--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember being on the edge of…" description: "\"“I remember being on the edge of seventeen, that dangerous time between childhood and young adult when the cement is still wet in your mind. That part ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/john-goode-11213_children_i-remember-being-on-the-edge-of-seventee_2789093.jpg" --- # I remember being on the edge of seventeen, that dangerous… ![“I remember being on the edge of seventeen, that dangerous time between childhood and young adult when the cement is still wet in your mind. That part of your life where things get stuck and form who you are forever, liked or not. Offhand comments, distant laughter, anything a boy’s fragile ego…” quote by John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/john-goode-11213_children_i-remember-being-on-the-edge-of-seventee_2789093.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/john-goode-11213_children_i-remember-being-on-the-edge-of-seventee_2789093.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0ea/john-goode-11213_children_i-remember-being-on-the-edge-of-seventee_2789093.jpg) > ““I remember being on the edge of seventeen, that dangerous time between childhood and young adult when the cement is still wet in your mind. That part of your life where things get stuck and form who you are forever, liked or not. Offhand comments, distant laughter, anything a boy’s fragile ego could mistake for a slight on the kind of man he will one day become. There is never a time in your life when love is so sweet, or pain cuts so deep, or when memory is so undeniably carved in stone.”” [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adolescence is a formative period where experiences and comments shape lasting identity, pain, and memory. **In simple terms:** Teen years shape who you become. Key Takeaway Reflect on formative experiences. Themes identity memory growth Mood nostalgic thoughtful Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - school life - family dynamics - creative writing - therapy sessions Key Concepts developmental psychology literature psychology Questions to Reflect On - Which teenage moments still influence you? - How can you heal past hurts? A Different Perspective May romanticize pain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Young adult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-adult/) ## Related quotes > [“At the edge you will always remember me, at the edge you will last be remembered, where sanity and insanity come together, for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-liccione/at-the-edge-you-will-always-remember-me-at-the-edge-you-will-last-be/) [Anthony Liccione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-liccione/) > [“I was seventeen and on the edge of an eighteen that seemed terrifying to a young man not sure of his sexuality. I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/i-was-seventeen-and-on-the-edge-of-an-eighteen-that-seemed-terrifying/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [Do you remember how you felt at seventeen? I do and I don't (...) Imagine you came from outer space and someone showed you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/do-you-remember-how-you-felt-at-seventeen-i-do-and-i-don-t-imagine/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [I remember being 12 or 13 and reading 'Seventeen' and 'CosmoGirl.' They were all about self-improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-collins/i-remember-being-12-or-13-and-reading-seventeen-and-cosmogirl-they/) [Petra Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-collins/) > [Seventeen's not so young. A hundred years ago people got married when they were practically our age." "Yeah, that was before electricity and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/seventeen-s-not-so-young-a-hundred-years-ago-people-got-married-when/) [Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/) > [Oh, if I had been loved at the age of seventeen, what an idiot I would be today. Happiness is like smallpox: if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-flaubert/oh-if-i-had-been-loved-at-the-age-of-seventeen-what-an-idiot-i-would/) [Gustave Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-flaubert/) > [“I'll regret it for the rest of my life, Rush, but I was fucking seventeen years old. We're morons at seventeen. We think everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-wright/i-ll-regret-it-for-the-rest-of-my-life-rush-but-i-was-fucking/) [Laura Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-wright/) > [I'm seventeen and I'm crazy. My uncle says the two always go together. When people ask your age, he said, always say seventeen and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-m-seventeen-and-i-m-crazy-my-uncle-says-the-two-always-go-together/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [It was very unusual, because normally the producer requests the test to determine whether they want to hire someone or not. Olivia was concerned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randal-kleiser/it-was-very-unusual-because-normally-the-producer-requests-the-test/) [Randal Kleiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randal-kleiser/) > [Folks, I've been straight for seventeen days... Not all in a row.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kinison/folks-i-ve-been-straight-for-seventeen-days-not-all-in-a-row/) [Sam Kinison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kinison/) > [Every seventeen minutes in America, someone commits suicide. Mostly, I have been impressed by how little value our society puts on saving the lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-redfield-jamison/every-seventeen-minutes-in-america-someone-commits-suicide-mostly-i/) [Kay Redfield Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-redfield-jamison/) > [When I was seventeen, I worked as a counsellor at a co-ed sleep-away camp for eight weeks. I loved it but it could be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harlan-coben/when-i-was-seventeen-i-worked-as-a-counsellor-at-a-co-ed-sleep-away/) [Harlan Coben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harlan-coben/) > [By the time I was seventeen, I was on my way to Hollywood and didn't look back. My family is supportive now, but like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/by-the-time-i-was-seventeen-i-was-on-my-way-to-hollywood-and-didn-t/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) > [My mom had very low expectations for me, and she really had a point. I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) ## More by John Goode > [“It takes more courage than one would expect to sit in a car you know you're going to wreck and even more to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/it-takes-more-courage-than-one-would-expect-to-sit-in-a-car-you-know/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“... life sucks, and I am pretty sure Fate hates me. But there is nothing I can do about any of that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/life-sucks-and-i-am-pretty-sure-fate-hates-me-but-there-is-nothing-i/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“For Kyle, thinking can just end up being destructive. It’s like he was always playing chess in his mind against himself for stakes that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/for-kyle-thinking-can-just-end-up-being-destructive-it-s-like-he-was/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“NO ONE starts a trip thinking that they might crash. Even though there is always a possibility, no one in their right mind ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/no-one-starts-a-trip-thinking-that-they-might-crash-even-though-there/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“I mean, sure, maybe the princess did indeed date the criminal, but how exactly did they make that work?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/i-mean-sure-maybe-the-princess-did-indeed-date-the-criminal-but-how/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“I was seventeen and on the edge of an eighteen that seemed terrifying to a young man not sure of his sexuality. I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/i-was-seventeen-and-on-the-edge-of-an-eighteen-that-seemed-terrifying/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“Every time I had dared to hope for something in my life, it seemed that fate, like a small, angry child, went out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/every-time-i-had-dared-to-hope-for-something-in-my-life-it-seemed/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“I didn’t have a life before you. All of that was… was just a waste of time.” I put my hand over his heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/i-didn-t-have-a-life-before-you-all-of-that-was-was-just-a-waste-of/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“If she understood the difference between referring to me as "the gay guy" and using my name, the knowledge was lost between her vapid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/if-she-understood-the-difference-between-referring-to-me-as-the-gay/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“So I sat there and thought about faking a heart attack so I could skip school for a few months. I mean, they wouldn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/so-i-sat-there-and-thought-about-faking-a-heart-attack-so-i-could/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“Like my own personal sun, he was not only too radiant to look at directly, I also found myself more and more drawn into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/like-my-own-personal-sun-he-was-not-only-too-radiant-to-look-at/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“I even went to the source of all wisdom, I went and knelt at the great Queen of Drag’s feet and asked her how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/i-even-went-to-the-source-of-all-wisdom-i-went-and-knelt-at-the-great/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“The more it changes, the more it's the same thing. But overall, things have changed. I say changed and not "changed for the better"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/the-more-it-changes-the-more-it-s-the-same-thing-but-overall-things/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“My parents were high school sweethearts, which is a term that means “too stupid to use a condom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/my-parents-were-high-school-sweethearts-which-is-a-term-that-means/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) > [“I swore to myself I would never be that guy, the guy who loses his shit for the first pretty face he sees. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goode/i-swore-to-myself-i-would-never-be-that-guy-the-guy-who-loses-his/) [John Goode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) [Explore all 61 John Goode quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goode/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. 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