--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What are you doing?” I ask, holding onto…" description: "\"“What are you doing?” I ask, holding onto the door handle. “I’ve got to move your car up the road a little so I can shovel the end of the driveway,” he..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/emily-harper-25289_front-door_what-are-you-doing-i-ask-holding-onto-th_400542.jpg" --- # What are you doing?” I ask, holding onto the door handle… ![“What are you doing?” I ask, holding onto the door handle. “I’ve got to move your car up the road a little so I can shovel the end of the driveway,” he says. “No, I mean why did you not want that guy to clean the driveway?” “If I waited for that guy the snow would melt before your parents’ driveway…” quote by Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/emily-harper-25289_front-door_what-are-you-doing-i-ask-holding-onto-th_400542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/emily-harper-25289_front-door_what-are-you-doing-i-ask-holding-onto-th_400542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/975/emily-harper-25289_front-door_what-are-you-doing-i-ask-holding-onto-th_400542.jpg) > ““What are you doing?” I ask, holding onto the door handle. “I’ve got to move your car up the road a little so I can shovel the end of the driveway,” he says. “No, I mean why did you not want that guy to clean the driveway?” “If I waited for that guy the snow would melt before your parents’ driveway is cleaned. Scott says he’s been out here for five hours and he has one strip of his driveway done, which is now all over me and thisdriveway.” “Scott’s here?” I ask, looking towards the closed front door. “Yeah, he just went in to get better gloves from your dad. Now that you’re here we can get the driveway cleared in under an hour.” I look back at the neighbour and realise that Travis might have a point about the snow blower. “An hour?” I scoff. “Thirty minutes tops.” His hand stops inches from the ignition and he looks up at me. “Is that a challenge?” “Last one to clear their section has to put their tongue on the lamppost,” I say. The smile spreads over Travis’ face. “You’re on.”” [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A challenge is turned into a playful competition, turning a mundane task into a test of pride and speed. **In simple terms:** Turning a chore into a game can motivate people. Key Takeaway Use humor to motivate cooperation. Themes competition pride motivation social dynamics Mood playful energetic lighthearted Type narrative dialogue conversational When to use this quote - neighbourhood snow removal - friendly bet - teamwork - time pressure Key Concepts challenge playful rivalry social pressure Questions to Reflect On - How does turning work into a game affect relationships? - What are the risks of competitive challenges? A Different Perspective May degrade into conflict if stakes become too serious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I had a '69 Road Runner when I was a kid. 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Basketball, you can go out and play it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-roenick/football-you-can-go-out-and-buy-a-football-and-play-it-in-your/) [Jeremy Roenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-roenick/) > [The simple life on the farm was everything to me. Nothing was more relaxing after a long plane flight than to reach the winding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/the-simple-life-on-the-farm-was-everything-to-me-nothing-was-more/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [She sits in the driveway, freezing, for thirty-six minutes. Arguing with herself. Because she thinks she's in love with him too. And there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/she-sits-in-the-driveway-freezing-for-thirty-six-minutes-arguing-with/) [Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/) > [“I’m two hours late when I pull in to the driveway. It won’t matter that I’m always on time. People never see how good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrine-jackson/i-m-two-hours-late-when-i-pull-in-to-the-driveway-it-won-t-matter/) [Corrine Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrine-jackson/) > [It's so much fun to dream in your driveway. I had an old wooden backboard in my driveway. That's where my friends and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stevens/it-s-so-much-fun-to-dream-in-your-driveway-i-had-an-old-wooden/) [Brad Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stevens/) > [“Just like backing out of the driveway… If the driveway was ten miles long, full of rocks and pits, with lethal radiation hovering above,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-thorman/just-like-backing-out-of-the-driveway-if-the-driveway-was-ten-miles/) [Daniel Thorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-thorman/) > [All of Dad's relationships ended exactly the same: subpoena, beep of a moving van backing up the driveway, pile of his clothes burning on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/all-of-dad-s-relationships-ended-exactly-the-same-subpoena-beep-of-a/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [I only wanted Uncle Vernon standing by his own car (a Hudson) on a clear day, I got him and the car. Ialso