--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember being shocked when I came out…" description: "\"I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged within that, at the startling green color ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png" --- # I remember being shocked when I came out from under the… ![“I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged within that, at the startling green color of those ferns.” quote by John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png) > “I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged within that, at the startling green color of those ferns.” [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) ## 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 describes a vivid, unexpected visual experience after emerging from a confined, obscuring environment, highlighting the contrast between darkness and the bright, natural world. **In simple terms:** Contrast between confinement and revelation Key Takeaway Unexpected beauty can emerge after periods of obscurity Themes perception nature surprise contrast awakening Mood wonder curiosity awe Type descriptive reflective When to use this quote - emerging from a dark space - exploring a dense forest - after a period of isolation - during a guided meditation Key Concepts visual contrast sensory shift environmental immersion Practical Applications - enhancing descriptive writing - designing immersive experiences Questions to Reflect On - How does darkness shape our appreciation of light? - What does the green fern symbolize? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [After](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/came/) [Cloth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cloth/) [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Focusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/focusing/) [Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green/) [Green Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green-color/) [I came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-came/) [I remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-remember/) [Minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minute/) [Out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/out/) [Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember/) [Shocked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shocked/) [Shocked Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shocked-came-414479/) [Startling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startling/) [Startling Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/startling-green-414477/) [Submerged Startling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submerged-startling-414478/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Within](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/within/) ## Related quotes > [I love green. Green is the color of nature, trees. I'm a tree freak. I spend a lot of my time planting trees, nurturing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boorman/i-love-green-green-is-the-color-of-nature-trees-i-m-a-tree-freak-i/) [John Boorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boorman/) > [“Dude, what're you waiting for?" Carlos calls. "Plant one on her." I lift my eyes and am shocked to see Brandon is staring at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-harris/dude-what-re-you-waiting-for-carlos-calls-plant-one-on-her-i-lift-my/) [Rachel Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-harris/) > [Cutting my hair like this. Just less... blue. Or green. Or... whatever color that is. :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alla/cutting-my-hair-like-this-just-less-blue-or-green-or-whatever-color/) [Alla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alla/) > [STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL FAUX VOMIT: 1 cup of cooked oatmeal 1.2 cup of sour cream (or buttermilk ranch dressing or anything that smells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-ren-e-russell/stay-home-from-school-faux-vomit-1-cup-of-cooked-oatmeal-1-2-cup-of/) [Rachel Renée Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-ren-e-russell/) > [“The river was glossy, narrow, and quick, a beautiful green color, with the white and maroon striped college punts strung along the near bank.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-finch/the-river-was-glossy-narrow-and-quick-a-beautiful-green-color-with/) [Charles Finch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-finch/) > [Green, the color of growth, or surgent life, enwraps the land. New green, still as individual as the plants themselves. Cool green, which will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/green-the-color-of-growth-or-surgent-life-enwraps-the-land-new-green/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [“Remember, green’s your color. You are Spring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwendolyn-brooks/remember-green-s-your-color-you-are-spring/) [Gwendolyn Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwendolyn-brooks/) > [“I placed the tubes of paint on the palette and selected a small canvas. I prepared the palette with an assortment of colors, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jio/i-placed-the-tubes-of-paint-on-the-palette-and-selected-a-small/) [Sarah Jio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jio/) > [“The enjoyment of God will be as fresh and glorious after many ages, as it was at first. God is eternal, and eternity knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-symington/the-enjoyment-of-god-will-be-as-fresh-and-glorious-after-many-ages-as/) [William Symington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-symington/) > [The autumn hill gathers the remaining light, A flying bird chases after its companion. The green color is bright And brings me into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-wei/the-autumn-hill-gathers-the-remaining-light-a-flying-bird-chases/) [Wang Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-wei/) > [Every one must be struck with astonishment, when he first beholds one of these vast rings of coral-rock, often many leagues in diameter, here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/every-one-must-be-struck-with-astonishment-when-he-first-beholds-one/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) > [“A hippogriff flew past, trailing laughter. It came so close to Will that he could smell its scent, a pungent mixture of horse sweat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-swanwick/a-hippogriff-flew-past-trailing-laughter-it-came-so-close-to-will/) [Michael Swanwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-swanwick/) > [“Even more than black death he dreaded the gaudy gate: the mask of sweet red rubber, the violet overhead lights, the rattling ride through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-begley/even-more-than-black-death-he-dreaded-the-gaudy-gate-the-mask-of/) [Adam Begley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-begley/) > [In Britain, where the social safety net is more like a social swaddling cloth, crime rates other than murder are significantly higher than in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/in-britain-where-the-social-safety-net-is-more-like-a-social/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Grey cloth coaxes the lime trees of friends shadowing berries dropped by the grateful earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-chicho/grey-cloth-coaxes-the-lime-trees-of-friends-shadowing-berries-dropped/) [Bradley Chicho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-chicho/) ## More by John Sexton > [And then as I frequently do, some times I'll peek out from underneath the focusing cloth and just look around the edges of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/and-then-as-i-frequently-do-some-times-i-ll-peek-out-from-underneath/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I've never seen a surface that I think is more seductive in image making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-ve-never-seen-a-surface-that-i-think-is-more-seductive-in-image/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I think the greatest photographers are the amateur photographers who do it because they love it. Arnold Newman is a good example; he is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-think-the-greatest-photographers-are-the-amateur-photographers-who/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [So when I became interested in photography and further being inspired by the work that I saw of Ansel and others, it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/so-when-i-became-interested-in-photography-and-further-being-inspired/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [Today my passion is still black and white. Today if I have an array of cameras in front of me the one I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/today-my-passion-is-still-black-and-white-today-if-i-have-an-array-of/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I remembered seeing it and it was this metallic turbine and I thought it was beautiful. I had never been in a power plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remembered-seeing-it-and-it-was-this-metallic-turbine-and-i-thought/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [In my mind I needed a symbol of today's technology, and I realized that what I wanted to photograph was the Space Shuttle. