--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to…" description: "\"“Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the stairs I had finished gasping and stepping on dead people, so I was pretty prepared for the next thing to s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg" --- # Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the stairs I had… ![“Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the stairs I had finished gasping and stepping on dead people, so I was pretty prepared for the next thing to startle me out of my skin.” quote by April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg) > ““Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the stairs I had finished gasping and stepping on dead people, so I was pretty prepared for the next thing to startle me out of my skin.”” [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator describes being hardened by previous trauma, making them ready for new shock. **In simple terms:** Past hardships toughen us for future surprises. Key Takeaway Embrace resilience before the next challenge. Themes trauma resilience anticipation Mood tense reflective Type narrative dramatic When to use this quote - combat - emergency response - personal loss - high‑stress jobs Key Concepts psychological adaptation survival instinct Questions to Reflect On - How do past experiences shape your reaction to new crises? - What strategies help you stay prepared? A Different Perspective Even after coping, new shocks can still be overwhelming. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Although it may appear as though there have been many miracles in the world, a true miracle has never come to pass. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/although-it-may-appear-as-though-there-have-been-many-miracles-in-the/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [I should write a book. I've always wanted to write a book. I should write a book about kids who see dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-noory/i-should-write-a-book-i-ve-always-wanted-to-write-a-book-i-should/) [George Noory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-noory/) > [One thing about dead people, they're all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-starkweather/one-thing-about-dead-people-they-re-all-the-same/) [Charles Starkweather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-starkweather/) > [“she was opposed to books on strict moral grounds, since she had heard that many of them were written by dead people and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/she-was-opposed-to-books-on-strict-moral-grounds-since-she-had-heard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [You totally need to watch the news." "Can't." "Why?" "It's too depressing." "Right, because hanging with dead people isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/you-totally-need-to-watch-the-news-can-t-why-it-s-too-depressing/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [“When those who name dead people have gone, there just remains the calmness of foreign cemeteries, in which nothing appears familiar and nothing frightens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-loriga/when-those-who-name-dead-people-have-gone-there-just-remains-the/) [Ray Loriga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-loriga/) > [“The letter said that they were two feet high, and green, and shaped like plumber's friends. Their suction cups were on the ground, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-letter-said-that-they-were-two-feet-high-and-green-and-shaped/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [The only thing that can be expected from the next US president is more war, more murder, and more oppression of the gullible American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-only-thing-that-can-be-expected-from-the-next-us-president-is/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [“A body can't be too partic'lar how they talk 'bout these-yer dead people, Tom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-body-can-t-be-too-partic-lar-how-they-talk-bout-these-yer-dead/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [Of course I want to kill you," said Skulduggery. "I want to kill most people. But then where would I be? In a field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/of-course-i-want-to-kill-you-said-skulduggery-i-want-to-kill-most/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [“Well, I don't know, Lina. But let's just say I've met a lot of dead people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/well-i-don-t-know-lina-but-let-s-just-say-i-ve-met-a-lot-of-dead/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [“I heard you in the other room asking your mother, 'Mama, am I a Palestinian?' When she answered 'Yes' a heavy silence fell on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghassan-kanafani/i-heard-you-in-the-other-room-asking-your-mother-mama-am-i-a/) [Ghassan Kanafani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghassan-kanafani/) > [“I need to ask, are you afraid of spiders?" Nicholas blinked, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes, I'm afraid of spiders." "Were you always?" "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/i-need-to-ask-are-you-afraid-of-spiders-nicholas-blinked-suddenly/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [Dolls are like small dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/dolls-are-like-small-dead-people/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) ## More by April White > [“We were escorted out by Police Constable Grant, a handsome black guy with a smooth voice and a very easy way about him. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/we-were-escorted-out-by-police-constable-grant-a-handsome-black-guy/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“Then my rescuer turned to look at me and I felt his eyes reach right down into my guts and tangle them up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/then-my-rescuer-turned-to-look-at-me-and-i-felt-his-eyes-reach-right/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“And then feathery, furry wings touched my face and I bit back a yell. The wings brushed my hair as the creature passed me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/and-then-feathery-furry-wings-touched-my-face-and-i-bit-back-a-yell/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“I have come to believe, through my studies, that it is not God who does things – good or evil, right or wrong, careless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/i-have-come-to-believe-through-my-studies-that-it-is-not-god-who-does/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“So don’t ever believe, like I did, that you don’t need care. It may seem unnecessary or even superfluous because you’re strong and capable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/so-don-t-ever-believe-like-i-did-that-you-don-t-need-care-it-may-seem/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“The three of us blended with the clientele as well as a fifteen year-old ex-thief, a girl from the future masquerading as a young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/the-three-of-us-blended-with-the-clientele-as-well-as-a-fifteen-year/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“I needed very much to continue to believe in the goodness of humanity, because war is terrifying. And terrified people make choices they’d never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/i-needed-very-much-to-continue-to-believe-in-the-goodness-of-humanity/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“Cool. I was hanging out with a lunatic I'd found lurking over a dead person. I had a choice here. I could roll with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/cool-i-was-hanging-out-with-a-lunatic-i-d-found-lurking-over-a-dead/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“The