--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I been away a long time." description: "\"I been away a long time.\" — Ken Kesey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png" --- # I been away a long time. ![“I been away a long time.” quote by Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png) > “I been away a long time.” [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Absence creates a sense of longing or disconnection, hinting at personal or societal distance. **In simple terms:** I have been away for a long time. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and address periods of absence. Themes isolation absence longing reflection Mood melancholic contemplative Type literary personal When to use this quote - family reunions - career breaks - travel - mental health recovery Key Concepts Temporal distance personal growth social detachment Questions to Reflect On - What has your time away taught you? - How will you reconnect now? A Different Perspective Absence may mask unresolved issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) [Away Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away-long-536346/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“I'd give something to see that. Mostly, I'd just to look over the country around the gorge again, just to bring some of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-d-give-something-to-see-that-mostly-i-d-just-to-look-over-the/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Mostly, I'd just like to look over the country around the gorge again, just to bring some of it clear in my mind again.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/mostly-i-d-just-like-to-look-over-the-country-around-the-gorge-again/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [You can get away with anything as long as it works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-pinckney/you-can-get-away-with-anything-as-long-as-it-works/) [Darryl Pinckney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-pinckney/) > [My belief also is that Marilyn Monroe passed away long before she should have left us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/my-belief-also-is-that-marilyn-monroe-passed-away-long-before-she/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [“I notice her the way you notice the differences in someone who’s been away a long time. And it hasn’t been a long time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cohn/i-notice-her-the-way-you-notice-the-differences-in-someone-who-s-been/) [Rachel Cohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cohn/) > [You get away from something long enough, you miss it. You get hungry for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forrest-griffin/you-get-away-from-something-long-enough-you-miss-it-you-get-hungry/) [Forrest Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forrest-griffin/) > [And once you've been on stage, you can't stay away from it for long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/binnu-dhillon/and-once-you-ve-been-on-stage-you-can-t-stay-away-from-it-for-long/) [Binnu Dhillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/binnu-dhillon/) > [“Lacie. My Lacie, long-away and long-awaited. Where was she?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sparrow-ausoleil/lacie-my-lacie-long-away-and-long-awaited-where-was-she/) [Sparrow AuSoleil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sparrow-ausoleil/) > [Dhyan Chand passed away long back but we should not forget what he has done for the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milkha-singh/dhyan-chand-passed-away-long-back-but-we-should-not-forget-what-he/) [Milkha Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milkha-singh/) > [If you push someone away long enough, they will finally be far enough away, that even YOU can't reach them anymore!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-moores/if-you-push-someone-away-long-enough-they-will-finally-be-far-enough/) [Sarah Moores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-moores/) > [But our love isn’t easy because it’s not meant to be. It requires work and sacrifice and protection. And I wouldn’t want it any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-wentz/but-our-love-isn-t-easy-because-it-s-not-meant-to-be-it-requires-work/) [Pete Wentz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-wentz/) > [Where are you originally from?” “The planet Lorien, three hundred million miles away.” “Must have been a long trip, John Smith.” “Took almost a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pittacus-lore/where-are-you-originally-from-the-planet-lorien-three-hundred-million/) [Pittacus Lore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pittacus-lore/) > [It's definitely tough to get up and walk away from something you have been a part of for so long. But it's part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/it-s-definitely-tough-to-get-up-and-walk-away-from-something-you-have/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [You go away for a long time and return a different person - you never come all the way back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/you-go-away-for-a-long-time-and-return-a-different-person-you-never/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I'd never really found a place in the outside world, but had stayed away too long to fit in at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-offutt/i-d-never-really-found-a-place-in-the-outside-world-but-had-stayed/) [Chris Offutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-offutt/) ## More by Ken Kesey > [“Time overlaps itself. A breath breathed from a passing breeze is not the whole wind, neither is it just the last of what has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/time-overlaps-itself-a-breath-breathed-from-a-passing-breeze-is-not/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The Grateful Dead are faster than light drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-grateful-dead-are-faster-than-light-drive/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“Okay, stand outa the way. Sometimes when I go to exertin' myself I use up all the air nearby and grown men faint from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/okay-stand-outa-the-way-sometimes-when-i-go-to-exertin-myself-i-use/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The frontiers we broke into in the '60s are still largely unexplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-frontiers-we-broke-into-in-the-60s-are-still-largely-unexplored/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [There's something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/there-s-something-about-taking-a-plow-and-breaking-new-ground-it/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [The best of all possible cages.' Ben stepped back to regard the job with a sad smile. 