--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ever hear that expression, \"it was the…" description: "\"Ever hear that expression, \"it was the best of times, it was the worst of times\"? That's what high school was like for me. Both of those - all the time..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-kay-3508_best-times_ever-hear-that-expression-it-was-the-bes_2307363.png" --- # Ever hear that expression, "it was the best of times, it… ![“Ever hear that expression, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"? That's what high school was like for me. Both of those - all the time.” quote by Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-kay-3508_best-times_ever-hear-that-expression-it-was-the-bes_2307363.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-kay-3508_best-times_ever-hear-that-expression-it-was-the-bes_2307363.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22f/sarah-kay-3508_best-times_ever-hear-that-expression-it-was-the-bes_2307363.png) > “Ever hear that expression, "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times"? That's what high school was like for me. Both of those - all the time.” [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contrasting extremes coexist, reflecting the dual nature of experiences like high school. **In simple terms:** Both good and bad happen together. Key Takeaway Embrace the complexity of life. Themes duality growth adolescence Mood reflective nostalgic Type literary personal When to use this quote - school life - personal reflection - emotional balance Key Concepts contrast paradox human experience Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile opposing feelings? - What lessons arise from mixed experiences? A Different Perspective Simplifying may overlook nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Worst times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worst-times/) ## Related quotes > [I don't know whether this is the best of times or the worst of times, but I assure you it's the only time you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/i-don-t-know-whether-this-is-the-best-of-times-or-the-worst-of-times/) [Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/) > [Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-it-s-the-best-of-times-or-the-worst-of-times-it-s-the-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got. Thanking God for another day of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-it-s-the-best-of-times-or-the-worst-of-times-it-s-the-only-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-was-the-best-of-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Television is what its always been. The best of times and the worst of times at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-david/television-is-what-its-always-been-the-best-of-times-and-the-worst-of/) Gary David > [Television is what it's always been. The best of times and the worst of times at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-david-goldberg/television-is-what-it-s-always-been-the-best-of-times-and-the-worst/) [Gary David Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-david-goldberg/) > [Whether its the best of times or the worst of times, its the only time weve got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-buchwald/whether-its-the-best-of-times-or-the-worst-of-times-its-the-only-time/) [Art Buchwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-buchwald/) > [“My celebrity memoir title: It Was the Worst of Times, It Was the Worst of Times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/my-celebrity-memoir-title-it-was-the-worst-of-times-it-was-the-worst/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [Lookin back on what we've done this year, it was the best times and it was the worst times but we wrote something here](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-day-to-remember/lookin-back-on-what-we-ve-done-this-year-it-was-the-best-times-and-it/) [A Day To Remember](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-day-to-remember/) > [“Dickens could have been talking about 2098. ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandt-legg/dickens-could-have-been-talking-about-2098-it-was-the-best-of-times/) [Brandt Legg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandt-legg/) > [“It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-smith/it-was-the-worst-of-times-it-was-the-worst-of-times/) [Ali Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-smith/) > [Your here at the best of times but where are you at the worst? :(](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/your-here-at-the-best-of-times-but-where-are-you-at-the-worst/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [Don't be afraid of your worst times. If you learn from them, you'll look back on them as the best times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/don-t-be-afraid-of-your-worst-times-if-you-learn-from-them-you-ll/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [“He closed his eyes. This bed was a wedding gift from friends he had not seen in years. He tried to remember their names,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/he-closed-his-eyes-this-bed-was-a-wedding-gift-from-friends-he-had/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [I went to a Catholic high school and it seemed like every time I drew something for a class project, it either got thrown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-judge/i-went-to-a-catholic-high-school-and-it-seemed-like-every-time-i-drew/) [Mike Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-judge/) ## More by Sarah Kay > [It’s not just the adage ‘write what you know,’ it’s about gathering up all of the knowledge and experience you’ve collected up to now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/it-s-not-just-the-adage-write-what-you-know-it-s-about-gathering-up/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Thinking about writing as an act of celebration is sometimes a helpful framework for me. It allows me to prioritize what I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/thinking-about-writing-as-an-act-of-celebration-is-sometimes-a/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [I don't think it's about art being a career but it's about making sure that if art is something that you love, something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-don-t-think-it-s-about-art-being-a-career-but-it-s-about-making/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [I use poetry to help me work through what I don’t understand, but I show up to each new poem with a backpack full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-use-poetry-to-help-me-work-through-what-i-don-t-understand-but-i/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“Once, she fell off of a ladder when I was three. 