I don't know why, but I suddenly felt a long way away from everybody I had known and loved when I was a girl. I missed people. For a minute I stood there and wished I could get back to that time. Then with my next thought I understood clearly that I couldn't do that. No. But it came to me then that my life did not remotely resemble the life I thought I'd have when I had been young and looking ahead to things.
The narrator expresses a sudden feeling of distance from her past connections and loved ones, reflecting on her childhood and the relationships that defined it. This nostalgia stirs a deep longing within her, prompting a desire to return to simpler times filled with familiar faces and warmth.
However, as she reflects further, a stark realization dawns upon her: the life she now leads is far removed from the expectations and dreams she held as a young girl. This acknowledgment highlights the inevitable changes that occur over time, contrasting her youthful visions with the reality she faces today.