--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first thought was this: that he was a…" description: "\"“The first thought was this: that he was a foolish old man, because all his life he'd been looking for something and it was only when Anna joined him i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg" --- # The first thought was this: that he was a foolish old man… ![“The first thought was this: that he was a foolish old man, because all his life he'd been looking for something and it was only when Anna joined him in the bar that evening that he realized that home is not something you find outside yourself; home is something you carry inside you, and it's made…” quote by Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg) > ““The first thought was this: that he was a foolish old man, because all his life he'd been looking for something and it was only when Anna joined him in the bar that evening that he realized that home is not something you find outside yourself; home is something you carry inside you, and it's made from the memories of the people you love, and the people who have loved you.”” [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The realization occurs that home is an internal state built from cherished memories and relationships, not a physical place found elsewhere. **In simple terms:** Home is an inner feeling formed by love and memories. Key Takeaway Cultivate meaningful relationships to feel at home within. Themes home self memory relationships Mood nostalgic reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - relationship building - self‑reflection - therapy Key Concepts existential psychology Questions to Reflect On - What memories make you feel at home? - How can you nurture a sense of belonging wherever you are? A Different Perspective Home cannot be bought or located externally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foolish Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolish-old-2260511/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memories People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories-people-661250/) [Old man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-man/) [Realized Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized-home-658547/) [Thought Foolish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-foolish-431802/) ## Related quotes > [If were not foolish young, were foolish old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-chaucer/if-were-not-foolish-young-were-foolish-old/) [Geoffrey Chaucer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-chaucer/) > [Even a foolish old woman like me knows that lazy people don't think for themselves; they only think about themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/even-a-foolish-old-woman-like-me-knows-that-lazy-people-don-t-think/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“His faith was no game he played.  It was not a mantle to put on or be taken off as the need arose.  The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ki-longfellow/his-faith-was-no-game-he-played-it-was-not-a-mantle-to-put-on-or-be/) [Ki Longfellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ki-longfellow/) > [I was young and foolish then; now I am old and foolisher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-was-young-and-foolish-then-now-i-am-old-and-foolisher/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Why should I ever get fed up talking about my father? He was a brilliant, colorful man who left us with thousands of memories.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-huston/why-should-i-ever-get-fed-up-talking-about-my-father-he-was-a/) [Danny Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-huston/) > [“realized home, for either of them, did not come in the shape of walls, but in the sense of heart. He showed her how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-michaels/realized-home-for-either-of-them-did-not-come-in-the-shape-of-walls/) [Lydia Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-michaels/) > [I realized home is wherever you're surrounded by positive people who love and support you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoh-aalegra/i-realized-home-is-wherever-you-re-surrounded-by-positive-people-who/) [Snoh Aalegra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoh-aalegra/) > [Since we've come to Charlotte, we very quickly realized that this is home. This community quickly embraced our family, so we put down roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-olsen/since-we-ve-come-to-charlotte-we-very-quickly-realized-that-this-is/) [Greg Olsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-olsen/) > [“...the longer she had lived away, the more she realized that nowhere became home… though everywhere had.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ornbratt/the-longer-she-had-lived-away-the-more-she-realized-that-nowhere/) [Susan Örnbratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ornbratt/) > [“She realized that home wasn't a place. It was here, safe in his arms. As long as she had this, everything would be all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-argyle/she-realized-that-home-wasn-t-a-place-it-was-here-safe-in-his-arms-as/) [Amber Argyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-argyle/) > [“At that moment, Oliver realized that home is not a place, but rather, the people who love you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/at-that-moment-oliver-realized-that-home-is-not-a-place-but-rather/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“It takes time and a lot of looking around, but you eventually find that your home is a lot more than just the house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-b-f-bio-moon/it-takes-time-and-a-lot-of-looking-around-but-you-eventually-find/) [Gabriel Bá Fábio Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-b-f-bio-moon/) > [If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-want-to-improve-be-content-to-be-thought-foolish-and-stupid/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Even through my college years, I was trying out plays and shows, but I never really thought it made much sense to try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dermot-mulroney/even-through-my-college-years-i-was-trying-out-plays-and-shows-but-i/) [Dermot Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dermot-mulroney/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## More by Marcus Sedgwick > [“Cold didn’t worry him unduly. Given that his normal body temperature was way below human levels, the dip in the river had been no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/cold-didn-t-worry-him-unduly-given-that-his-normal-body-temperature/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“Eirikr lies on the table, staring into the night sky, staring at the uncountable stars that are shining brightly down on him. What lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/eirikr-lies-on-the-table-staring-into-the-night-sky-staring-at-the/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“Slowly he had learned that there is a world beneath the visible one, and that people, some people at least, have a different life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/slowly-he-had-learned-that-there-is-a-world-beneath-the-visible-one/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“They said something funny. They said, 'Even God leaves on the last boat from Nome.' What does that mean?