---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Upon returning from the store, he would…"
description: "\"“Upon returning from the store, he would put the meat into the freezer, hide his favorite fruits in the bathroom cabinet, and stuff everything else int..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg"
---

#  Upon returning from the store, he would put the meat into…

![“Upon returning from the store, he would put the meat into the freezer, hide his favorite fruits in the bathroom cabinet, and stuff everything else into the crisper. It was, of course, too late for crisp, but he took the refrigerator drawer at its word, insisting that it was capable of reviving the…” quote by David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg)

> ““Upon returning from the store, he would put the meat into the freezer, hide his favorite fruits in the bathroom cabinet, and stuff everything else into the crisper. It was, of course, too late for crisp, but he took the refrigerator drawer at its word, insisting that it was capable of reviving the dead and returning them, hale and vibrant, to the prime of their lives. Subjected to a few days in his beloved crisper, a carrot would become as pale and soft as a flaccid penis. "Hey," he'd say. "Somebody ought to eat this before it goes bad." He'd take a bite, and the rest of us would wince at the unnatural silence. Too weak to resist, the carrot quietly surrendered to the force of his jaws. An overcooked hot dog would have made more noise. Wiping the juice from his lips, he would insist that this was the best carrot he'd ever eaten. "You guys don't know what you're missing." I think we had a pretty good idea.””

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He humorously describes his roommate’s obsessive food preservation, highlighting absurdity and denial of decay.

**In simple terms:** Roommate pretends spoiled food is still fresh.

Key Takeaway

Question the value of denial.

Themes

absurdity denial food life humor

Mood

ironic wry reflective

Type

anecdotal satirical

When to use this quote

- shared living
- food waste
- dietary habits
- social gatherings

Key Concepts

existentialism cognitive dissonance ritual

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you ever ignore obvious decay?
- How does humor reveal truth?

A Different Perspective

His denial ignores reality, leading to waste and discomfort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Carrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carrot/) [Carrot Eaten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carrot-eaten-4723710/) [Crisp Took](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisp-took-4723711/) [Crisper Carrot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisper-carrot-4723709/) [Pretty good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretty-good/) [Stuff Crisper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-crisper-4723712/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/)

## Related quotes

> [I think they named the orange before the carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-they-named-the-orange-before-the-carrot/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [The truly healthy alternative to that chip is not a fake chip; it’s a carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/the-truly-healthy-alternative-to-that-chip-is-not-a-fake-chip-it-s-a/)

[Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/)

> [“My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure," said Carrot. "Really? Well, there's eleven of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/my-strength-is-as-the-strength-of-ten-because-my-heart-is-pure-said/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [Carrot Top... I gave him advice once and he ran with it. He should thank me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rip-taylor/carrot-top-i-gave-him-advice-once-and-he-ran-with-it-he-should-thank/)

[Rip Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rip-taylor/)

> [I was at a party in London when I met Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. She introduced herself, and I didn't believe her name. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-bach/i-was-at-a-party-in-london-when-i-met-bond-producer-barbara-broccoli/)

[Catherine Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-bach/)

> [“This signior is sound, safe, ready, and dumb As ever was candle, carrot, or thumb; Then away with these nasty devices, and show How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilmot/this-signior-is-sound-safe-ready-and-dumb-as-ever-was-candle-carrot/)

[John Wilmot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilmot/)

> [Well actually I'm not a man but a carrot. The band was eating salads one day and a carrot fell off of the salad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/well-actually-i-m-not-a-man-but-a-carrot-the-band-was-eating-salads/)

[Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/)

> [Carrot Top is a nickname that people call me and I thought that it was more marketable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/carrot-top-is-a-nickname-that-people-call-me-and-i-thought-that-it/)

[Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/)

> [I once died my hair blonde, and it looked like an orangey-red carrot top. It was the '80s, and I was trying to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-barker/i-once-died-my-hair-blonde-and-it-looked-like-an-orangey-red-carrot/)

[Nigel Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-barker/)

