---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You can't imagine how hard it is to come…"
description: "\"“You can't imagine how hard it is to come home from hell and be expected to pick up the threads of a life. Apply for jobs, go to a factory, punch in, p..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/simone-st-james-66399_every-day_you-can-t-imagine-how-hard-it-is-to-come_1222386.jpg"
---

#  You can't imagine how hard it is to come home from hell…

![“You can't imagine how hard it is to come home from hell and be expected to pick up the threads of a life. Apply for jobs, go to a factory, punch in, punch out. Put your lunch in a bag and get on the omnibus every day. Like nothing happened. Nothing.” quote by Simone St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/simone-st-james-66399_every-day_you-can-t-imagine-how-hard-it-is-to-come_1222386.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/simone-st-james-66399_every-day_you-can-t-imagine-how-hard-it-is-to-come_1222386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e9/simone-st-james-66399_every-day_you-can-t-imagine-how-hard-it-is-to-come_1222386.jpg)

> ““You can't imagine how hard it is to come home from hell and be expected to pick up the threads of a life. Apply for jobs, go to a factory, punch in, punch out. Put your lunch in a bag and get on the omnibus every day. Like nothing happened. Nothing. ””

[Simone St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-st-james/)

## About This Quote

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

Transitioning from traumatic experiences to ordinary life feels impossible; daily routines demand normalcy while inner turmoil persists.

**In simple terms:** Coming home from trauma feels like pretending nothing happened.

Key Takeaway

Seek supportive environments that acknowledge trauma while rebuilding routine.

Themes

trauma reintegration mundane resilience

Mood

somber hopeful

Type

narrative reflective

When to use this quote

- employment
- public transport
- family life
- social interaction

Key Concepts

post‑trauma adjustment social expectation daily routine

Questions to Reflect On

- How can workplaces better support returning veterans or trauma survivors?
- What small steps help bridge the gap between trauma and daily life?

A Different Perspective

Society often expects quick normalization, ignoring the depth of psychological recovery.

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[Bag Omnibus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bag-omnibus-3749019/) [Come home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-home/) [Every day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-day/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Apply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-apply-3746458/) [Omnibus Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/omnibus-day-3749017/) [Punch Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punch-lunch-3749018/)

## Related quotes

> [Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morihei-ueshiba/foster-peace-in-your-own-life-and-then-apply-the-art-to-all-that-you/)

[Morihei Ueshiba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morihei-ueshiba/)

> [“How could I have guessed that I would never really be able to come home?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-poser/how-could-i-have-guessed-that-i-would-never-really-be-able-to-come/)

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> [Today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/today-i-can-report-that-as-promised-the-rest-of-our-troops-in-iraq/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [It's nice to have someone to come home to and get the honest truth about all aspects of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-smith/it-s-nice-to-have-someone-to-come-home-to-and-get-the-honest-truth/)

[Steve Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-smith/)

> [I miss you Mom. Come home, please...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-mom-come-home-please/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Some men still haven’t come home from this war. And some men never will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/some-men-still-haven-t-come-home-from-this-war-and-some-men-never-will/)

[Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/)

> [I'd like to keep work work and life life. It means you've got your life to come back to, somewhere to come home to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcavoy/i-d-like-to-keep-work-work-and-life-life-it-means-you-ve-got-your/)

[James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/)

> [We are the only animals that let our kids come back home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/we-are-the-only-animals-that-let-our-kids-come-back-home/)

[Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/)

> [No matter what I do, I always come home to my blog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mullenweg/no-matter-what-i-do-i-always-come-home-to-my-blog/)

[Matt Mullenweg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mullenweg/)

> [ It's sad if people think that's (homemaking) a dull existance, \[but\] you can't just buy an apartment and furnish it and walk away. It's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/it-s-sad-if-people-think-that-s-homemaking-a-dull-existance-but-you/)

[Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/)

> [The chickens have come home to roast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ace/the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roast/)

[Jane Ace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ace/)

