When I was young" … "Before I was twenty, I mean, I used to think that life was a thing that kept gaining impetus, it would get richer and deeper each year. You kept learning more, getting wiser, having more insight, going further into the truth" – she hesitated. Port laughed abruptly. – "And now you know it's not like that. Right? It's more like smoking a cigarette. The first few puffs it tasted wonderful, and you don't even think of its ever being used up. Then you begin taking it for granted. Suddenly you realize it's nearly burned down to the end. And then's when you're conscious of the bitter taste.
In the excerpt, a character reflects on their youthful perspective regarding life, expressing a belief that each year brings greater depth and understanding. This optimistic viewpoint suggests a continuous journey of learning and insight as one ages, where experiences enrich life profoundly.
However, another character disrupts this idealism with a sobering analogy comparing life to smoking a cigarette. Initially enjoyable, life becomes taken for granted, leading to an inevitable decline where one recognizes its finite nature and the onset of bitterness as experiences dwindle, illustrating a more disillusioned view of existence.
