--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The lake was always my orienting point…" description: "\"The lake was always my orienting point when my dad was teaching me how to not get lost. The lake is east, so you'll always know that. It's a weird thin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg" --- # The lake was always my orienting point when my dad was… ![“The lake was always my orienting point when my dad was teaching me how to not get lost. The lake is east, so you'll always know that. It's a weird thing where you can kind of feel where you're at in Chicago, and when I was downtown, I was like, 'Oh, it feels more open over here. That must be…” quote by Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg) > “The lake was always my orienting point when my dad was teaching me how to not get lost. The lake is east, so you'll always know that. It's a weird thing where you can kind of feel where you're at in Chicago, and when I was downtown, I was like, 'Oh, it feels more open over here. That must be east.' It felt like a little secret thing.” [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The lake serves as a personal compass, helping the speaker orient herself in a bustling city by using a fixed geographic reference. **In simple terms:** The lake is a mental map for direction. Key Takeaway Use landmarks to stay oriented. Themes orientation memory place city navigation personal geography Mood reflective nostalgic Type personal narrative When to use this quote - travel in a - finding direction - urban exploration - mental anchoring Key Concepts cognitive mapping spatial awareness urban experience Questions to Reflect On - How do you create mental anchors in new environments? - What happens when your usual reference point is unavailable? A Different Perspective Reliance on a single landmark can fail if conditions change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Lake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lake/) ## Related quotes > [“The lake is always east. East is always the lake. Anywhere else he's ever been he never knows where he is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-orner/the-lake-is-always-east-east-is-always-the-lake-anywhere-else-he-s/) [Peter Orner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-orner/) > [There's no such thing as an open draw. At least for me - I mean, obviously for Roger Federer, I think every draw feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/there-s-no-such-thing-as-an-open-draw-at-least-for-me-i-mean/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [I'm of the ilk of writers that feels you have to be open to the inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-bareilles/i-m-of-the-ilk-of-writers-that-feels-you-have-to-be-open-to-the/) [Sara Bareilles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-bareilles/) > [Through recognizing and realizing the empty essence, instead of being selfish and self-centered, one feels very open and free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/through-recognizing-and-realizing-the-empty-essence-instead-of-being/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [I don't like to plan. Very often, for me, acting is like loving; it's using the muscle that you use in loving, in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-don-t-like-to-plan-very-often-for-me-acting-is-like-loving-it-s/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [When I was a kid, getting on Lake Shore Drive from the south side to go downtown was magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/when-i-was-a-kid-getting-on-lake-shore-drive-from-the-south-side-to/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [A facade of skyscrapers facing a lake and behind the facade, every type of dubiousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/a-facade-of-skyscrapers-facing-a-lake-and-behind-the-facade-every/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [They say Chicago is for haters. No one will just sweat each other and say, 'Oh, you're so good,' if you're not. Which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/they-say-chicago-is-for-haters-no-one-will-just-sweat-each-other-and/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I really value what Closed Sessions is doing to build the Chicago music scene and am excited to partner with them for my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-really-value-what-closed-sessions-is-doing-to-build-the-chicago/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [A lot of people get Chicago wrong. I've developed this protective feeling about how we're portrayed, and at the same time, I'm acutely aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/a-lot-of-people-get-chicago-wrong-i-ve-developed-this-protective/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [Me and my three younger siblings, we sang together in grandma's church, and I was in the Chicago Children's Choir in high school, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/me-and-my-three-younger-siblings-we-sang-together-in-grandma-s-church/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [Near the lake where drooped the willow, Long time ago!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pope-morris/near-the-lake-where-drooped-the-willow-long-time-ago/) [George Pope Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pope-morris/) > [You will find a spring by the dwelling of the dead, to the left. Next to it stands a white cypress. Do not approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/you-will-find-a-spring-by-the-dwelling-of-the-dead-to-the-left-next/) [Gustaw Herling-Grudzinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustaw-herling-grudzinski/) > [“Holy gods. He'd frozen the whole damn lake. He was THAT powerful?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/holy-gods-he-d-frozen-the-whole-damn-lake-he-was-that-powerful/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [It's a very familiar type of place where people either go to their house on the lake or they get together in different places.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/it-s-a-very-familiar-type-of-place-where-people-either-go-to-their/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) ## More by Jamila Woods > [Me and my three younger siblings, we sang together in grandma's church, and I was in the Chicago Children's Choir in high school, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/me-and-my-three-younger-siblings-we-sang-together-in-grandma-s-church/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [My mentor made me say a poem over and over. 