The specific setting of the poem isn’t explored, and there are few details given about the time or region. The use of the word “vacuuming” (Line 18) suggests a North American context, while the reference to the musical West Side Story puts it in the latter half of the 20th century onwards. What’s most important in the context of the poem is the way the speaker looks back on a full life. Memories have become cloudy with time, and the speaker looks at their pains and joys through a distant lens. This emotional distance shapes the perceptions they explore throughout the poem.