--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: swift glance to his watch, then sat down…" description: "\"“swift glance to his watch, then sat down carefully on a low wall that edged a reed-choked dyke, and removed one of his trainers. ‘Fifteen, fourteen, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/joy-ellis-11963_perfect-timing_swift-glance-to-his-watch-then-sat-down_1941586.jpg" --- # swift glance to his watch, then sat down carefully on a… ![“swift glance to his watch, then sat down carefully on a low wall that edged a reed-choked dyke, and removed one of his trainers. ‘Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen . . .’ ‘You alright, mister?’ Oh perfect, perfect timing, young man! Ted looked up and blinked at the boy. ‘Sorry. Didn’t see you there…” quote by Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/joy-ellis-11963_perfect-timing_swift-glance-to-his-watch-then-sat-down_1941586.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/joy-ellis-11963_perfect-timing_swift-glance-to-his-watch-then-sat-down_1941586.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/joy-ellis-11963_perfect-timing_swift-glance-to-his-watch-then-sat-down_1941586.jpg) > ““swift glance to his watch, then sat down carefully on a low wall that edged a reed-choked dyke, and removed one of his trainers. ‘Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen . . .’ ‘You alright, mister?’ Oh perfect, perfect timing, young man! Ted looked up and blinked at the boy. ‘Sorry. Didn’t see you there. Yeah, I’m fine.’ He rubbed at his foot and winced. ‘Stone in my shoe, damned great blister. Must have”” [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The scene captures a moment of sudden discomfort and embarrassment, highlighting how small physical pains can interrupt social interactions. **In simple terms:** Minor pain can disrupt conversation. Key Takeaway Notice and address physical discomfort promptly. Themes embarrassment human frailty social interaction Mood light‑hearted observational Type anecdotal humorous When to use this quote - public speaking - sports - long walks - day‑to‑day errands Key Concepts physiology social dynamics mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What small discomforts do you often overlook? - How can you politely excuse yourself when needed? A Different Perspective Ignoring minor pain can lead to larger issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blinked Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blinked-boy-3098021/) [Foot Winced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foot-winced-3098022/) [Perfect timing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-timing/) [Ted Looked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ted-looked-3098019/) [Winced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winced/) [Winced Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winced-stone-3098020/) [Young man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-man/) ## Related quotes > [“I wouldn’t let you leave the House if I didn’t—there’s too much at stake.” “At stake. Ha-ha.” At his frown, I winced. “Sorry. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/i-wouldn-t-let-you-leave-the-house-if-i-didn-t-there-s-too-much-at/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [“Nicky winced. "Kevin, the man is dead. Like, permanently.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-sakavic/nicky-winced-kevin-the-man-is-dead-like-permanently/) [Nora Sakavic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-sakavic/) > [“She warned him that, if he got killed, she should cut down the great cedar at the south-west corner of Groby. It kept all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ford-madox-ford/she-warned-him-that-if-he-got-killed-she-should-cut-down-the-great/) [Ford Madox Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ford-madox-ford/) > [“And now things were as bad as they could get. I winced inwardly. You're never supposed to even think that. Because it's just an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lili-st-crow/and-now-things-were-as-bad-as-they-could-get-i-winced-inwardly-you-re/) [Lili St. Crow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lili-st-crow/) > [She winced, knowing what was to come, "Calpurnia." She closed her eyes again, embarrassed by the extravagant name - a name with which no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/she-winced-knowing-what-was-to-come-calpurnia-she-closed-her-eyes/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) > [“This was the first time any adult had hit me. The window-cleaner winced with every strike. I felt better and worse that even a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/this-was-the-first-time-any-adult-had-hit-me-the-window-cleaner/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [“I winced. I just said "creamed." I felt so deprived and miserably virginal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayden-thorne/i-winced-i-just-said-creamed-i-felt-so-deprived-and-miserably-virginal/) [Hayden Thorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayden-thorne/) > [I abjure you,” Alcide said. Colonel Flood winced, and young Sid, Amanda, and Culpepper looked both astonished and impressed, as if this were a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/i-abjure-you-alcide-said-colonel-flood-winced-and-young-sid-amanda/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Oh, this was not good. This was not good at all. The word national replayed itself in her mind a few times, giving her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-t-ellison/oh-this-was-not-good-this-was-not-good-at-all-the-word-national/) [J.T. Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-t-ellison/) > [“Hunter filled the opening in the privacy curtains. He wore green scrubs like the doctors and nurses who had scraped me off the pavement.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/hunter-filled-the-opening-in-the-privacy-curtains-he-wore-green/) [Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/) > [“Are you stitching yourself up?” Heather’s sounded awed. Gabriel winced. “Yep.” “That’s scary,” Heather said. “And…kinda hot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-fine/are-you-stitching-yourself-up-heather-s-sounded-awed-gabriel-winced/) [Chelsea Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-fine/) > [“Claire freed him, and then lifted Ryan to his feet. She pushed back his head to inspect his wound, overly rough. “You’ll live.” Ryan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/claire-freed-him-and-then-lifted-ryan-to-his-feet-she-pushed-back-his/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [“She glanced down at the ground and the inert form of her brother. “What happened to Travis?” Mitch winced. “I hit him with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-laurenston/she-glanced-down-at-the-ground-and-the-inert-form-of-her-brother-what/) [Shelly Laurenston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-laurenston/) > [“I kissed his cheek and winced at the pain in my ass. “You have shown me the evil ways of the pussy. I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cox/i-kissed-his-cheek-and-winced-at-the-pain-in-my-ass-you-have-shown-me/) [James Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cox/) > [“But it isn’t you, is it? Then he winced inwardly, because that sounded far more…meaningful than he’d intended”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manna-francis/but-it-isn-t-you-is-it-then-he-winced-inwardly-because-that-sounded/) [Manna Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manna-francis/) ## More by Joy Ellis > [“Sometimes family breakups are catastrophic, they can lead to decades of ill-feeling within the family unit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/sometimes-family-breakups-are-catastrophic-they-can-lead-to-decades/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“Because, in the dark, I’m equally as frightening as any”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/because-in-the-dark-i-m-equally-as-frightening-as-any/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“end. ‘It’s the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/end-it-s-the/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“Very nice!’ said Nikki. ‘That really enabled you to indulge in your pastime on a grand scale, didn’t it?’ When Kris spoke, his voice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/very-nice-said-nikki-that-really-enabled-you-to-indulge-in-your/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“This might be a beautiful world, but there were some evil souls residing in it. \* \* \*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/this-might-be-a-beautiful-world-but-there-were-some-evil-souls/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“While Gary half listened to Jackman, something still niggled away in the back of his mind. It had almost come to him, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/while-gary-half-listened-to-jackman-something-still-niggled-away-in/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“Consider it done.’ He looked at her earnestly. ‘Look, I know all this is important, but don’t forget your call to Beech Lacey.’ ‘As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/consider-it-done-he-looked-at-her-earnestly-look-i-know-all-this-is/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“Your whole life had broken down, Carter. It was chaos. It’s quite natural that you now choose to live in a carefully structured environment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/your-whole-life-had-broken-down-carter-it-was-chaos-it-s-quite/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“Those lightning fast moves were not right. And those later comments about being a squaddie? No squaddie she’d ever met had that kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/those-lightning-fast-moves-were-not-right-and-those-later-comments/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“You can! Concentrate on me! Now, in, and out. Slowly, calmly, you can do it. In, and out.’ After a while, her desperate battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/you-can-concentrate-on-me-now-in-and-out-slowly-calmly-you-can-do-it/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“she drifted unresisting, into the arms of Morpheus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/she-drifted-unresisting-into-the-arms-of-morpheus/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars did wander darkling in the eternal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/i-had-a-dream-which-was-not-all-a-dream-the-bright-sun-was/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“Do you wish they’d leave Your bedroom door ajar So you’d see a golden crack Shine from afar? Do you wish a fairy’d come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/do-you-wish-they-d-leave-your-bedroom-door-ajar-so-you-d-see-a-golden/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“They are by Rabindranath Tagore.’ Joseph’s voice was soft. ‘And you are right, Constable, they are very beautiful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/they-are-by-rabindranath-tagore-joseph-s-voice-was-soft-and-you-are/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) > [“really bad case of hyperthyroidism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ellis/really-bad-case-of-hyperthyroidism/) [Joy Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) [Explore all 53 Joy Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ellis/) ## More Perfect timing quotes > [God has perfect timing...Never early...never late...It takes a little patience...It takes a lot of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-perfect-timing-never-early-never-late-it-takes-a-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Sometimes it wasn't even when we were knocking on doors, it would be, the phone would ring and somebody would say, "God told me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kendrick/sometimes-it-wasn-t-even-when-we-were-knocking-on-doors-it-would-be/) [Stephen Kendrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kendrick/) > [There is no such thing as perfect timing. It's just a matter of making that one moment perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/there-is-no-such-thing-as-perfect-timing-it-s-just-a-matter-of-making/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [“The truth is that God has a miracle planned for you too, if you are willing to expect it, look for it, and wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracie-miles/the-truth-is-that-god-has-a-miracle-planned-for-you-too-if-you-are/) [Tracie Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracie-miles/) > [Older people looking at me how I bought all of this? I say I got it from grindin, perfect timing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wiz-khalifa/older-people-looking-at-me-how-i-bought-all-of-this-i-say-i-got-it/) [Wiz Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wiz-khalifa/) > [God has a perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and faith, but it's worth the wait...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-has-a-perfect-timing-never-early-never-late-it-takes-a-little/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God has perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and it takes a lot of faith but it's worth the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/god-has-perfect-timing-never-early-never-late-it-takes-a-little-2/) [Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/) > [Although we experience a lot of hardships in this life, just know that GOD has a perfect timing and for everything, Trust in Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/although-we-experience-a-lot-of-hardships-in-this-life-just-know-that/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [“She chuckled, leaned on him as they headed out of the park. “All in all, it was a hell of a party.” “Hmm. We’ll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/she-chuckled-leaned-on-him-as-they-headed-out-of-the-park-all-in-all/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [ Eduardo Saverin: Hey, what's going on? Mark Zuckerberg: \[voice over\] Perfect timing. Eduardo's here and he's going to have the key ingridient. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-social-network/eduardo-saverin-hey-what-s-going-on-mark-zuckerberg-voice-over/) [The Social Network](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-social-network/) > [“We're standing here, beat to shit, walking away from a crime scene where either or both of us could have bought it, and you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-robb/we-re-standing-here-beat-to-shit-walking-away-from-a-crime-scene/) [J.D. Robb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-robb/) > [Better late than never, I'll call it perfect timing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/better-late-than-never-i-ll-call-it-perfect-timing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [GOD HAS PERFECT TIMING, NEVER EARLY, NEVER LATE. SOMETIMES PATIENCE IS KNEELING BEFORE GOD, WHEN ALL YOU WANT TO DO IS RUN. HAVE FAITH,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-dixon-owen/god-has-perfect-timing-never-early-never-late-sometimes-patience-is/) [Cindy Dixon-Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-dixon-owen/) > [I DECLARE that God has a great plan for my life. He is directing my steps. And even though I may not always understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-declare-that-god-has-a-great-plan-for-my-life-he-is-directing-my/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [My hard work finally catching up with perfect timing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/future/my-hard-work-finally-catching-up-with-perfect-timing/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/future/) [Browse all 66 Perfect timing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-timing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“swift glance to his watch, then sat down carefully on a low wall that edged a reed-choked dyke, and removed one of his trainers. ‘Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen . . .’ ‘You alright, mister?’ Oh perfect, perfect timing, young man! Ted looked up and blinked at the boy. ‘Sorry. Didn’t see you there. Yeah, I’m fine.’ He rubbed at his foot and winced. ‘Stone in my shoe, damned great blister. 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