'Stop! That's not your voice. Start again.' I was sobbing by the end, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/my-mentor-made-me-say-a-poem-over-and-over-stop-that-s-not-your-voice/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [Music is something that is supposed to connect people on a pure level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/music-is-something-that-is-supposed-to-connect-people-on-a-pure-level/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [They say Chicago is for haters. No one will just sweat each other and say, 'Oh, you're so good,' if you're not. Which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/they-say-chicago-is-for-haters-no-one-will-just-sweat-each-other-and/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I read 'Song of Solomon' by Toni Morrison in college, and it just blew my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-read-song-of-solomon-by-toni-morrison-in-college-and-it-just-blew/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I really value what Closed Sessions is doing to build the Chicago music scene and am excited to partner with them for my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-really-value-what-closed-sessions-is-doing-to-build-the-chicago/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [In some ways, I value specificity. I think that there's power in, once you know who your fan base is, being able to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/in-some-ways-i-value-specificity-i-think-that-there-s-power-in-once/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [A lot of people get Chicago wrong. I've developed this protective feeling about how we're portrayed, and at the same time, I'm acutely aware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/a-lot-of-people-get-chicago-wrong-i-ve-developed-this-protective/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [My mentors were very good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/my-mentors-were-very-good/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I think of music as creating a space. I like to put things in that are comforting to me and are nostalgic. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-think-of-music-as-creating-a-space-i-like-to-put-things-in-that-are/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I don't know if it's because I grew up in Beverly or my friends, but I listened to a lot of alternative rock music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-don-t-know-if-it-s-because-i-grew-up-in-beverly-or-my-friends-but-i/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [My hope is that 'Blk Girl Soldier' is a freedom song for black women today who are fighting the macro- and microaggressions of daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/my-hope-is-that-blk-girl-soldier-is-a-freedom-song-for-black-women/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I like to borrow forms and quotes and use a lot of allusions, in both poetry and music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-like-to-borrow-forms-and-quotes-and-use-a-lot-of-allusions-in-both/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [I started writing poems on a Xanga page. I always loved writing. I also had a Deviant Art page, actually, because my crush had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/i-started-writing-poems-on-a-xanga-page-i-always-loved-writing-i-also/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) > [The good things about Chicago save me on a daily basis, like getting to work with my students, seeing a beautiful part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/the-good-things-about-chicago-save-me-on-a-daily-basis-like-getting/) [Jamila Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) [Explore all 57 Jamila Woods quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/) ## More Chicago quotes > [I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/i-m-proud-to-say-i-had-a-bet-with-a-guy-from-chicago-who-said-chicago/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) Uncle Arnie Mamath > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever I was flying commercial, I would land in Chicago, and they would announce, 'Get your passports out.' It happened so often, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/whenever-i-was-flying-commercial-i-would-land-in-chicago-and-they/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm from Chicago. And I was an actor in high school and college, and I wanted to see if I could make a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/i-m-from-chicago-and-i-was-an-actor-in-high-school-and-college-and-i/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [“I will have both of you," he said. "My Sentinel and my city. And the GP will learn exactly how stubborn we both can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/i-will-have-both-of-you-he-said-my-sentinel-and-my-city-and-the-gp/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Chicago is unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-merriam/chicago-is-unique-it-is-the-only-completely-corrupt-city-in-america/) [Charles Edward Merriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-merriam/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) [Browse all 1,655 Chicago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The lake was always my orienting point when my dad was teaching me how to not get lost. The lake is east, so you'll always know that. It's a weird thing where you can kind of feel where you're at in Chicago, and when I was downtown, I was like, 'Oh, it feels more open over here. That must be east.' It felt like a little secret thing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jamila Woods" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-when-my-dad-was-teaching-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chicago" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-when-my-dad-was-teaching-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/jamila-woods-11916_chicago_the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-w_282615.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The lake was always my orienting point when my dad was teaching me how to not get lost. The lake is east, so…” — Jamila Woods", "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": "Jamila Woods", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamila-woods/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The lake was always my orienting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-when-my-dad-was-teaching-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamila-woods/the-lake-was-always-my-orienting-point-when-my-dad-was-teaching-me/#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 } } ] } ```