--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He looked down at the desk, at his…" description: "\"“He looked down at the desk, at his notebook resting there with the pen on top. He had never thought of engineering as a way to escape the world; after..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/sam-starbuck-35160_ellis_he-looked-down-at-the-desk-at-his-notebo_1952530.jpg" --- # He looked down at the desk, at his notebook resting there… ![“He looked down at the desk, at his notebook resting there with the pen on top. He had never thought of engineering as a way to escape the world; after all, engineers didn't build stories or other worlds. Or, well, perhaps they did; perhaps, late at night, huddled around the boiler with the driver…” quote by Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/sam-starbuck-35160_ellis_he-looked-down-at-the-desk-at-his-notebo_1952530.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/sam-starbuck-35160_ellis_he-looked-down-at-the-desk-at-his-notebo_1952530.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc8/sam-starbuck-35160_ellis_he-looked-down-at-the-desk-at-his-notebo_1952530.jpg) > ““He looked down at the desk, at his notebook resting there with the pen on top. He had never thought of engineering as a way to escape the world; after all, engineers didn't build stories or other worlds. Or, well, perhaps they did; perhaps, late at night, huddled around the boiler with the driver and the conductor, they told their own stories. Famous robberies in the west, derailments, perhaps even ghost trains or passengers long dead who still prowled the carriages. Either way, Jack had turned his profession into his escape, which Ellis could respect.”” [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Jack uses engineering as a personal escape, turning technical work into storytelling about trains, robberies, and ghosts, earning respect from Ellis. **In simple terms:** Engineering becomes a creative outlet for imagined adventures. Key Takeaway Find imagination in everyday work. Themes imagination escape engineering Mood thoughtful inspirational Type creative professional When to use this quote - using engineering to craft narratives - finding meaning in routine tasks - sharing stories with colleagues Key Concepts storytelling technical craft creative problem solving Questions to Reflect On - How can technical fields inspire storytelling? - What value does imagination add to engineering? A Different Perspective May blur lines between fact and fantasy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ellis/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The fact that the infrastructure is falling apart is not necessarily because it's built poorly. The New York City subways were built in 1903.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-weisman/the-fact-that-the-infrastructure-is-falling-apart-is-not-necessarily/) [Alan Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-weisman/) > [“Do Engineers have stories, Jack?" he asked. "What?" Jack said, without moving. "Stories. Myths. Things to keep the boredom out on a long shift."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/do-engineers-have-stories-jack-he-asked-what-jack-said-without-moving/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“Jack turned, and it was just as well he was looking at me rather than at the audience for never, I swear, did such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-brown/jack-turned-and-it-was-just-as-well-he-was-looking-at-me-rather-than/) Mary Brown > [“The ship rumbled as they rode out the last few minutes of their tenth and final braking burn on approach to Tau Ceti Five.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryk-brown/the-ship-rumbled-as-they-rode-out-the-last-few-minutes-of-their-tenth/) [Ryk Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryk-brown/) > [“Somethings wrong,’ he told her. ‘Be specific Jack,’ she said pressuring him. Jack turned again to the desert. ‘We should already be dead,’ he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-merrydew/somethings-wrong-he-told-her-be-specific-jack-she-said-pressuring-him/) [A.R. Merrydew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-merrydew/) > [Jack turned to Cameron. "Do you just line them up, waiting to yell at me, on the off chance I'll stop by?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/jack-turned-to-cameron-do-you-just-line-them-up-waiting-to-yell-at-me/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) > [“Those TV pictures had looked like scenes from hell. Flames leaping up into the night. Even so, cattle aren’t people. Just a few months…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-swift/those-tv-pictures-had-looked-like-scenes-from-hell-flames-leaping-up/) [Graham Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-swift/) > [“Ain’t I your man?” he persisted. “Yeah, Ellis, you’re my man.” Her lips quaked as she said it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-winegar/ain-t-i-your-man-he-persisted-yeah-ellis-you-re-my-man-her-lips/) [Tracy Winegar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-winegar/) > [“Ellis squatted down next to her and put his hand gently on her shoulder. “Clairey…” Her name sounded strange on his lips for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-winegar/ellis-squatted-down-next-to-her-and-put-his-hand-gently-on-her/) [Tracy Winegar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-winegar/) > [For years, Mount