She met him in France
Lisa is from Canterbury, England. Sam is from Paris, France. While vacationing in Paris, Lisa met Sam at the Opéra Garnier. They had both gone alone, but their seats were next to each other. He loved the music. She loved the drama. And, at the end of the last scene, when he noticed that the beautiful woman next to him had tears in her eyes, he asked her for a date.
It was the beginning of a beautiful summer together. It only ended because Lisa had to return to Canterbury to finish her last year of law school. Sam drove her to where she would catch the boat home.
Don’t miss the boat
At the last moment, just as the boat was nearing the shore, Lisa turned to Sam and said;
“Come with me. Spend a year in England with me. I will help you find a job, I’ll finish school, and at the end of the year, we can live anywhere you want.”
Sam was so surprised, he didn’t know what to say. He had his life in Paris. He had a job, an apartment, his friends, his family. Finally he turned to Lisa and said, “I’m so sorry, but I can’t leave Paris. It’s my home.”
Lisa nodded. “It was worth a try,” she said. They embraced for a long time. Then Lisa turned away and boarded the ship. It was only when he saw her on the deck that he realized his true feelings for her. “What am I doing?” he thought.
He raced toward the boat, yelling, “Wait! Wait! I love you!” but it was too late. The boat had left the shore. She had wanted him to go with her. He realized too late that he wanted to go. He lost a great opportunity.
He missed the boat.
Missing the boat
In the story, Sam literally misses the boat. He wasn’t able to “catch it”. However, the idiom “miss the boat” can be used to describe any situation in which someone loses an opportunity. Here are some examples:
- If you don’t apply for the job soon, you might miss the boat on this opportunity.
- We were considering investing in that startup, but after waiting too long, we missed the boat and now it’s too late.
- She felt like she missed the boat on the latest fashion trends because she hadn’t updated her wardrobe in years.
Online English classes with me
I’m still accepting new students for my online English classes. Don’t miss the boat! Contact me today for more information!
Discover more from English With Cheryl
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.