"Well, I always say that the two things I was most disastrous at in my life, being a teenager and being a wife, were the two things I really wound up cashing in on when I was writing fluffy magazine pieces"

Ann Patchett is recommending that her experiences as a teen and a spouse, which she at first found tough, were advantageous to her when she began writing publication pieces. She suggests that her experiences gave her insight into the topics she was writing about, allowing her to compose more effectively. Patchett is also recommending that her magazine pieces were not especially major or meaningful, but rather light and entertaining. This quote is a testament to the idea that even difficult experiences can be beneficial in the long run, and that even relatively unimportant jobs can be rewarding. Patchett's quote is a tip that we ought to not take our experiences for granted, as they can be used to our benefit in unforeseen methods.