> [You do your job, you come home, and then like try and drown out the rest. I think it's a really important mindset to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/you-do-your-job-you-come-home-and-then-like-try-and-drown-out-the/)

[Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/)

> [It all begins and ends in the same place, doesn't it? Conor and me in Ballyutogue. We all come home eventually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/it-all-begins-and-ends-in-the-same-place-doesn-t-it-conor-and-me-in/)

[Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/)

> [“I think you should come home with me tonight and we can talk about it," she said "Ready when you are”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/i-think-you-should-come-home-with-me-tonight-and-we-can-talk-about-it/)

[Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/)

> [“Your salvation would be hollow if you don't help each other come home. Remember we are family, and families leave no one behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stewart/your-salvation-would-be-hollow-if-you-don-t-help-each-other-come-home/)

[Chris Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stewart/)

## More by Simone St. James

> [“I believed in Oxford, and cobblestoned squares, and old bricks thick with ivy, a nd rainy days curled up reading books. I believed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-st-james/i-believed-in-oxford-and-cobblestoned-squares-and-old-bricks-thick/)

[Simone St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-st-james/)

> [“Only a woman can truly understand the feeling of her very favorite item of clothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-st-james/only-a-woman-can-truly-understand-the-feeling-of-her-very-favorite/)

[Simone St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-st-james/)

> [“I was doomed to it. For there was no way to convince him that, with all his scars, the terrible truth was that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-st-james/i-was-doomed-to-it-for-there-was-no-way-to-convince-him-that-with-all/)

[Simone St. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-st-james/)

[Explore all 4 Simone St. James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-st-james/)

## More Come home quotes

> [“Your salvation would be hollow if you don't help each other come home. Remember we are family, and families leave no one behind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-stewart/your-salvation-would-be-hollow-if-you-don-t-help-each-other-come-home/)

[Chris Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-stewart/)

> [“I think you should come home with me tonight and we can talk about it," she said "Ready when you are”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaci-burton/i-think-you-should-come-home-with-me-tonight-and-we-can-talk-about-it/)

[Jaci Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaci-burton/)

> [It all begins and ends in the same place, doesn't it? Conor and me in Ballyutogue. We all come home eventually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-uris/it-all-begins-and-ends-in-the-same-place-doesn-t-it-conor-and-me-in/)

[Leon Uris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-uris/)

> [You do your job, you come home, and then like try and drown out the rest. I think it's a really important mindset to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-corrin/you-do-your-job-you-come-home-and-then-like-try-and-drown-out-the/)

[Emma Corrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-corrin/)

> [The chickens have come home to roast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ace/the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roast/)

[Jane Ace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ace/)

> [ It's sad if people think that's (homemaking) a dull existance, \[but\] you can't just buy an apartment and furnish it and walk away. It's… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/it-s-sad-if-people-think-that-s-homemaking-a-dull-existance-but-you/)

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> [We are the only animals that let our kids come back home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/we-are-the-only-animals-that-let-our-kids-come-back-home/)

[Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/)

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[James McAvoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcavoy/)

> [“Some men still haven’t come home from this war. And some men never will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-medeiros/some-men-still-haven-t-come-home-from-this-war-and-some-men-never-will/)

[Teresa Medeiros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-medeiros/)

> [I miss you Mom. Come home, please...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-you-mom-come-home-please/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It's nice to have someone to come home to and get the honest truth about all aspects of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-smith/it-s-nice-to-have-someone-to-come-home-to-and-get-the-honest-truth/)

[Steve Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-smith/)

> [Today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/today-i-can-report-that-as-promised-the-rest-of-our-troops-in-iraq/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [“How could I have guessed that I would never really be able to come home?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-poser/how-could-i-have-guessed-that-i-would-never-really-be-able-to-come/)

[Claudia Poser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-poser/)

> [“Come home with me, Karissa. "My breath hitches. "That's not a question." "Doesn't matter," he says. "Come home with me, anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-darhower/come-home-with-me-karissa-my-breath-hitches-that-s-not-a-question/)

[J.M. Darhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-darhower/)

[Browse all 353 Come home quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-home/)

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