--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I could have been, and may one day well…" description: "\"I could have been, and may one day well be a high school English teacher, because I've been given so much I just feel like I have to give something bac..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/james-mcbride-4758_be-good_i-could-have-been-and-may-one-day-well-b_777307.png" --- # I could have been, and may one day well be a high school… ![“I could have been, and may one day well be a high school English teacher, because I've been given so much I just feel like I have to give something back. The fact that some people consider my work to be good or strong, it's nice, but I know in my heart that if it's not coming - oftentimes it's…” quote by James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/james-mcbride-4758_be-good_i-could-have-been-and-may-one-day-well-b_777307.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/james-mcbride-4758_be-good_i-could-have-been-and-may-one-day-well-b_777307.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de1/james-mcbride-4758_be-good_i-could-have-been-and-may-one-day-well-b_777307.png) > “I could have been, and may one day well be a high school English teacher, because I've been given so much I just feel like I have to give something back. The fact that some people consider my work to be good or strong, it's nice, but I know in my heart that if it's not coming - oftentimes it's probably not coming from the best place.” [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling compelled to give back because of personal gratitude, while questioning authenticity of praise. **In simple terms:** Want to give back but doubt motives behind praise. Key Takeaway Reflect on why you want to give.. Themes gratitude purpose authenticity Mood thoughtful reflective Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - teaching - volunteering - creative projects Key Concepts self‑actualization altruism self‑doubt Questions to Reflect On - What drives your desire to give? - How do you ensure your work comes from a good place? A Different Perspective Motivation may be mixed with ego or external validation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [English teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-teacher/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [High school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/high-school/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School english](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-english/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [There was kind of a pivotal moment in my life in junior high school when my English teacher told me I should be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rafferty/there-was-kind-of-a-pivotal-moment-in-my-life-in-junior-high-school/) [Sarah Rafferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rafferty/) > [The worst letters come from retired high school English teachers. They will literally take a book and pick it to pieces and send me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/the-worst-letters-come-from-retired-high-school-english-teachers-they/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [“When Anna went to school, English sounded to her like pebbles dropping into shallow water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-polacco/when-anna-went-to-school-english-sounded-to-her-like-pebbles-dropping/) [Patricia Polacco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-polacco/) > [My mother teaches high school English, and she's an artist and a poet and a sculptor, she's published twelve poetry books. I grew up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/my-mother-teaches-high-school-english-and-she-s-an-artist-and-a-poet/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the kind of poetry I found in high school English books. I didn't get really excited about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-equi/to-be-honest-i-wasn-t-crazy-about-the-kind-of-poetry-i-found-in-high/) [Elaine Equi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-equi/) > [When I started writing seriously in high school, English was the language I had at my disposal - my Spanish was domestic, colloquial, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/when-i-started-writing-seriously-in-high-school-english-was-the/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) > [Traditionally, the love of reading has been born and nurtured in high school English class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-prose/traditionally-the-love-of-reading-has-been-born-and-nurtured-in-high/) [Francine Prose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-prose/) > [I remember, in school during English lessons, I would ask the teacher what were the most difficult books to read, and when she'd say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hough/i-remember-in-school-during-english-lessons-i-would-ask-the-teacher/) [Stephen Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hough/) > [My favorite subject in high school was English. I love reading and writing, and I felt really supported in this subject, and my least…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-laing/my-favorite-subject-in-high-school-was-english-i-love-reading-and/) [Christie Laing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-laing/) > [I taught high school English for 24 years. I always teach my students to appreciate the beauty of language and to write poetically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-takano/i-taught-high-school-english-for-24-years-i-always-teach-my-students/) [Mark Takano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-takano/) > [I never consider what I do as work. It has been fun. It's been rewarding and very fulfilling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-kasell/i-never-consider-what-i-do-as-work-it-has-been-fun-it-s-been/) [Carl Kasell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-kasell/) > [I've always considered my work one piece and I consider that my work won't be finished until I am dead and buried and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-ve-always-considered-my-work-one-piece-and-i-consider-that-my-work/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [I do not consider myself at work unless I am before a six-foot canvas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-constable/i-do-not-consider-myself-at-work-unless-i-am-before-a-six-foot-canvas/) [John Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-constable/) > [ I think \[Anderson Cooper \] and me both enjoy working, and don't consider it "work," so as long as I'm having fun I will… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-cohen/i-think-anderson-cooper-and-me-both-enjoy-working-and-don-t-consider/) [Andy Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-cohen/) > [You really don't consider it work when you are doing what you like to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-johnson-jr/you-really-don-t-consider-it-work-when-you-are-doing-what-you-like-to/) [Ernie Johnson Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-johnson-jr/) ## More by James McBride > [Some things in this world just ain't meant to be, not in the times we want 'em to, and the heart has to hold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/some-things-in-this-world-just-ain-t-meant-to-be-not-in-the-times-we/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are some really great books that have been written about slavery, but I don't think that the discourse about it in society has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-some-really-great-books-that-have-been-written-about/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Whatever you is, Onion," he said, "be it full.