> [“Cookie!" The kid holds up a carrot with the feathery green still attached to the top. "Seriously?" The woman gives me a wide-eyed don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-bachorz/cookie-the-kid-holds-up-a-carrot-with-the-feathery-green-still/)

[Pam Bachorz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-bachorz/)

> [The day is not far off when one ordinary carrot may be pregnant with revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-day-is-not-far-off-when-one-ordinary-carrot-may-be-pregnant-with/)

[Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/)

> [If I have to get into a bikini, then I eat carrot sticks for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/if-i-have-to-get-into-a-bikini-then-i-eat-carrot-sticks-for-three-days/)

[Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/)

> [The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/the-day-is-coming-when-a-single-carrot-freshly-observed-will-set-off/)

[Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/)

> [After cooking dinner tonight, I realized there is no straight way to wash a carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/after-cooking-dinner-tonight-i-realized-there-is-no-straight-way-to/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [C'mon Roger, let's go home. I'll bake you a carrot cake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-rabbit/c-mon-roger-let-s-go-home-i-ll-bake-you-a-carrot-cake/)

[Jessica Rabbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-rabbit/)

## More by David Sedaris

> [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [“never fall asleep in a Dumpster, never underestimate a bee, never drive a convertible behind a flatbed truck, never get old, never get drunk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/never-fall-asleep-in-a-dumpster-never-underestimate-a-bee-never-drive/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [“It was a father, one hand resting teapot-style on his hip, and the other - what would be the spout - formed into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/it-was-a-father-one-hand-resting-teapot-style-on-his-hip-and-the/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [“A Japanese woman we’d met in Paris came to the apartment yesterday and spent several hours explaining our appliances. The microwave, the water kettle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/a-japanese-woman-we-d-met-in-paris-came-to-the-apartment-yesterday/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [One thing I like about the United States, and I kind of miss about the United States, is there's an election coming up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/one-thing-i-like-about-the-united-states-and-i-kind-of-miss-about-the/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [When you read comic material and people aren't laughing how do you know they're listening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/when-you-read-comic-material-and-people-aren-t-laughing-how-do-you/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [“You have how many children in your family?" the teacher would ask. "I'm guessing you must be Catholic, am I right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-have-how-many-children-in-your-family-the-teacher-would-ask-i-m/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [“Like most seasoned phonies, I roundly suspect that everyone is as disingenuous as I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/like-most-seasoned-phonies-i-roundly-suspect-that-everyone-is-as/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [As a child I assumed that when I reached adulthood, I would have grown-up thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/as-a-child-i-assumed-that-when-i-reached-adulthood-i-would-have-grown/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [“You just take and take don´t you? Out there with your thumb in the air—not a care in the world, just grabbing whatever you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/you-just-take-and-take-don-t-you-out-there-with-your-thumb-in-the-air/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [In other parts of the country people tried to stay together for the sake of the children. In New York they tried to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/in-other-parts-of-the-country-people-tried-to-stay-together-for-the/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [My boyfriend got me a computer three years ago. I'll admit it does make things a lot easier. When I was working on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/my-boyfriend-got-me-a-computer-three-years-ago-i-ll-admit-it-does/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [I spent months searching for some secret code before I realized that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-spent-months-searching-for-some-secret-code-before-i-realized-that/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [I hated leaving a hole in the smoking world, and so I recruited someone to take my place. People have given me a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/i-hated-leaving-a-hole-in-the-smoking-world-and-so-i-recruited/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

> [Write relentlessly, until you find your voice. Then, use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/write-relentlessly-until-you-find-your-voice-then-use-it/)

[David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

[Explore all 667 David Sedaris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/)

## More Carrot quotes

> [I think they named the orange before the carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-think-they-named-the-orange-before-the-carrot/)

[Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/)

> [After cooking dinner tonight, I realized there is no straight way to wash a carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/after-cooking-dinner-tonight-i-realized-there-is-no-straight-way-to/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cezanne/the-day-is-coming-when-a-single-carrot-freshly-observed-will-set-off/)

[Paul Cezanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cezanne/)

