--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember when I was probably about ten…" description: "\"“I remember when I was probably about ten years old I had a pen pal, and writing letters back and forth with him was one of my favorite things to do. H..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ba/ellen-degeneres-604_favorite-thing_i-remember-when-i-was-probably-about-ten_2043371.jpg" --- # I remember when I was probably about ten years old I had a… ![“I remember when I was probably about ten years old I had a pen pal, and writing letters back and forth with him was one of my favorite things to do. His name was Steve and he lived in one of those huge mansions that's so big it has a name. It was called the Louisiana State Penitentiary, and he…” quote by Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ba/ellen-degeneres-604_favorite-thing_i-remember-when-i-was-probably-about-ten_2043371.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ba/ellen-degeneres-604_favorite-thing_i-remember-when-i-was-probably-about-ten_2043371.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ba/ellen-degeneres-604_favorite-thing_i-remember-when-i-was-probably-about-ten_2043371.jpg) > ““I remember when I was probably about ten years old I had a pen pal, and writing letters back and forth with him was one of my favorite things to do. His name was Steve and he lived in one of those huge mansions that's so big it has a name. It was called the Louisiana State Penitentiary, and he told me it was even bigger than the mayor's mansion. We'd send letters back and forth and he'd ask me to send him my favorite books and small pieces of metal or wood that were lying around and all the money I could find in my house. And I'd gather them all up and put cute little stickers of cats on the packages and send them away. It was so fun. Eventually we stopped writing because I moved to another city and he moved out to live on his own. He called it "solitary confinement." I was always so impressed by his vocabulary.”” [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A childhood pen‑pal friendship with an inmate highlighted curiosity, generosity, and the power of simple communication across unlikely boundaries. **In simple terms:** Kids can connect deeply with strangers through letters and gifts. Key Takeaway Cherish small acts of kindness and stay curious. Themes friendship empathy curiosity generosity communication Mood nostalgic reflective hopeful Type personal anecdote inspirational When to use this quote - writing letters - sending small gifts - maintaining long‑distance friendships - learning about different lives Key Concepts social connection humanity imagination Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster empathy for people in confinement? - What small gestures can bridge social gaps? A Different Perspective The story romanticizes prison life and may overlook systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Favorite thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favorite-thing/) [Favorite things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favorite-things/) [Pen Pal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pen-pal-830126/) [Penitentiary Told](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/penitentiary-told-3815361/) [Solitary confinement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitary-confinement/) [State Penitentiary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-penitentiary-3062419/) [Steve Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steve-lived-3815362/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Writing Letters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-letters/) ## Related quotes > [My first gig with Metallica was at San Quentin State Penitentiary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trujillo/my-first-gig-with-metallica-was-at-san-quentin-state-penitentiary/) [Robert Trujillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trujillo/) > [“IN ALL THE YEARS I’ve spent here at Salton Sea State Penitentiary, I swear I never met a scarier man than Big Pete. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-graham/in-all-the-years-i-ve-spent-here-at-salton-sea-state-penitentiary-i/) [Joshua Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-graham/) > [“This happened in 1932, when the state penitentiary was still at Cold Mountain. 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I’m not sure you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-pen-pal-i-know-it-s-been-a-few-years-since-i-last-wrote-you-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Someone asked me if I would like to write a man on death row, be a pen pal, and I was like, sure. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/someone-asked-me-if-i-would-like-to-write-a-man-on-death-row-be-a-pen/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“And she’d also found Logan again. Now he was her … what? New-old boyfriend? Lover? Skype buddy? Pen pal with benefits? Whatever his title,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-thomas/and-she-d-also-found-logan-again-now-he-was-her-what-new-old/) [Rob Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-thomas/) > [We've never been very good at servicing fans. I'm here to concentrate on music, not to be a pen pal to people who write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morten-harket/we-ve-never-been-very-good-at-servicing-fans-i-m-here-to-concentrate/) [Morten Harket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morten-harket/) ## More by Ellen DeGeneres > [I wanted to have money; I wanted to be special; I wanted people to like me; I wanted to be famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-wanted-to-have-money-i-wanted-to-be-special-i-wanted-people-to-like/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [I think what saved me is me being honest. I think I somewhow had the courage to do something and say something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-think-what-saved-me-is-me-being-honest-i-think-i-somewhow-had-the/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [I think there's too much mult-tasking going on. 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It was called the Louisiana State Penitentiary, and he told me it was even bigger than the mayor's mansion. We'd send letters back and forth and he'd ask me to send him my favorite books and small pieces of metal or wood that were lying around and all the money I could find in my house. And I'd gather them all up and put cute little stickers of cats on the packages and send them away. It was so fun. Eventually we stopped writing because I moved to another city and he moved out to live on his own. 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