'What more can one ask?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/the-best-of-all-possible-cages-ben-stepped-back-to-regard-the-job/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [Your trouble is, you keep trying to unscrew the unscrutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/your-trouble-is-you-keep-trying-to-unscrew-the-unscrutable/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [That ain't me, that ain't my face. It wasn't even me when I was trying to be that face. I wasn't even really me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/that-ain-t-me-that-ain-t-my-face-it-wasn-t-even-me-when-i-was-trying/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [But if the strength ain't real, I recall thinking the very last thing that day, before I finally passed out, then the weakness sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/but-if-the-strength-ain-t-real-i-recall-thinking-the-very-last-thing/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“They think they know the book by its cover, but the book knows what it is. Now he knew better; if the book never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/they-think-they-know-the-book-by-its-cover-but-the-book-knows-what-it/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [More was revealed in a human face than a human being can bear face to face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/more-was-revealed-in-a-human-face-than-a-human-being-can-bear-face-to/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [If this glorious birth to death hassle is the only hassle we are ever to have ..if our grand exhilarating fight of life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/if-this-glorious-birth-to-death-hassle-is-the-only-hassle-we-are-ever/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“It's gonna burn me just that way, finally telling about all this, about the hospital, and her, and the guys- and about McMurphy. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/it-s-gonna-burn-me-just-that-way-finally-telling-about-all-this-about/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [When Shakespeare was writing, he wasn't writing for stuff to lie on the page; it was supposed to get up and move around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/when-shakespeare-was-writing-he-wasn-t-writing-for-stuff-to-lie-on/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) > [“And then some guy wandering as lost as you would all of a sudden be right before your eyes, his face bigger and clearer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/and-then-some-guy-wandering-as-lost-as-you-would-all-of-a-sudden-be/) [Ken Kesey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) [Explore all 295 Ken Kesey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/) ## More Away quotes > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [You just say the word, and I'll make the rest of the world go away. I'll take you someplace safe, where no one else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/you-just-say-the-word-and-i-ll-make-the-rest-of-the-world-go-away-i/) [Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/) > [Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/who-wants-a-stylus-you-have-to-get-em-and-put-em-away-and-you-lose-em/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Beauty fades away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/beauty-fades-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You can't kind of take away, you either do or you don't. If you kind of take away something you're a failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-guare/you-can-t-kind-of-take-away-you-either-do-or-you-don-t-if-you-kind-of/) [John Guare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-guare/) > [We never think that our mothers will die. It was like suddenly an abyss opened at my feet - I was standing on nothing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-okri/we-never-think-that-our-mothers-will-die-it-was-like-suddenly-an/) [Ben Okri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-okri/) > [We all have time away from football to get our head down. At the same time it is a very busy schedule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reece-james/we-all-have-time-away-from-football-to-get-our-head-down-at-the-same/) [Reece James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reece-james/) > [If you take away the predators in the prairies and the national parks, you suddenly have an explosion of elk, and then you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-benchley/if-you-take-away-the-predators-in-the-prairies-and-the-national-parks/) [Peter Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-benchley/) > [“Please don't go away. You--you matter. To me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-caine/please-don-t-go-away-you-you-matter-to-me/) [Rachel Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-caine/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) > [“Why is it," she asked, snuggling closer, "that I so often imagine myself running away and running free?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-balogh/why-is-it-she-asked-snuggling-closer-that-i-so-often-imagine-myself/) [Mary Balogh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-balogh/) > [I do spend a lot of weekends on the road. I have to pace myself. It can be pretty busy, but I'm not out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-do-spend-a-lot-of-weekends-on-the-road-i-have-to-pace-myself-it-can/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) [Browse all 4,933 Away quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/away/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I been away a long time.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ken Kesey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-been-away-a-long-time/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Away" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-been-away-a-long-time/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10c/ken-kesey-1034_away_i-been-away-a-long-time-1603607_1603607.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I been away a long time.” — Ken Kesey", "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": "Ken Kesey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-kesey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I been away a long time.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-been-away-a-long-time/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-kesey/i-been-away-a-long-time/#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 } } ] } ```