Discuss the meaning of this quote: "If only there were a longer time between epiphany and epitaph." - David Glaser

Glaser's quote brings out how there are times when, to
quote Sophocles, "wisdom brings no profit to the wise."  The concept of an "epiphany" is
a moment of extreme self- revelation.  It is not planned and not designed, but it "hits"
the individual and usually transforms the person in changing the way they view
themselves, the world, or both.  The idea in an epiphany is something that begins with
"And that's when I realized..."  An epiphany is an intense moment of self understanding
and acknowledgement.  An epitaph is what is written on a headstone when someone dies. 
An epitaph is how that person will be remembered.  It is something that summarizes a
life and is inscribed when the person is dead and little can be done to change what was
done with their life.  The epitaph is meant to honor the passing of the
individual.

Glaser's quote brings out the idea that the
epiphanies that transform our lives, that allow us to change within them, happen too
close to our deaths.  The experience of consciousness and being in the world helps to
bring out these epiphanies towards the end of our lives, when the need for an epitaph is
too close to us, definable with real and distinct features.  Glaser's quote suggests
that our youth and middle age is consisting of living life, forming experiences, and
making mistakes through this process.  The epiphanies that help to provide meaning
happen towards the end of our lives, when we are in old age.  To this extent, the
understanding and unlocking of the "secrets" to consciousness happen at a point where we
are too old to fully revel in the benefit of epiphany- based knowledge for at this
point, in Glaser's mind, we are moving close to the point where we will need an
epitaph.  To this end, Glaser wishes for more time, more time to enjoy the epiphanies in
our consciousness and more time to live out these moments of self-
realization.