Holyoke professor Joseph 'Full Metal Jacket' Ellis had been regaling students, interviewers and friends with gripping stories of his service in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/for-years-mount-holyoke-professor-joseph-full-metal-jacket-ellis-had/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [he signed his work .. you could always tell when it was Herb Ellis playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-kessel/he-signed-his-work-you-could-always-tell-when-it-was-herb-ellis/) [Barney Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-kessel/) > [“Ellis: "What's so funny?" Skyla: You're funny," I say. "You look real scary. I bet your mom's proud, though." I don't know why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-moore/ellis-what-s-so-funny-skyla-you-re-funny-i-say-you-look-real-scary-i/) [Addison Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addison-moore/) > [“The world offers you millions of things to get into, and if you're not falling passionately and maniacally in love with at least one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/the-world-offers-you-millions-of-things-to-get-into-and-if-you-re-not/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [Ellis's understanding of himself and the world around him certainly develops because of his adventures, and part of that development comes through recognizing other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mahy/ellis-s-understanding-of-himself-and-the-world-around-him-certainly/) [Margaret Mahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mahy/) > [“Just as a concert album littered with technical errors was filled with more life than a perfectly tweaked studio production, the meal possessed more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-as-a-concert-album-littered-with-technical-errors-was-filled/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Sam Starbuck > [“Miss Fields," said a servant, stepping into the room and closing the door, "There is a visitor for you. Are you in?" Clare blinked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/miss-fields-said-a-servant-stepping-into-the-room-and-closing-the/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“You say great artists sell their souls for their art?" "Maybe," she ventured. "That's true, I suppose. If you're doing it right, anyway. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/you-say-great-artists-sell-their-souls-for-their-art-maybe-she/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“You must live a very free life." "Me?" she laughed. "I am not who swoops out of the sky to rain fire on pirates!"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/you-must-live-a-very-free-life-me-she-laughed-i-am-not-who-swoops-out/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“Trains are beautiful. They take people to places they've never been, faster than they could ever go themselves. Everyone who works on trains knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/trains-are-beautiful-they-take-people-to-places-they-ve-never-been/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“Life," Graveworthy said, when he saw Jack was awake and staring at him, "is a series of desperate gambles and boxing matches for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/life-graveworthy-said-when-he-saw-jack-was-awake-and-staring-at-him/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“I mean it. Aside from the old coastal cities, which in Australia are still very young themselves, what you have is a vast stretch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/i-mean-it-aside-from-the-old-coastal-cities-which-in-australia-are/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“Electricity," Purva said, rolling the strange new word around in her mouth, giving it at once an Australian and a French inflection. "Sir William…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/electricity-purva-said-rolling-the-strange-new-word-around-in-her/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“The backfire, my dear boy, of exiling the cleverest criminals of the nation to one place and requiring them to use their ingenuity is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/the-backfire-my-dear-boy-of-exiling-the-cleverest-criminals-of-the/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [ “We \[artists\] aren't people, not the way most people are. We're just...carriers. Little boats bringing goods from foreign lands.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/we-artists-aren-t-people-not-the-way-most-people-are-we-re-just/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“Do you always try to upset the world as much as possible?" Clare asked. He gave her a surprised look. "Of course. Otherwise how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/do-you-always-try-to-upset-the-world-as-much-as-possible-clare-asked/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“He was raised by wolves", she said, "wolves with pressing engineering diagrams to draw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/he-was-raised-by-wolves-she-said-wolves-with-pressing-engineering/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) > [“Do Engineers have stories, Jack?" he asked. "What?" Jack said, without moving. "Stories. Myths. Things to keep the boredom out on a long shift."