"It wasn't that I ever knew I'd be at the Met for 20 years, or 30 years, or 40 years, or anything like that"

This quote by James Levine recommends that he never anticipated to stay at the Met for such an extended period of time. He indicates that he never ever had a strategy to stay for 20, 30, or 40 years, or any other prolonged time period. This might indicate that he was open to the concept of leaving the Met at any point, which he was not dedicated to staying for a certain quantity of time. It could also recommend that he was content with the concept of staying at the Met for however long it felt right, which he was not restrained to any particular timeline. This quote shows Levine's open-mindedness and flexibility when it pertained to his profession, and his desire to go with the flow and take chances as they arose.