. Absolutely. I'll be right back." [...] "Thanks," I mumbled. "I'll just change here. He's not looking at anything at the moment." I gestured toward Sam…” quote by Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cd6/maggie-stiefvater-76_curtains_i-think-i-need-to-ask-an-embarrassing-qu_8591.jpg)