> [If I have to get into a bikini, then I eat carrot sticks for three days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/if-i-have-to-get-into-a-bikini-then-i-eat-carrot-sticks-for-three-days/)

[Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/)

> [The day is not far off when one ordinary carrot may be pregnant with revolution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mile-zola/the-day-is-not-far-off-when-one-ordinary-carrot-may-be-pregnant-with/)

[Emile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mile-zola/)

> [“Cookie!" The kid holds up a carrot with the feathery green still attached to the top. "Seriously?" The woman gives me a wide-eyed don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-bachorz/cookie-the-kid-holds-up-a-carrot-with-the-feathery-green-still/)

[Pam Bachorz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-bachorz/)

> [I once died my hair blonde, and it looked like an orangey-red carrot top. It was the '80s, and I was trying to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-barker/i-once-died-my-hair-blonde-and-it-looked-like-an-orangey-red-carrot/)

[Nigel Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-barker/)

> [Carrot Top is a nickname that people call me and I thought that it was more marketable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrot-top/carrot-top-is-a-nickname-that-people-call-me-and-i-thought-that-it/)

[Carrot Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrot-top/)

> [Well actually I'm not a man but a carrot. The band was eating salads one day and a carrot fell off of the salad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/well-actually-i-m-not-a-man-but-a-carrot-the-band-was-eating-salads/)

[Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/)

> [“This signior is sound, safe, ready, and dumb As ever was candle, carrot, or thumb; Then away with these nasty devices, and show How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wilmot/this-signior-is-sound-safe-ready-and-dumb-as-ever-was-candle-carrot/)

[John Wilmot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wilmot/)

> [I was at a party in London when I met Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. She introduced herself, and I didn't believe her name. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-bach/i-was-at-a-party-in-london-when-i-met-bond-producer-barbara-broccoli/)

[Catherine Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-bach/)

> [Carrot Top... I gave him advice once and he ran with it. He should thank me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rip-taylor/carrot-top-i-gave-him-advice-once-and-he-ran-with-it-he-should-thank/)

[Rip Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rip-taylor/)

> [“My strength is as the strength of ten because my heart is pure," said Carrot. "Really? Well, there's eleven of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/my-strength-is-as-the-strength-of-ten-because-my-heart-is-pure-said/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [The truly healthy alternative to that chip is not a fake chip; it’s a carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bittman/the-truly-healthy-alternative-to-that-chip-is-not-a-fake-chip-it-s-a/)

[Mark Bittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-bittman/)

> [C'mon Roger, let's go home. I'll bake you a carrot cake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-rabbit/c-mon-roger-let-s-go-home-i-ll-bake-you-a-carrot-cake/)

[Jessica Rabbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-rabbit/)

[Browse all 72 Carrot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carrot/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Upon returning from the store, he would put the meat into the freezer, hide his favorite fruits in the bathroom cabinet, and stuff everything else into the crisper. It was, of course, too late for crisp, but he took the refrigerator drawer at its word, insisting that it was capable of reviving the dead and returning them, hale and vibrant, to the prime of their lives. Subjected to a few days in his beloved crisper, a carrot would become as pale and soft as a flaccid penis. \"Hey,\" he'd say. \"Somebody ought to eat this before it goes bad.\" He'd take a bite, and the rest of us would wince at the unnatural silence. Too weak to resist, the carrot quietly surrendered to the force of his jaws. An overcooked hot dog would have made more noise. Wiping the juice from his lips, he would insist that this was the best carrot he'd ever eaten. \"You guys don't know what you're missing.\" I think we had a pretty good idea.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Sedaris"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-put-the-meat-into-the-freezer/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Carrot"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-put-the-meat-into-the-freezer/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9a/david-sedaris-333_carrot_upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-p_2994670.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Upon returning from the store, he would put the meat into the freezer, hide his favorite fruits in the…” — David Sedaris",
                "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": "David Sedaris",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Upon returning from the store, he...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-put-the-meat-into-the-freezer/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/upon-returning-from-the-store-he-would-put-the-meat-into-the-freezer/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```