--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m on the train, and the doors are…" description: "\"“I’m on the train, and the doors are shutting behind me, when I smell the smoke; or rather I’m stepping into the train, towards the seating area, when ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/william-leith-109047_fitness_i-m-on-the-train-and-the-doors-are-shutt_1784368.jpg" --- # I’m on the train, and the doors are shutting behind me… ![“I’m on the train, and the doors are shutting behind me, when I smell the smoke; or rather I’m stepping into the train, towards the seating area, when I sense something bad, and I don’t know what it is, and I sit down, and I see that the doors are shutting, and I don’t know yet where the bad…” quote by William Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/william-leith-109047_fitness_i-m-on-the-train-and-the-doors-are-shutt_1784368.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/william-leith-109047_fitness_i-m-on-the-train-and-the-doors-are-shutt_1784368.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/259/william-leith-109047_fitness_i-m-on-the-train-and-the-doors-are-shutt_1784368.jpg) > ““I’m on the train, and the doors are shutting behind me, when I smell the smoke; or rather I’m stepping into the train, towards the seating area, when I sense something bad, and I don’t know what it is, and I sit down, and I see that the doors are shutting, and I don’t know yet where the bad feeling is coming from, because when you smell something it goes straight to your memory, smell bypasses all analysis, as Proust described when he bit into the dunked cake and was transported to his childhood, and only later realized that this was because of the smell of the cake, the madeleine; I step into the train, and feel the bad feeling, the ominous feeling, that something is very wrong, it’s the memory of fires, but not good fires, and I sit down in the seat, and the doors close, and then I realize that I’m smelling something, and it’s burning rubber, or plastic, or oil, or a mixture of all three, and I shift upwards in my seat, already knowing it’s too late, because the doors are closing; have closed.”” William Leith ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Smell triggers vivid memories, influencing perception and emotion, especially in stressful moments **In simple terms:** Smell instantly recalls past experiences Key Takeaway Mindfully manage sensory triggers Themes memory senses emotion Mood introspective uneasy Type narrative psychological When to use this quote - travel - therapy - creative storytelling Key Concepts nostalgia anxiety Questions to Reflect On - How do scents affect your mood? - Can you harness memory for healing? A Different Perspective Sensory triggers can be overwhelming ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Proust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proust/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [It's like the smell of burned toast. You made the toast. You looked forward to it. 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