--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I struggle with enormous discrepancies…" description: "\"I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need to travel, betw..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/sally-mann-15174_children_i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-b_2505741.jpg" --- # I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the… ![“I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need to travel, between the varied and seductive paths of the heart. The lessons of impermanance, the occasional despair and the muse, so tenuously moored, all visit…” quote by Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/sally-mann-15174_children_i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-b_2505741.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/sally-mann-15174_children_i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-b_2505741.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/770/sally-mann-15174_children_i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-b_2505741.jpg) > “I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need to travel, between the varied and seductive paths of the heart. The lessons of impermanance, the occasional despair and the muse, so tenuously moored, all visit their needs upon me and I dig deeply for the spiritual utilities that restore me: my love for the place, for the one man left, for my children and friends and the great green pulse of spring.” [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Motherhood, love, travel, and desire create conflicting inner narratives that require spiritual grounding. **In simple terms:** Conflicting feelings need inner balance. Key Takeaway Seek spiritual practices that restore balance. Themes family identity spirituality conflict Mood introspective melancholic Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - career decisions - personal loss - creative block Key Concepts impermanence despair inner muse self‑restoration Questions to Reflect On - What spiritual tools help you reconcile contradictions? - How does impermanence shape your choices? A Different Perspective Balancing opposing desires can cause emotional strain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despair/) [Dig deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dig-deep/) [Discrepancies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrepancies/) [Discrepancies between](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrepancies-between/) [Discrepancies Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discrepancies-reality-1107319/) [Enormous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enormous/) [Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Lessons Impermanance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons-impermanance-1107318/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moored-124962/) [Motherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motherhood/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muse/) [My children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-children/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Occasional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasional/) [Occasional Despair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasional-despair-1107317/) [One man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-man/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Photographer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photographer/) [Pulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulse/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reality Motherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality-motherhood-1107316/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Seductive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seductive/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Utility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utility/) ## Related quotes > [“I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-between-the-reality-of/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. 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You can't untie a boat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osip-mandelstam/take-from-my-palms-to-soothe-your-heart-a-little-honey-a-little-sun/) [Osip Mandelstam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osip-mandelstam/) > [Slowly, but with no doubt or hesitation whatever, and in something of a solemn expectancy, the two animals passed through the broken tumultuous water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-grahame/slowly-but-with-no-doubt-or-hesitation-whatever-and-in-something-of-a/) [Kenneth Grahame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-grahame/) > [“I am safe. For one night at least. Safe, moored to this man.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-gillard/i-am-safe-for-one-night-at-least-safe-moored-to-this-man/) [Linda Gillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-gillard/) > [All our parents have levels of deviousness. We're driven to write about this discrepancy between the bright shining selves they invented and the monsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/all-our-parents-have-levels-of-deviousness-we-re-driven-to-write/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [Discrepancy between theory and practice, which in sound physical and mechanical science is a delusion, has a real existence in the minds of men;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-john-macquorn-rankine/discrepancy-between-theory-and-practice-which-in-sound-physical-and/) [William John Macquorn Rankine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-john-macquorn-rankine/) > [No matter how consummate a work of art may seem, it is only an approximation of the original conception. It is the artist's consciousness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgard-varese/no-matter-how-consummate-a-work-of-art-may-seem-it-is-only-an/) [Edgard Varese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgard-varese/) > [We live in a historical period characterized by a sharp discrepancy between the intellectual development of man... and his mental-emotional development, which has left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-lasch/we-live-in-a-historical-period-characterized-by-a-sharp-discrepancy/) [Christopher Lasch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-lasch/) > [Credibility is lost when there are big discrepancies between what leaders say and what they do. ... Increasing credibility requires openness. Hidden agendas will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-m-bardwick/credibility-is-lost-when-there-are-big-discrepancies-between-what/) [Judith M Bardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-m-bardwick/) > [The discrepancy between American ideals and American practice - between our aims and what we actually do - creates a moral dry rot which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-gahagan-douglas/the-discrepancy-between-american-ideals-and-american-practice-between/) [Helen Gahagan Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-gahagan-douglas/) > [It is expected that there will be discrepancies between models and observations. However, why these arise and what one should conclude from them are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-schmidt/it-is-expected-that-there-will-be-discrepancies-between-models-and/) [Gavin Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-schmidt/) > [the wide discrepancy between reason and feeling may be unreal; it is not improbable that intellect is a high form of feeling - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-wide-discrepancy-between-reason-and-feeling-may-be-unreal-it-is/) [Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/) > [The discrepancy between what actually happened and the version of what happened provided by sources is an enormous gray area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/the-discrepancy-between-what-actually-happened-and-the-version-of/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) ## More by Sally Mann > [My main interest was finding boyfriends. I'd park myself in the bookstore and read with one eye on everyone coming in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/my-main-interest-was-finding-boyfriends-i-d-park-myself-in-the/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [Unless you photograph what you love, you're not going to make good art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/unless-you-photograph-what-you-love-you-re-not-going-to-make-good-art/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [“I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-between-the-reality-of/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [“If you want to keep a memory pristine, you must not call upon it too often, for each time it is revisited, you alter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/if-you-want-to-keep-a-memory-pristine-you-must-not-call-upon-it-too/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [Sometimes, when I get a good picture, it feels like I have taken another nervous step into increasingly rarified air. Each good-news picture, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/sometimes-when-i-get-a-good-picture-it-feels-like-i-have-taken/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [One of the things my career as an artist might say to young artists is: The things that are close to you are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/one-of-the-things-my-career-as-an-artist-might-say-to-young-artists/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [If it doesn’t have ambiguity, don’t bother to take it. I love that, that aspect of photography—the mendacity of photography—it’s got to have some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/if-it-doesn-t-have-ambiguity-don-t-bother-to-take-it-i-love-that-that/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [There is a great quote from a female writer. She said, 'If you don't break out in a sweat of fear when you write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/there-is-a-great-quote-from-a-female-writer-she-said-if-you-don-t/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [When the good pictures come, we hope they tell truths, but truths 'told slant,' just as Emily Dickinson commanded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/when-the-good-pictures-come-we-hope-they-tell-truths-but-truths-told/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [All the good pictures that came so easily now make the next set of pictures virtually impossible in your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/all-the-good-pictures-that-came-so-easily-now-make-the-next-set-of/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [ I’m so worried that I’m going to perfect \[my\] technique someday. I have to say its unfortunate how many of my pictures do depend… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-m-so-worried-that-i-m-going-to-perfect-my-technique-someday-i-have/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [The things that are close to you are the things you can photograph the best,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/the-things-that-are-close-to-you-are-the-things-you-can-photograph/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [Like all photographers, I depend on serendipity, and when you're photographing children there's often an abundance of it. I would have an idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/like-all-photographers-i-depend-on-serendipity-and-when-you-re/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [I’m past photographing to see what things look like photographed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-m-past-photographing-to-see-what-things-look-like-photographed/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) > [What is truth in photography? It can be told in a hundred different ways. Every thirtieth of a second when the shutter snaps, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/what-is-truth-in-photography-it-can-be-told-in-a-hundred-different/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) [Explore all 44 Sally Mann quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? 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