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/in-my-mind-i-needed-a-symbol-of-today-s-technology-and-i-realized/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I've found even after nearly 30 years of doing this, there are all kinds of new surprises that rear their heads at various times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-ve-found-even-after-nearly-30-years-of-doing-this-there-are-all/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [When the object that is produced, the photographic image has the ability to make tears come to your eyes; to inspire you to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/when-the-object-that-is-produced-the-photographic-image-has-the/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I really don't have any secrets. I've never met a photographer whose work I respected that had a secret because the secret lies within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-really-don-t-have-any-secrets-i-ve-never-met-a-photographer-whose/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I think one of the aspects of photography that remains for me is I find the process still frustrating. The counter to that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-think-one-of-the-aspects-of-photography-that-remains-for-me-is-i/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [And as part of my activity there, he had indicated he wanted me to work with him on that and conduct the various technical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/and-as-part-of-my-activity-there-he-had-indicated-he-wanted-me-to/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [So to me it's very similar in terms of trying to distill within the image, those elements that are gonna form, hopefully, a compelling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/so-to-me-it-s-very-similar-in-terms-of-trying-to-distill-within-the/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [One of the workshop participants had shown me a single 8 X 10 photograph of a power plant where he actually was the general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/one-of-the-workshop-participants-had-shown-me-a-single-8-x-10/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) > [I find the surface of a photograph a thing of beauty in and of itself, and it is this surface that makes a photograph…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-find-the-surface-of-a-photograph-a-thing-of-beauty-in-and-of-itself/) [John Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) [Explore all 48 John Sexton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/) ## More After quotes > [At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. It's there with a bunch of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-nicol/at-the-drop-of-a-hat-people-will-say-there-are-no-roles-for-women/) [Lesley Nicol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-nicol/) > [When my main character in 'Heat' climbs the tower, the highest diving platform, hoping to resume competitive diving after an injury, I am there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cadnum/when-my-main-character-in-heat-climbs-the-tower-the-highest-diving/) [Michael Cadnum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cadnum/) > [I was strictly after hits when it came down to the Jackson 5. That's all I was concerned with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deke-richards/i-was-strictly-after-hits-when-it-came-down-to-the-jackson-5-that-s/) [Deke Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deke-richards/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [After I finished college, I got a job on Wall Street as a derivatives trader, but after a couple years of it, I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philipp-meyer/after-i-finished-college-i-got-a-job-on-wall-street-as-a-derivatives/) [Philipp Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philipp-meyer/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It's really a great invention and I wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/markets-are-designed-to-allow-individuals-to-look-after-their-private/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [I have a lot of success and make a good living, but after while, you start going 'Why? Why are you doing all this?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-have-a-lot-of-success-and-make-a-good-living-but-after-while-you/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [See to do good, and you will find that happiness will run after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-freeman-clarke/see-to-do-good-and-you-will-find-that-happiness-will-run-after-you/) [James Freeman Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-freeman-clarke/) > [I went to school at night in L.A. to brush up on my engineering while I applied to the astronaut program. I really did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-jemison/i-went-to-school-at-night-in-l-a-to-brush-up-on-my-engineering-while/) [Mae Jemison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-jemison/) > [Sometimes after a compliment about my characterization skills, I'm asked if I model my characters on real people. Emphatically, no. And sort of, yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/sometimes-after-a-compliment-about-my-characterization-skills-i-m/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [After The Wizard Of Oz I was typecast as a lion, and there aren't all that many parts for lions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-lahr/after-the-wizard-of-oz-i-was-typecast-as-a-lion-and-there-aren-t-all/) [Bert Lahr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-lahr/) > [I'm pretty cautious and not very athletic, so I've only had really dumb injuries, like sprained ankles and allergic reactions. I did have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-wilson/i-m-pretty-cautious-and-not-very-athletic-so-i-ve-only-had-really/) [Mara Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-wilson/) > [I'd like an omelet named after me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-sewell/i-d-like-an-omelet-named-after-me/) [Rufus Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-sewell/) [Browse all 3,411 After quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged within that, at the startling green color of those ferns.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Sexton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out-from-under-the-focusing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "After" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out-from-under-the-focusing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/743/john-sexton-14118_after_i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out_26869.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I remember being shocked when I came out from under the focusing cloth after a minute or two being submerged…” — John Sexton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Sexton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sexton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I remember being shocked when I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out-from-under-the-focusing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sexton/i-remember-being-shocked-when-i-came-out-from-under-the-focusing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```