got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-friedlander/i-only-wanted-uncle-vernon-standing-by-his-own-car-a-hudson-on-a/) [Lee Friedlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-friedlander/) > [“left the PT Cruiser unlocked in the driveway and returned”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-harmon/left-the-pt-cruiser-unlocked-in-the-driveway-and-returned/) [Brian Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-harmon/) ## More by Emily Harper > [“I like you. You like me. We like each other. We are going to be fine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/i-like-you-you-like-me-we-like-each-other-we-are-going-to-be-fine/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“The ride is nearly at an end, the operator is helping the people below us off and then it’s our turn, and Travis breathes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/the-ride-is-nearly-at-an-end-the-operator-is-helping-the-people-below/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“How much does this thing cost?” Travis says, walking closer to it. Honestly, Travis is always like this. A negative nelly is what my mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/how-much-does-this-thing-cost-travis-says-walking-closer-to-it/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Did you fall off a tree when you were a kid?” I ask. “Get pushed off a bridge?” “What?” he asks, momentarily distracted. “No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/did-you-fall-off-a-tree-when-you-were-a-kid-i-ask-get-pushed-off-a/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Can I ask you a question?” he asks as we complete our first loop on the train. “Okay,” I say, warily, not sure what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/can-i-ask-you-a-question-he-asks-as-we-complete-our-first-loop-on-the/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“So… You realise you just said you love me, right?” he says, and I can see he is trying to act calm about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/so-you-realise-you-just-said-you-love-me-right-he-says-and-i-can-see/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“I told you not to bother coming. Scott or Travis would have shown up eventually, and now you’re all here,” she grumbles. I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/i-told-you-not-to-bother-coming-scott-or-travis-would-have-shown-up/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“They may not turn everyone’s head, they’re only for the worthy to notice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/they-may-not-turn-everyone-s-head-they-re-only-for-the-worthy-to/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Now, I don’t like to be self-depreciating and all– but if this guy has to search the want ads to find love then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/now-i-don-t-like-to-be-self-depreciating-and-all-but-if-this-guy-has/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Look at this. Do you know what this says?” “Travis and Etty, surrounded by little glittery hearts?” he answers. “No, it says we are safe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/look-at-this-do-you-know-what-this-says-travis-and-etty-surrounded-by/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“used to wonder why people didn’t do more to get the attention they deserve– beautiful people from the inside out that get overlooked everyday…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/used-to-wonder-why-people-didn-t-do-more-to-get-the-attention-they/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Gorp- Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, aka trail mix. HYOH- Hike Your Own Hike - A very common phrase that hikers tell each other.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/gorp-good-old-raisins-and-peanuts-aka-trail-mix-hyoh-hike-your-own/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“No one says anything, and the silence gets uncomfortably awkward very quickly. I feel like I am the third wheel, which is kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/no-one-says-anything-and-the-silence-gets-uncomfortably-awkward-very/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Paul McKenna says that if you want something to happen then you have to “see” it happen... and I definitely see Alan having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/paul-mckenna-says-that-if-you-want-something-to-happen-then-you-have/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) > [“Uh oh,” my dad comes in the room but dramatically stops short. “Are we talking about boys?” I roll my eyes. “No, we’re talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-harper/uh-oh-my-dad-comes-in-the-room-but-dramatically-stops-short-are-we/) [Emily Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) [Explore all 23 Emily Harper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-harper/) ## More Driveway quotes > [“left the PT Cruiser unlocked in the driveway and returned”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-harmon/left-the-pt-cruiser-unlocked-in-the-driveway-and-returned/) [Brian Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-harmon/) > [I only wanted Uncle Vernon standing by his own car (a Hudson) on a clear day, I got him and the car. Ialso got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-friedlander/i-only-wanted-uncle-vernon-standing-by-his-own-car-a-hudson-on-a/) [Lee