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/do-engineers-have-stories-jack-he-asked-what-jack-said-without-moving/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) [Explore all 13 Sam Starbuck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) ## More Ellis quotes > [Ellis's understanding of himself and the world around him certainly develops because of his adventures, and part of that development comes through recognizing other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mahy/ellis-s-understanding-of-himself-and-the-world-around-him-certainly/) [Margaret Mahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mahy/) > [“The world offers you millions of things to get into, and if you're not falling passionately and maniacally in love with at least one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-ellis/the-world-offers-you-millions-of-things-to-get-into-and-if-you-re-not/) [Jason Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-ellis/) > [he signed his work .. you could always tell when it was Herb Ellis playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-kessel/he-signed-his-work-you-could-always-tell-when-it-was-herb-ellis/) [Barney Kessel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-kessel/) > [“Ain’t I your man?” he persisted. “Yeah, Ellis, you’re my man.” Her lips quaked as she said it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-winegar/ain-t-i-your-man-he-persisted-yeah-ellis-you-re-my-man-her-lips/) [Tracy Winegar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-winegar/) > [“Just as a concert album littered with technical errors was filled with more life than a perfectly tweaked studio production, the meal possessed more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/just-as-a-concert-album-littered-with-technical-errors-was-filled/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Ellis squatted down next to her and put his hand gently on her shoulder. “Clairey…” Her name sounded strange on his lips for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-winegar/ellis-squatted-down-next-to-her-and-put-his-hand-gently-on-her/) [Tracy Winegar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-winegar/) > [For years, Mount Holyoke professor Joseph 'Full Metal Jacket' Ellis had been regaling students, interviewers and friends with gripping stories of his service in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/for-years-mount-holyoke-professor-joseph-full-metal-jacket-ellis-had/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [“Ellis: "What's so funny?" Skyla: You're funny," I say. "You look real scary. I bet your mom's proud, though." I don't know why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/addison-moore/ellis-what-s-so-funny-skyla-you-re-funny-i-say-you-look-real-scary-i/) [Addison Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/addison-moore/) > [“Manhattan can be beautiful, Ellis, if you are willing to see it and not compare it to what you loved before”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-lynn-anderson/manhattan-can-be-beautiful-ellis-if-you-are-willing-to-see-it-and-not/) [Jodi Lynn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-lynn-anderson/) > [“I think this is why Ellis took so many moving pictures of us. Because he knew that people come in and out of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zu-vincent/i-think-this-is-why-ellis-took-so-many-moving-pictures-of-us-because/) Zu Vincent > [“Things changing, failing apart, fading, another year, a few more moves, a hard person who doesn't give a fuck, a boredom so monumental it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-easton-ellis/things-changing-failing-apart-fading-another-year-a-few-more-moves-a/) [Bret Easton Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-easton-ellis/) > [“Kiss me to see if we still have it. 'Cause you own my heart,soul,and everything else in between.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/kiss-me-to-see-if-we-still-have-it-cause-you-own-my-heart-soul-and/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [Andy Ellis - the 21 year old, who turned 22 a few weeks ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-mexted/andy-ellis-the-21-year-old-who-turned-22-a-few-weeks-ago/) [Murray Mexted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-mexted/) > [Folks call me Ellis. I run an auto shop with a couple of my buddies. We're also in a band. I play bass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellis/folks-call-me-ellis-i-run-an-auto-shop-with-a-couple-of-my-buddies-we/) [Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellis/) > [“Do Engineers have stories, Jack?" he asked. "What?" Jack said, without moving. "Stories. Myths. Things to keep the boredom out on a long shift."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-starbuck/do-engineers-have-stories-jack-he-asked-what-jack-said-without-moving/) [Sam Starbuck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-starbuck/) [Browse all 19 Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ellis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He looked down at the desk, at his notebook resting there with the pen on top. He had never thought of engineering as a way to escape the world; after all, engineers didn't build stories or other worlds. Or, well, perhaps they did; perhaps, late at night, huddled around the boiler with the driver and the conductor, they told their own stories. Famous robberies in the west, derailments, perhaps even ghost trains or passengers long dead who still prowled the carriages. 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