--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whoever's reading this, if anyone is…" description: "\"Whoever's reading this, if anyone is reading it: does it matter that our old selves are lost to us as surely as the past is lost, or is it enough to kn..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/joyce-carol-oates-344_connections_whoever-s-reading-this-if-anyone-is-read_2778610.png" --- # Whoever's reading this, if anyone is reading it: does it… ![“Whoever's reading this, if anyone is reading it: does it matter that our old selves are lost to us as surely as the past is lost, or is it enough to know yes we lived then, and we are living now, and the connection must be there? Like a river hundreds of miles long exists both at its source and at…” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/joyce-carol-oates-344_connections_whoever-s-reading-this-if-anyone-is-read_2778610.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/joyce-carol-oates-344_connections_whoever-s-reading-this-if-anyone-is-read_2778610.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65a/joyce-carol-oates-344_connections_whoever-s-reading-this-if-anyone-is-read_2778610.png) > “Whoever's reading this, if anyone is reading it: does it matter that our old selves are lost to us as surely as the past is lost, or is it enough to know yes we lived then, and we are living now, and the connection must be there? Like a river hundreds of miles long exists both at its source and at its mouth, simultaneously?” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Past selves fade, but living in the present connects us across time like a river. **In simple terms:** Live now, honor past. Key Takeaway Accept loss of past self, focus on present continuity. Themes identity time continuity Mood contemplative poetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - therapy sessions - creative writing - mindfulness practice - legacy projects Key Concepts memory existentialism presence Questions to Reflect On - What does the river metaphor reveal about self? - How do you stay present while honoring past? A Different Perspective Nostalgia can hinder present focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Connections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-now/) [Old self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-self/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-is-no-disguise-which-can-hide-love-for-long-where-it-exists-or/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [When you have lost your inns, drown your empty selves, for you will have lost the last of England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/when-you-have-lost-your-inns-drown-your-empty-selves-for-you-will/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [“Can any of us pinpoint the moment when we've lost our younger selves, lost joy in the simple things, stopped celebrating life? 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They merely move it from their faces into their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/some-people-no-matter-how-old-they-get-never-lose-their-beauty-they/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter where u are in life right now no matter who you are, no matter how old you are it is never too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuts-and-scars/no-matter-where-u-are-in-life-right-now-no-matter-who-you-are-no/) Cuts And Scars > [It's important to have a dream no matter how old you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuichiro-miura/it-s-important-to-have-a-dream-no-matter-how-old-you-are/) [Yuichiro Miura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuichiro-miura/) > [I like unformed characters. This may be because, no matter how old I get, I am still unformed myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akira-kurosawa/i-like-unformed-characters-this-may-be-because-no-matter-how-old-i/) [Akira Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akira-kurosawa/) > [No matter how old you are, an empty wrapping paper tube is still a Light Saber. . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-matter-how-old-you-are-an-empty-wrapping-paper-tube-is-still-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No matter how old you are, you will always be a baby in someones eyes… I wonder who our parents are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-ray/no-matter-how-old-you-are-you-will-always-be-a-baby-in-someones-eyes/) [Bobby Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-ray/) > [Everybody, no matter how old you are, is around 24, 25 in their heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-willis/everybody-no-matter-how-old-you-are-is-around-24-25-in-their-heart/) [Bruce Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-willis/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Connections quotes > [I guess at it's very core love is connection that just makes so much sense you wonder how you used to live before you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-stone/i-guess-at-it-s-very-core-love-is-connection-that-just-makes-so-much/) [Benjamin Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-stone/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) > [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/) [Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I wouldn't want to play a normal princess who always walks around in nice dresses. I never had a connection to it when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-wouldn-t-want-to-play-a-normal-princess-who-always-walks-around-in/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [If our homes should provide anything, they should provide a sense of who we are and how we got here, a sense of connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-conran/if-our-homes-should-provide-anything-they-should-provide-a-sense-of/) [Terence Conran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-conran/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [I love using the latest technologies to make life more efficient, but I don't want to advocate that technology replaces the need to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-webb/i-love-using-the-latest-technologies-to-make-life-more-efficient-but/) [Maynard Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-webb/) > [Synchronicity reveals the meaningful connections between the subjective and objective world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/synchronicity-reveals-the-meaningful-connections-between-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Half of the pleasure of painting and feeling the joy of the creative act is sharing it with others and the feeling of connection.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-genn/half-of-the-pleasure-of-painting-and-feeling-the-joy-of-the-creative/) [Sara Genn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-genn/) > [On the road, I try to maintain my connections with friends and family as much as I possibly can. That keeps me pretty grounded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-scaggs/on-the-road-i-try-to-maintain-my-connections-with-friends-and-family/) [Noelle Scaggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noelle-scaggs/) > [I'm from California, but my father, who passed away when I was young, was from Newark. When I was kid, we would go back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-daly/i-m-from-california-but-my-father-who-passed-away-when-i-was-young/) [Carson Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-daly/) > [I'm uninterested in superheroes. I am only interested in real stories, real people, real connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-lee-curtis/i-m-uninterested-in-superheroes-i-am-only-interested-in-real-stories/) [Jamie Lee Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-lee-curtis/) > [Souls love. That’s what souls do. Egos don’t, but souls do. Become a soul, look around, and you’ll be amazed-all the beings around you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/souls-love-that-s-what-souls-do-egos-don-t-but-souls-do-become-a-soul/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) [Browse all 2,951 Connections quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connections/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Whoever's reading this, if anyone is reading it: does it matter that our old selves are lost to us as surely as the past is lost, or is it enough to know yes we lived then, and we are living now, and the connection must be there? 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