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But great storytellers and great poets share something in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/not-all-poetry-wants-to-be-storytelling-and-not-all-storytelling/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Poetry makes people nervous. Especially in schools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/poetry-makes-people-nervous-especially-in-schools/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [There are parts of me I only recognize from photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/there-are-parts-of-me-i-only-recognize-from-photographs/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“What is it about immortality? With the right sword and shield, we think we can fend off anger, fear, and hatred. If our legs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/what-is-it-about-immortality-with-the-right-sword-and-shield-we-think/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“And the spaces that he never saw: the ones my parents had labeled private parts when I was still small enough to fit all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/and-the-spaces-that-he-never-saw-the-ones-my-parents-had-labeled/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [Think it's so unfair when people think that you're not a "real artist" unless you're getting paid for it…I personally know so many poets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/think-it-s-so-unfair-when-people-think-that-you-re-not-a-real-artist/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [“There is a girl who still writes you; she doesn’t know how not to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/there-is-a-girl-who-still-writes-you-she-doesn-t-know-how-not-to/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [My first spoken word poem, packed with all the wisdom of a 14-year-old, was about the injustice of being seen as unfeminine. The poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/my-first-spoken-word-poem-packed-with-all-the-wisdom-of-a-14-year-old/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) [Explore all 129 Sarah Kay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) ## More Best times quotes > [I relish the time I have when there are no interruptions. Most often the best time for writing is late at night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-armstrong/i-relish-the-time-i-have-when-there-are-no-interruptions-most-often/) [Franny Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-armstrong/) > [The best time to write is when your life is in the toilet. Writing offers an escape from your problems, so if you force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-jeffries/the-best-time-to-write-is-when-your-life-is-in-the-toilet-writing/) [Sabrina Jeffries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-jeffries/) > [I have never heard anyone say This is it. I know right now is the high point of my life. It will never get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-carroll/i-have-never-heard-anyone-say-this-is-it-i-know-right-now-is-the-high/) [Jonathan Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-carroll/) > [Don't stop moving - the best time of your life is just around the corner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-austin/don-t-stop-moving-the-best-time-of-your-life-is-just-around-the-corner/) [Denise Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-austin/) > [Avant-garde means never having to say you're sorry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ribot/avant-garde-means-never-having-to-say-you-re-sorry/) [Marc Ribot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ribot/) > [Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-it-s-the-best-of-times-or-the-worst-of-times-it-s-the-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I always think I should get on it if I want to have kids. Because once you hit thirty it can be difficult to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah/i-always-think-i-should-get-on-it-if-i-want-to-have-kids-because-once/) [Sarah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah/) > [I decided to start anew-to strip away what I had been taught, to accept as true my own thinking. This was one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgia-o-keeffe/i-decided-to-start-anew-to-strip-away-what-i-had-been-taught-to/) [Georgia O'Keeffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgia-o-keeffe/) > [For us, the best time is always yesterday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatyana-tolstaya/for-us-the-best-time-is-always-yesterday/) [Tatyana Tolstaya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatyana-tolstaya/) > [With stage, you feel completely like you're just in a bubble. I love not being able to see anything. I love coming out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-nighy/with-stage-you-feel-completely-like-you-re-just-in-a-bubble-i-love/) [Bill Nighy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-nighy/) > [If you are posing as religious and are not living the life as stressed by God, you should wake up. It is wrong to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/if-you-are-posing-as-religious-and-are-not-living-the-life-as/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [All the kids in the cast tell me they hated high school, but I had the best time. I guess I was one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-morrison/all-the-kids-in-the-cast-tell-me-they-hated-high-school-but-i-had-the/) [Matthew Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-morrison/) > [Find your best time of the day for writing and write. Don't let anything else interfere. Afterwards it won't matter to you that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-freud/find-your-best-time-of-the-day-for-writing-and-write-don-t-let/) [Esther Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-freud/) > [“He closed his eyes. This bed was a wedding gift from friends he had not seen in years. He tried to remember their names,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/he-closed-his-eyes-this-bed-was-a-wedding-gift-from-friends-he-had/) [Ian McEwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [We who are born from above testify to the change that God has wrought in our hearts. Perhaps the best time for you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paris-reidhead/we-who-are-born-from-above-testify-to-the-change-that-god-has-wrought/) [Paris Reidhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paris-reidhead/) Browse all 157 Best times quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ever hear that expression, \"it was the best of times, it was the worst of times\"? That's what high school was like for me. 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