gas mask keeps me looking like any other tagger - skinny, fast, and vaguely male. Someone would have to be pretty close to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/the-gas-mask-keeps-me-looking-like-any-other-tagger-skinny-fast-and/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“So how do you know Vampires aren't just some legend made up to scare little kids into minding their parents?" Adam's voice was full…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/so-how-do-you-know-vampires-aren-t-just-some-legend-made-up-to-scare/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“The only difference between men and women is everything, and that’s what keeps things so interesting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/the-only-difference-between-men-and-women-is-everything-and-that-s/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“Another person, more or less, thinking I'm crazy wasn't going to make me lose sleep. But the look I got from Mr. Shaw wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/another-person-more-or-less-thinking-i-m-crazy-wasn-t-going-to-make/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“She scored on him twice in quick succession, but then he got in a sneaky hit to her stomach and it pissed her off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/she-scored-on-him-twice-in-quick-succession-but-then-he-got-in-a/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“I loved history, any kind of history, and even better if it was hidden, secret, or underground.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/i-loved-history-any-kind-of-history-and-even-better-if-it-was-hidden/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) > [“I think that knowing who you are, and having confidence in yourself is the access to finding common ground with anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/i-think-that-knowing-who-you-are-and-having-confidence-in-yourself-is/) [April White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) [Explore all 16 April White quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/) ## More Dead people quotes > [“Although it may appear as though there have been many miracles in the world, a true miracle has never come to pass. A true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woo-myung/although-it-may-appear-as-though-there-have-been-many-miracles-in-the/) [Woo Myung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woo-myung/) > [“I need to ask, are you afraid of spiders?" Nicholas blinked, suddenly caught off guard, "Yes, I'm afraid of spiders." "Were you always?" "What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-m-irwin/i-need-to-ask-are-you-afraid-of-spiders-nicholas-blinked-suddenly/) [Stephen M. Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-m-irwin/) > [“I heard you in the other room asking your mother, 'Mama, am I a Palestinian?' When she answered 'Yes' a heavy silence fell on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghassan-kanafani/i-heard-you-in-the-other-room-asking-your-mother-mama-am-i-a/) [Ghassan Kanafani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghassan-kanafani/) > [“Well, I don't know, Lina. But let's just say I've met a lot of dead people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/well-i-don-t-know-lina-but-let-s-just-say-i-ve-met-a-lot-of-dead/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) > [Of course I want to kill you," said Skulduggery. "I want to kill most people. But then where would I be? In a field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-landy/of-course-i-want-to-kill-you-said-skulduggery-i-want-to-kill-most/) [Derek Landy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-landy/) > [“what would happen if she'd open her eyes and see only dark and feel satin from the coffin? That'd scare her enough to kill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/what-would-happen-if-she-d-open-her-eyes-and-see-only-dark-and-feel/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) > [“A body can't be too partic'lar how they talk 'bout these-yer dead people, Tom.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-body-can-t-be-too-partic-lar-how-they-talk-bout-these-yer-dead/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The only thing that can be expected from the next US president is more war, more murder, and more oppression of the gullible American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-only-thing-that-can-be-expected-from-the-next-us-president-is/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [“The letter said that they were two feet high, and green, and shaped like plumber's friends. Their suction cups were on the ground, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-letter-said-that-they-were-two-feet-high-and-green-and-shaped/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“When those who name dead people have gone, there just remains the calmness of foreign cemeteries, in which nothing appears familiar and nothing frightens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-loriga/when-those-who-name-dead-people-have-gone-there-just-remains-the/) [Ray Loriga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-loriga/) > [You totally need to watch the news." "Can't." "Why?" "It's too depressing." "Right, because hanging with dead people isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/you-totally-need-to-watch-the-news-can-t-why-it-s-too-depressing/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [“she was opposed to books on strict moral grounds, since she had heard that many of them were written by dead people and therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/she-was-opposed-to-books-on-strict-moral-grounds-since-she-had-heard/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [One thing about dead people, they're all the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-starkweather/one-thing-about-dead-people-they-re-all-the-same/) [Charles Starkweather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-starkweather/) > [I should write a book. I've always wanted to write a book. I should write a book about kids who see dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-noory/i-should-write-a-book-i-ve-always-wanted-to-write-a-book-i-should/) [George Noory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-noory/) > [Dolls are like small dead people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/dolls-are-like-small-dead-people/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) [Browse all 339 Dead people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the stairs I had finished gasping and stepping on dead people, so I was pretty prepared for the next thing to startle me out of my skin.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "April White" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-the-stairs-i-had-finished/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dead people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-the-stairs-i-had-finished/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9dd/april-white-31691_dead-people_fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-th_1853117.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten to the stairs I had finished gasping and stepping on dead people, so I…” — April White", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "April White", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/april-white/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Fortunately, by the time I'd gotten...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-the-stairs-i-had-finished/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/april-white/fortunately-by-the-time-i-d-gotten-to-the-stairs-i-had-finished/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```