--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had cooked a lot in restaurants, in…" description: "\"I had cooked a lot in restaurants, in Rocky Point and on golf courses on Long Island, and my mother said, 'Be a chef,' and my dad said, 'Be a lawyer.' ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/d-b-sweeney-8233_chef_i-had-cooked-a-lot-in-restaurants-in-roc_2133501.jpg" --- # I had cooked a lot in restaurants, in Rocky Point and on… ![“I had cooked a lot in restaurants, in Rocky Point and on golf courses on Long Island, and my mother said, 'Be a chef,' and my dad said, 'Be a lawyer.' But instead, I auditioned for N.Y.U.'s Tisch School of the Arts.” quote by D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/d-b-sweeney-8233_chef_i-had-cooked-a-lot-in-restaurants-in-roc_2133501.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/d-b-sweeney-8233_chef_i-had-cooked-a-lot-in-restaurants-in-roc_2133501.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/d-b-sweeney-8233_chef_i-had-cooked-a-lot-in-restaurants-in-roc_2133501.jpg) > “I had cooked a lot in restaurants, in Rocky Point and on golf courses on Long Island, and my mother said, 'Be a chef,' and my dad said, 'Be a lawyer.' But instead, I auditioned for N.Y.U.'s Tisch School of the Arts.” [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker chose a creative path despite parental expectations, highlighting personal agency over prescribed careers. **In simple terms:** Choosing art over law shows personal agency. Key Takeaway Follow your passion, not others' expectations. Themes career choice family expectations creativity Mood inspirational thoughtful Type advice personal narrative When to use this quote - education decisions - career planning - family dynamics Key Concepts self‑determination artistic pursuit Questions to Reflect On - What drives your career decisions? - How do you balance passion with practicality? A Different Perspective Creative fields can be unstable and risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chef/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Golf courses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golf-courses/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) ## Related quotes > [I was brought up in a restaurant, I've worked in catering my whole life up until I was 20 full-time almost, I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gok-wan/i-was-brought-up-in-a-restaurant-i-ve-worked-in-catering-my-whole/) [Gok Wan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gok-wan/) > [“Death . . . but not for you. That was what Walter, clever as Satan even at the end, had said. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/somebody-made-the-statement-that-donald-trump-has-built-or-owns-the/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The people don't take baths and they don't speak English. No golf courses, no room service. Who needs it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-mcmahon/the-people-don-t-take-baths-and-they-don-t-speak-english-no-golf/) [Jim McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcmahon/) > [Having so many gold courses so close together was ideal for me. With my slice I could enjoy three or four golf courses at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/having-so-many-gold-courses-so-close-together-was-ideal-for-me-with/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) ## More by D. B. Sweeney > [Whether or not your person wins or loses, give him a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/whether-or-not-your-person-wins-or-loses-give-him-a-chance/) [D. B. 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Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [I have never been one of those actors who say, 'Oh, my character wouldn't do this,' or 'My character never wears an orange shirt,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/i-have-never-been-one-of-those-actors-who-say-oh-my-character-wouldn/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [To anybody who says to me, 'I'm in character,' I say, 'You should be in an asylum.' If you don't know that you're pretending,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/to-anybody-who-says-to-me-i-m-in-character-i-say-you-should-be-in-an/) [D. B. Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-b-sweeney/) > [Joe Jackson was a tragic figure. He was a serene country boy who signed a confession he couldn't read. He was illiterate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-b-sweeney/joe-jackson-was-a-tragic-figure-he-was-a-serene-country-boy-who/) [D. B. 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