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/whatever-you-is-onion-he-said-be-it-full/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There are two responses to really awful things. One is to lament and say, "Oh my God, oh lord." And the other is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-are-two-responses-to-really-awful-things-one-is-to-lament-and/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [If you're going to cheat and take people's history and you're not writing the Bible, you ain't really so great. But if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/if-you-re-going-to-cheat-and-take-people-s-history-and-you-re-not/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“Most cars drove through there because the drivers is either from The Bottom and wanna get home - or they ain't from The Bottom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/most-cars-drove-through-there-because-the-drivers-is-either-from-the/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [There has to be some mystery in life, because the joy of being a writer and the joy of being a musician is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/there-has-to-be-some-mystery-in-life-because-the-joy-of-being-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“And when James asked what color God was, she said, God is the color of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/and-when-james-asked-what-color-god-was-she-said-god-is-the-color-of/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm proud of 'Miracle at St. Anna' and I loved it; there's no question in my mind it's as good as any movie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-proud-of-miracle-at-st-anna-and-i-loved-it-there-s-no-question-in/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [“back,” Daddy said. “It’ll work out.” He had no idea what to do about Helen. They spoke a completely different language. He was an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/back-daddy-said-it-ll-work-out-he-had-no-idea-what-to-do-about-helen/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/i-m-one-of-the-few-black-writers-or-african-american-writers-who/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/god-is-the-color-of-water-water-doesn-t-have-a-color/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [First person narrative is a very effective tool but you have to know as a writer how to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/first-person-narrative-is-a-very-effective-tool-but-you-have-to-know/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [The act of choosing what to place in your piece when you're a historian or a non-fiction writer already renders it into fiction for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/the-act-of-choosing-what-to-place-in-your-piece-when-you-re-a/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) > [...since I was a little boy, she had always wanted me to go. She was always sending me off on a bus someplace, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mcbride/since-i-was-a-little-boy-she-had-always-wanted-me-to-go-she-was/) [James McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) [Explore all 106 James McBride quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mcbride/) ## More Be good quotes > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Peace is the result of love, and if love were easy we'd all be good at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colman-mccarthy/peace-is-the-result-of-love-and-if-love-were-easy-we-d-all-be-good-at/) [Colman McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colman-mccarthy/) > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Most of us want to live in harmony and peace and be good to others. Right now, however, the world is in a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hany-abu-assad/most-of-us-want-to-live-in-harmony-and-peace-and-be-good-to-others/) [Hany Abu-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hany-abu-assad/) > [I've never had any desire to be good. I don't like goodness particularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-kureishi/i-ve-never-had-any-desire-to-be-good-i-don-t-like-goodness/) [Hanif Kureishi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-kureishi/) > [To become a classical ballerina, you have to move to New York when you're 12 or 11 and that becomes your life. I just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-garner/to-become-a-classical-ballerina-you-have-to-move-to-new-york-when-you/) [Jennifer Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-garner/) > [The producers felt that 24 would be good for the audience, to really get to know who these 12 and 12 are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-abdul/the-producers-felt-that-24-would-be-good-for-the-audience-to-really/) [Paula Abdul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-abdul/) > [All will concede that in order to have good neighbors, we must also be good neighbors. That applies in every field of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/all-will-concede-that-in-order-to-have-good-neighbors-we-must-also-be/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Everybody wants to be good, but not many are prepared to make the sacrifices it takes to be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-arden/everybody-wants-to-be-good-but-not-many-are-prepared-to-make-the/) [Paul Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-arden/) > [There's such cultural rot taking place, such a disintegration throughout our culture. Values, morality, you name it. Standards have been relaxed, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/there-s-such-cultural-rot-taking-place-such-a-disintegration/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The difference in being good at some thing and being great at something is usually found in the little things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-anderson/the-difference-in-being-good-at-some-thing-and-being-great-at/) Randy Anderson > [It doesn't matter if your lead character is good or bad. 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Why do you suppose His world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-marshall/living-in-the-middle-of-beauty-like-this-we-ve-no-call-to-have-puny/) [Catherine Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-marshall/) Browse all 1,747 Be good quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I could have been, and may one day well be a high school English teacher, because I've been given so much I just feel like I have to give something back. 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