--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I find a magazine and I lean back to…" description: "\"“When I find a magazine and I lean back to start reading it, I can see the woman watching me out of the corner of her eye. She moves closer to the chil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png" --- # When I find a magazine and I lean back to start reading… ![“When I find a magazine and I lean back to start reading it, I can see the woman watching me out of the corner of her eye. She moves closer to the child and she puts her arm around him and she leans over and kisses his forehead. I know why she does it and I don't blame her and as I open my magazine…” quote by James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png) > ““When I find a magazine and I lean back to start reading it, I can see the woman watching me out of the corner of her eye. She moves closer to the child and she puts her arm around him and she leans over and kisses his forehead. I know why she does it and I don't blame her and as I open my magazine my heart breaks and I hope that the little boy doesn't grow up to be anything like me.”” [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## 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 feels deep sorrow watching a mother protect her child, realizing he fears becoming like the mother’s child when he grows up. **In simple terms:** Seeing love and protection makes him fear his own future. Key Takeaway Recognize how others’ love can reveal personal anxieties. Themes parenthood reflection regret selfawareness Mood melancholy reflective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - reading a magazine - observing a mother - contemplating personal growth - dealing with guilt - seeking change Key Concepts empathy generational trauma identity family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does observing others shape your self‑image? - What steps can you take to break unwanted cycles? A Different Perspective The narrator’s perspective may be biased, limiting broader understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“I’d rather spend the rest of my life without ever seeing you again,” he says, “than watch them destroy you because of me.” His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangu-mandanna/i-d-rather-spend-the-rest-of-my-life-without-ever-seeing-you-again-he-2/) [Sangu Mandanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangu-mandanna/) > [I just don't believe that a woman is naturally closer to her child than a man. Not at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leila-slimani/i-just-don-t-believe-that-a-woman-is-naturally-closer-to-her-child/) [Leila Slimani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leila-slimani/) > [Confidence cannot be found by comparing yourself to your friends, family or pick up star in a magazine. It found in your heart when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-low/confidence-cannot-be-found-by-comparing-yourself-to-your-friends/) [Alex Low](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-low/) > [“He dropped his forehead to hers. “I know I’m a little fucked up. Don’t give up on me baby. I’m not saying that things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-wright/he-dropped-his-forehead-to-hers-i-know-i-m-a-little-fucked-up-don-t/) [Suzanne Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-wright/) > [“Before I can even process his actions, he bends down and gives me a quick but deep kiss.  When he pulls back and rests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-sloan/before-i-can-even-process-his-actions-he-bends-down-and-gives-me-a/) [Harper Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-sloan/) > [For me, the magazine was always the heart of what my life was all about, and the other half was living the life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/for-me-the-magazine-was-always-the-heart-of-what-my-life-was-all/) [Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/) > [On the other couch a women sits with a young boy looking through a picture book about Babar the Elephant. When I find a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/on-the-other-couch-a-women-sits-with-a-young-boy-looking-through-a/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“He cups the back of my neck with his hand and holds the other against my face, rubbing my cheek with his thumb. Slowly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-clayton/he-cups-the-back-of-my-neck-with-his-hand-and-holds-the-other-against/) [Colleen Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-clayton/) > [“He leans into me and kisses me again. Harder this time. He tastes like eternity, and healing, and completion. No one else could ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-park/he-leans-into-me-and-kisses-me-again-harder-this-time-he-tastes-like/) [Jessica Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-park/) > [He leans over and kisses me. And suddenly, my life splits in two: before and after.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candace-bushnell/he-leans-over-and-kisses-me-and-suddenly-my-life-splits-in-two-before/) [Candace Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candace-bushnell/) > [“Anything she says will be ok with him -- this she feels instinctively. She looks up and meets his eyes: eagle against the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-schneider/anything-she-says-will-be-ok-with-him-this-she-feels-instinctively/) [Susan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-schneider/) > [When I was a little boy, Marvin Hagler was my idol. He got no respect for most of his career. His fighting style was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/when-i-was-a-little-boy-marvin-hagler-was-my-idol-he-got-no-respect/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I love you, Maddie, and I am devoted to making your life full of happiness and accomplishments, nurturing your creativity, encouraging your independence and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-proby/i-love-you-maddie-and-i-am-devoted-to-making-your-life-full-of/) [Kristen Proby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-proby/) > [Fletch then kisses me on the forehead before opening the cabinet under the coffeemaker to grab placemats and napkins. Retrieving these items is his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-lancaster/fletch-then-kisses-me-on-the-forehead-before-opening-the-cabinet/) [Jen Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-lancaster/) > [Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/find-a-guy-who-calls-you-beautiful-instead-of-hot-who-calls-you-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by James Frey > [“It is a touching story, and it is written more to convince than to tell. I am not convinced.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/it-is-a-touching-story-and-it-is-written-more-to-convince-than-to/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [But love is different for every person. For some it's hate, for some it's joy, for some it's fear, for some it's jealousy, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/but-love-is-different-for-every-person-for-some-it-s-hate-for-some-it/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I close my eyes and I let my body shut itself down and I let my mind wander. It wanders to a familiar place.