I still have a photo on my wall of the greatest idol I will ever have in my life, and it's myself at eight. Because that's when the forces of imagination have the same value as the real world, when they're an instrument of survival: when my mother disappeared, and I imagined a mother. That was me at my best.

Summary

This quote reflects the idea that, during a difficult and challenging time in the speaker's life when their mother vanished, they found strength and solace in their own imagination. At the age of eight, the power of their imagination helped them cope with the absence of a mother figure by creating an idealized image of a nurturing mother. The quote suggests that this version of themselves, at that age, represents their "greatest idol" as it exemplifies their resilience and ability to find comfort within themselves during times of adversity.

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