--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Riding back from the grocery store, I…" description: "\"“Riding back from the grocery store, I realized my father was two men—one he presented to the outside world, and one, far darker, that was always there..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/augusten-burroughs-603_father_riding-back-from-the-grocery-store-i-rea_771755.jpg" --- # Riding back from the grocery store, I realized my father… ![“Riding back from the grocery store, I realized my father was two men—one he presented to the outside world, and one, far darker, that was always there, behind the face everybody else saw. In my bedroom late that” quote by Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/augusten-burroughs-603_father_riding-back-from-the-grocery-store-i-rea_771755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/augusten-burroughs-603_father_riding-back-from-the-grocery-store-i-rea_771755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba6/augusten-burroughs-603_father_riding-back-from-the-grocery-store-i-rea_771755.jpg) > ““Riding back from the grocery store, I realized my father was two men—one he presented to the outside world, and one, far darker, that was always there, behind the face everybody else saw. In my bedroom late that”” [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) ## 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 discovers his father lives a double life, presenting a respectable front while harboring a darker, hidden self. **In simple terms:** People can hide a darker side behind a public persona. Key Takeaway Recognize and address hidden aspects of those close to you. Themes identity family duality Mood reflective somber introspective Type personal psychological When to use this quote - personal relationships - mental health counseling - parental guidance - self‑reflection Key Concepts psychology self‑deception family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do you see hidden sides in people you know? - What impact does a hidden self have on relationships? A Different Perspective The quote may oversimplify complex family dynamics and ignore external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Darker Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darker-face-5964041/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-men-5964040/) [Grocery store](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grocery-store/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Realized Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realized-father-789438/) [Riding Grocery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riding-grocery-5964042/) ## Related quotes > [“Thinking back, she realized her father was more of an ass than she’d thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-savage/thinking-back-she-realized-her-father-was-more-of-an-ass-than-she-d/) [Vivienne Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-savage/) > [“He lay in the dark thinking of all the things he did not know about his father and he realized that the father he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-lay-in-the-dark-thinking-of-all-the-things-he-did-not-know-about/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“So, did you see that community center I was talking about?” “What? 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He has a lot of problems that run very, very deep." But he was really good at giving head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/bookman-isn-t-a-stable-man-he-has-a-lot-of-problems-that-run-very/) [Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) [Explore all 448 Augusten Burroughs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/) ## More Father quotes > [Whatever meaning 'Annie's Song' had for me on a personal level, there was also a larger context. It could just as easily have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/whatever-meaning-annie-s-song-had-for-me-on-a-personal-level-there/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. 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They were made of kindness, and silver.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/liesel-observed-the-strangeness-of-her-foster-father-s-eyes-they-were/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) [Browse all 19,784 Father quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Riding back from the grocery store, I realized my father was two men—one he presented to the outside world, and one, far darker, that was always there, behind the face everybody else saw. 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