---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At that time in my life I was never late…"
description: "\"“At that time in my life I was never late. Only a year later would I suddenly have difficulty hanging on to any sense of time, leaving friends sitting,..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/lorrie-moore-870_friendship_at-that-time-in-my-life-i-was-never-late_1359750.png"
---

#  At that time in my life I was never late. Only a year…

![“At that time in my life I was never late. Only a year later would I suddenly have difficulty hanging on to any sense of time, leaving friends sitting, invariably, for a half hour here or there. Time would waft past me undetectably or absurdly - laughably when I could laugh - in quantities I was…” quote by Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/lorrie-moore-870_friendship_at-that-time-in-my-life-i-was-never-late_1359750.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/lorrie-moore-870_friendship_at-that-time-in-my-life-i-was-never-late_1359750.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f15/lorrie-moore-870_friendship_at-that-time-in-my-life-i-was-never-late_1359750.png)

> ““At that time in my life I was never late. Only a year later would I suddenly have difficulty hanging on to any sense of time, leaving friends sitting, invariably, for a half hour here or there. Time would waft past me undetectably or absurdly - laughably when I could laugh - in quantities I was incapable of measuring or obeying. But that year, when I was twenty, I was as punctual as a priest. Were priests punctual? Cave-raised, divinely dazed, I believed them to be. ””

[Lorrie Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorrie-moore/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The narrator reflects on a sudden loss of punctuality, contrasting past reliability with a chaotic sense of time, highlighting how personal rhythms can shift unexpectedly.

**In simple terms:** Time perception changed, causing chronic lateness.

Key Takeaway

Accept and adapt to changing personal rhythms.

Themes

time punctuality self‑awareness change

Mood

reflective melancholic

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- work deadlines
- social gatherings
- travel plans
- medical appointments

Key Concepts

temporal perception personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do our internal clocks drift?
- How can we regain time awareness?

A Different Perspective

May excuse irresponsibility or ignore underlying causes.

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