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/they-said-something-funny-they-said-even-god-leaves-on-the-last-boat/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“Love, he decided, is not about how much someone else cares for you, it's about how much you care for someone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/love-he-decided-is-not-about-how-much-someone-else-cares-for-you-it-s/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“How do you find a name?" "In this case, on a shampoo bottle. It's one of the ingredients; Sodium Laureth Sulphate. He thought it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/how-do-you-find-a-name-in-this-case-on-a-shampoo-bottle-it-s-one-of/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“Love, sing, cry, and fight, but all the time, seek to know everything you can about the earth upon which you stand, till your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/love-sing-cry-and-fight-but-all-the-time-seek-to-know-everything-you/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“He wonders if a few moments of utter and total joy can be worth a lifetime of struggle. Maybe, he thinks. Maybe, if they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/he-wonders-if-a-few-moments-of-utter-and-total-joy-can-be-worth-a/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [Stories twist and turn and grow and meet and give birth to other stories. Here and there, one story touches another, and a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/stories-twist-and-turn-and-grow-and-meet-and-give-birth-to-other/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [I'm just a girl in a nurse's uniform, but that doesn't mean I know how to save these men, and they- they are men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/i-m-just-a-girl-in-a-nurse-s-uniform-but-that-doesn-t-mean-i-know-how/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [Eric Seven does not believe in love at first sight. He corrects himself. Even in that moment, the moment that it happens, he fees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/eric-seven-does-not-believe-in-love-at-first-sight-he-corrects/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“Maybe he knows noting. Maybe it's that he feels it all, but whatever is happening to him, he understands that he lived before. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/maybe-he-knows-noting-maybe-it-s-that-he-feels-it-all-but-whatever-is/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“The bear, which by now was as large as the cathedral on Catherine’s canal, rose on its hind legs like a dancing bear in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/the-bear-which-by-now-was-as-large-as-the-cathedral-on-catherine-s/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [If a life can be ruined in a single moment, a moment of betrayal, or violence, or ill luck, then why can a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/if-a-life-can-be-ruined-in-a-single-moment-a-moment-of-betrayal-or/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) > [“He'd watch the loading and unloading of boats; the building of houses, shacks, and huts; and above all, the people, each carrying a bundle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/he-d-watch-the-loading-and-unloading-of-boats-the-building-of-houses/) [Marcus Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) [Explore all 42 Marcus Sedgwick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/) ## More Memories quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. The smell of coalsmoke in the air at night. Old times, dead years. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-cooler-days-have-brought-a-wistful-mood-upon-him-the-smell-of/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [I have a memory like an elephant. I remember every elephant I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-have-a-memory-like-an-elephant-i-remember-every-elephant-i-ve-ever/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chiarello/what-keeps-me-motivated-is-not-the-food-itself-but-all-the-bonds-and/) [Michael Chiarello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chiarello/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [In the name of Jerusalem. If I forget the extermination of the Jews, may my right hand wither, may my tongue stick to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/menachem-begin/in-the-name-of-jerusalem-if-i-forget-the-extermination-of-the-jews/) [Menachem Begin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/menachem-begin/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [As my films are born at the moment when they are reflected into another person's mind and memories, there are no misconceptions. I totally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pirjo-honkasalo/as-my-films-are-born-at-the-moment-when-they-are-reflected-into/) [Pirjo Honkasalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pirjo-honkasalo/) > [Children, Never look Back!" and this meant that we must never allow the future to be weighed down by memory . for children have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/children-never-look-back-and-this-meant-that-we-must-never-allow-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“ving self and others is an every second of every day of every week, of every month, of every year gift that should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/ving-self-and-others-is-an-every-second-of-every-day-of-every-week-of/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) [Browse all 11,132 Memories quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The first thought was this: that he was a foolish old man, because all his life he'd been looking for something and it was only when Anna joined him in the bar that evening that he realized that home is not something you find outside yourself; home is something you carry inside you, and it's made from the memories of the people you love, and the people who have loved you.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Sedgwick" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a-foolish-old-man-because-all/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Memories" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a-foolish-old-man-because-all/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/marcus-sedgwick-15741_memories_the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a_3197965.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The first thought was this: that he was a foolish old man, because all his life he'd been looking for…” — Marcus Sedgwick", "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": "Marcus Sedgwick", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-sedgwick/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The first thought was this: that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a-foolish-old-man-because-all/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-sedgwick/the-first-thought-was-this-that-he-was-a-foolish-old-man-because-all/#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 } } ] } ```