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-close-my-eyes-and-i-let-my-body-shut-itself-down-and-i-let-my-mind/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [He pulled out turned west and started driving towards the glow it was thousands of miles away, he started driving towards the glow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/he-pulled-out-turned-west-and-started-driving-towards-the-glow-it-was/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Addiction is a decision. An individual wants something, whatever that something is, and makes a desicion to get it. Once they have it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/addiction-is-a-decision-an-individual-wants-something-whatever-that/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“I start to cry. Tears begin running down my face and quiet sobs escape me. I don't know what I'm doing and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-start-to-cry-tears-begin-running-down-my-face-and-quiet-sobs-escape/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The promise of eternal life makes people forsake the life they're given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/the-promise-of-eternal-life-makes-people-forsake-the-life-they-re/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [We know have the power of God in many ways: the atomic bomb, the ability to create life in a test tube, cloning, artificial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/we-know-have-the-power-of-god-in-many-ways-the-atomic-bomb-the/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [For the worst things of our lives, it is sometimes the best way, to never speak of them again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/for-the-worst-things-of-our-lives-it-is-sometimes-the-best-way-to/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“Thirty-six. If you want to shrink something, you must first expand it. If you want to get rid of something, you must allow it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/thirty-six-if-you-want-to-shrink-something-you-must-first-expand-it/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [The book is about drug addiction and alcoholism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/the-book-is-about-drug-addiction-and-alcoholism/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [And even though people try to pretend that pain doesn't do anything to them, none of us can really handle it. Everything bad we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/and-even-though-people-try-to-pretend-that-pain-doesn-t-do-anything/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [You don't have to follow anybody's rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/you-don-t-have-to-follow-anybody-s-rules/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [I don't care what people come at me with. People have come at me with everything you could imagine. I could care less about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/i-don-t-care-what-people-come-at-me-with-people-have-come-at-me-with/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) > [“There is no Higher Power or any God who is responsible for what I do and for what I have done and for who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/there-is-no-higher-power-or-any-god-who-is-responsible-for-what-i-do/) [James Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) [Explore all 288 James Frey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/) ## More Little Boy quotes > [“Eddie saw great things and near misses. Albert Einstein as a child, not quite struck by a run-away milk-wagon as he crossed a street.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/eddie-saw-great-things-and-near-misses-albert-einstein-as-a-child-not/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When I was a little boy, I was reading Dante and I was saying to myself 'Bravo, Dante, Bravo.' It's so beautiful, the music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-benigni/when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-was-reading-dante-and-i-was-saying-to/) [Roberto Benigni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-benigni/) > [As a little boy of eleven I entered the Cadet Corps. I was not particularly eager to become a Cadet, but my father wished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/as-a-little-boy-of-eleven-i-entered-the-cadet-corps-i-was-not/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [“For a long time I called it Otter as I had called Rontu, Dog. Then I decided to give the otter a name. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-o-dell/for-a-long-time-i-called-it-otter-as-i-had-called-rontu-dog-then-i/) [Scott O'Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-o-dell/) > [“If you aren't in love, Willow Vaughn, then my name isn't Miriam Brigham." Willow started out of her daydreaming and glanced up from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-mcpherren/if-you-aren-t-in-love-willow-vaughn-then-my-name-isn-t-miriam-brigham/) [Charlotte McPherren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-mcpherren/) > [Manchester United breathe football. When I have to make hard decisions, I always listen to little boy inside me and what he wants. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-van-persie/manchester-united-breathe-football-when-i-have-to-make-hard-decisions/) [Robin van Persie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-van-persie/) > [My uncle Claude was my favorite uncle he was also my godfather. He and I were really, really close. He used to take me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smokey-robinson/my-uncle-claude-was-my-favorite-uncle-he-was-also-my-godfather-he-and/) [Smokey Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smokey-robinson/) > [My little boy, West, and my wife, they're my rock and that's the thing that keeps driving me to do better at what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-houser/my-little-boy-west-and-my-wife-they-re-my-rock-and-that-s-the-thing/) [Randy Houser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-houser/) > [Biggest man law - be a man. Simple: be a man, definition of being a man is being a man. And don't let your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-griffin/biggest-man-law-be-a-man-simple-be-a-man-definition-of-being-a-man-is/) [Eddie Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-griffin/) > [“Here is a good joke. The little boy walks into an ice cream store, He asks for a sundae with extra hot fudge sauce.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-magsamen/here-is-a-good-joke-the-little-boy-walks-into-an-ice-cream-store-he/) [Susan Magsamen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-magsamen/) > [ “He \[James Cain\] is every kind of writer I detest...a Proust in greasy overalls, a dirty little boy with a piece of chalk and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i-detest-a-proust-in-greasy/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [And if I were a naughty little boy, the idea is to spank me into good behavior?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/and-if-i-were-a-naughty-little-boy-the-idea-is-to-spank-me-into-good/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [Being in the body of an African-American woman, I prefer animation. I get to be everybody. I don't have to always be the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cree-summer/being-in-the-body-of-an-african-american-woman-i-prefer-animation-i/) [Cree Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cree-summer/) > [I used to do little sketches into my cassette tape recorder when I was a little boy. I would just turn it on and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harland-williams/i-used-to-do-little-sketches-into-my-cassette-tape-recorder-when-i/) [Harland Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harland-williams/) > [“Some people may think it is wrong to live life so passionately, but the truth is that ever since I was a very little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/some-people-may-think-it-is-wrong-to-live-life-so-passionately-but/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) Browse all 791 Little Boy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When I find a magazine and I lean back to start reading it, I can see the woman watching me out of the corner of her eye. She moves closer to the child and she puts her arm around him and she leans over and kisses his forehead. I know why she does it and I don't blame her and as I open my magazine my heart breaks and I hope that the little boy doesn't grow up to be anything like me.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Frey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-to-start-reading-it-i-can-see/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Little Boy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-to-start-reading-it-i-can-see/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3fc/james-frey-1108_little-boy_when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-t_354748.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I find a magazine and I lean back to start reading it, I can see the woman watching me out of the…” — James Frey", "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": "James Frey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“When I find a magazine and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-to-start-reading-it-i-can-see/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frey/when-i-find-a-magazine-and-i-lean-back-to-start-reading-it-i-can-see/#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 } } ] } ```