"Quand j'étais enfant, ma grand-mère avait cette énorme bobine de fil, et nous allions la dérouler loin de sa fenêtre, tu sais, et puis lâcher prise et mettre un mot au bout. Maintenant, je suis coincé avec une bobine de fil que je ne pourrais jamais utilis"

The essence of the quote is about the excitement and limitless possibilities we perceive when we're young, and how those dreams and ideas sometimes don't play out the way we envision them. It speaks to the boundless imagination of childhood and the realization, as we grow older, that not all plans come to fruition. The spool of string represents those endless possibilities, and the fact that it was never fully used symbolizes the dreams we might not achieve.

Back in the day, when this was said, it was a simpler time, likely before technology dominated our lives. Kids played outside, concocting grand plans with the simplest of tools. The speaker reminisces about a time with their grandmother, hinting at the warmth and freedom of those innocent days.

Imagine a child getting a big box of crayons. They dream of creating a masterpiece, filling every page with vibrant pictures. But life gets busy, distractions come along, and that box, once full of excitement, sits mostly unused. This happens to all of us—we start with grand plans, but sometimes, they don't pan out.

Applying this wisdom is about recognizing the value in our dreams and plans, even if they don't always come to fruition. It's okay if some of our ambitions remain unfulfilled. The key is to appreciate the journey and the joy of thinking big. So, if you've got that 'spool of string' in your life—a long-held dream or project—it's never too late to revisit it, even if it's just for the fun of it. Or, it may remind you of the excitement you felt and inspire new adventures.

Let me share a story. Picture a man named John who always dreamt of writing a novel. As a kid, he wrote stories in a notebook, dreaming of being a famous author. Life happened—college, job, family. The notebook gathered dust on a shelf. One day, John, now in his 40s, finds that old notebook. He smiles, flipping through the pages, remembering his young self’s dreams. Instead of feeling regret, he feels a spark. He decides to write again, not for fame, but for the joy it once brought him.

This story shows us it’s never too late to chase our dreams, even if they look different now. Our 'spool of string' might be a dream we can still unravel, or it could inspire us to start something new. The point is to hold on to that imaginative spirit and not be afraid to let it guide us again.

So, next time you think about a dream you set aside, don’t feel regret. Instead, see it as a source of inspiration. Who knows what new paths it might lead you down? Dreams don’t always have to be practical or completed—they just have to make you feel alive. And that’s the real magic of our childhood dreams.