Friedlander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-friedlander/) > [All of Dad's relationships ended exactly the same: subpoena, beep of a moving van backing up the driveway, pile of his clothes burning on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/all-of-dad-s-relationships-ended-exactly-the-same-subpoena-beep-of-a/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [“Just like backing out of the driveway… If the driveway was ten miles long, full of rocks and pits, with lethal radiation hovering above,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-thorman/just-like-backing-out-of-the-driveway-if-the-driveway-was-ten-miles/) [Daniel Thorman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-thorman/) > [It's so much fun to dream in your driveway. I had an old wooden backboard in my driveway. That's where my friends and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stevens/it-s-so-much-fun-to-dream-in-your-driveway-i-had-an-old-wooden/) [Brad Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stevens/) > [“I’m two hours late when I pull in to the driveway. It won’t matter that I’m always on time. People never see how good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrine-jackson/i-m-two-hours-late-when-i-pull-in-to-the-driveway-it-won-t-matter/) [Corrine Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrine-jackson/) > [She sits in the driveway, freezing, for thirty-six minutes. Arguing with herself. Because she thinks she's in love with him too. And there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-mcmann/she-sits-in-the-driveway-freezing-for-thirty-six-minutes-arguing-with/) [Lisa McMann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-mcmann/) > [The simple life on the farm was everything to me. Nothing was more relaxing after a long plane flight than to reach the winding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisabeth-kubler-ross/the-simple-life-on-the-farm-was-everything-to-me-nothing-was-more/) [Elisabeth Kubler-Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisabeth-kubler-ross/) > [Football, you can go out and buy a football and play it in your backyard. Basketball, you can go out and play it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-roenick/football-you-can-go-out-and-buy-a-football-and-play-it-in-your/) [Jeremy Roenick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-roenick/) > [It's like before my wife and I moved. Our house was full of boxes and there was a U-Haul truck in our driveway. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-engvall/it-s-like-before-my-wife-and-i-moved-our-house-was-full-of-boxes-and/) [Bill Engvall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-engvall/) > [In my 30s, I wrote in the back house of a ramshackle Spanish Revival we rented across from the ocean in the Santa Monica…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-simpson/in-my-30s-i-wrote-in-the-back-house-of-a-ramshackle-spanish-revival/) [Mona Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-simpson/) > [I'm not a public figure at all. I don't really go out a lot to places where there are people like those who sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-keener/i-m-not-a-public-figure-at-all-i-don-t-really-go-out-a-lot-to-places/) [Catherine Keener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-keener/) > [When they separated, the freckleless spot between Pete's eyes was bright red. Before anything else could be said or done, May grabbed her bike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/when-they-separated-the-freckleless-spot-between-pete-s-eyes-was/) [Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/) > [If he's got golf clubs in his truck or a camper in his driveway, I don't hire him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-holtz/if-he-s-got-golf-clubs-in-his-truck-or-a-camper-in-his-driveway-i-don/) [Lou Holtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-holtz/) > [Why do u drive on a parkway and park in the driveway. Its messed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-bieber/why-do-u-drive-on-a-parkway-and-park-in-the-driveway-its-messed-up/) [Justin Bieber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-bieber/) Browse all 103 Driveway quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What are you doing?” I ask, holding onto the door handle. “I’ve got to move your car up the road a little so I can shovel the end of the driveway,” he says. “No, I mean why did you not want that guy to clean the driveway?” “If I waited for that guy the snow would melt before your parents’ driveway is cleaned. Scott says he’s been out here for five hours and he has one strip of his driveway done, which is now all over me and thisdriveway.” “Scott’s here?” I ask, looking towards the closed front door. “Yeah, he just went in to get better gloves from your dad. Now that you’re here we can get the driveway cleared in under an hour.” I look back at the neighbour and realise that Travis might have a point about the snow blower. “An hour?” I scoff. “Thirty minutes tops.” His hand stops inches from the ignition and he looks up at me. “Is that a challenge?” “Last one to clear their section has to put their tongue on the lamppost,” I say. 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