--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you grow up poor and you work hard…" description: "\"When you grow up poor and you work hard, your relaxation comes from laughter. It's such a free vacation.\" — Janelle James" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/janelle-james-6143_free_when-you-grow-up-poor-and-you-work-hard_1750232.jpg" --- # When you grow up poor and you work hard, your relaxation… ![“When you grow up poor and you work hard, your relaxation comes from laughter. It's such a free vacation.” quote by Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/janelle-james-6143_free_when-you-grow-up-poor-and-you-work-hard_1750232.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/janelle-james-6143_free_when-you-grow-up-poor-and-you-work-hard_1750232.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee0/janelle-james-6143_free_when-you-grow-up-poor-and-you-work-hard_1750232.jpg) > “When you grow up poor and you work hard, your relaxation comes from laughter. It's such a free vacation.” [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hard work in poverty leads to laughter as a priceless, liberating escape. **In simple terms:** Hard work yields joyful relief. Key Takeaway Find humor in perseverance. Themes hardship humor relief Mood lighthearted reflective Type cultural motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - stress relief - comedy - personal storytelling Key Concepts socio‑economic mobility psychology Questions to Reflect On - What moments bring you genuine laughter? - How does humor affect your resilience? A Different Perspective Laughter may mask deeper struggles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) [Vacation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vacation/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-hard/) ## Related quotes > [You can compel fear. You can even make someone feel they're in love if they're isolated and dependent for long enough. 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For once her laughter was free and easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-force/olivia-he-sighed-as-he-held-her-tight-against-him-i-like-the-way-you/) [Marie Force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-force/) > [It's hard to grow up in front of the whole world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jelly-roll/it-s-hard-to-grow-up-in-front-of-the-whole-world/) [Jelly Roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jelly-roll/) > [When you grow up close to poultry and fields and gardens and open-air markets, you can't help but develop an instinct for quality food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-ducasse/when-you-grow-up-close-to-poultry-and-fields-and-gardens-and-open-air/) [Alain Ducasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-ducasse/) > [When a mother or father is willing to pay smugglers and risk the lives of their own children by sending them on a dangerous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/when-a-mother-or-father-is-willing-to-pay-smugglers-and-risk-the/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [Most people don't grow up. 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And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) ## More by Janelle James > [I'll only diet for a Marvel movie. I will give up bacon and waffles to be Storm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-ll-only-diet-for-a-marvel-movie-i-will-give-up-bacon-and-waffles-to/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [He's done enough for me. He didn't make my career or anything. I was never close with Chris Rock. We went on tour together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/he-s-done-enough-for-me-he-didn-t-make-my-career-or-anything-i-was/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [If you don't like your therapist, find another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/if-you-don-t-like-your-therapist-find-another/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [It always is easier to have someone listen to you if you disarm them with the laughter first. It seems like a 'duh' kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/it-always-is-easier-to-have-someone-listen-to-you-if-you-disarm-them/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I've done everything I possibly can to make my phone think I'm 22. I haven't used capital letters in years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-ve-done-everything-i-possibly-can-to-make-my-phone-think-i-m-22-i/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I'm never one to claim a celebrity as a friend unless I know their mama's name or something like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-m-never-one-to-claim-a-celebrity-as-a-friend-unless-i-know-their/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [Having someone else write for you is cake!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/having-someone-else-write-for-you-is-cake/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I just like watching young women living for themselves and traveling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-just-like-watching-young-women-living-for-themselves-and-traveling/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I suppose I'll do my dramatic turn that comedians do at some point, I'll do my 'Patch Adams' or what not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-suppose-i-ll-do-my-dramatic-turn-that-comedians-do-at-some-point-i/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [Your objective is to make people laugh and then sneak your thoughts in underneath the jokes. If your thoughts are on top, that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/your-objective-is-to-make-people-laugh-and-then-sneak-your-thoughts/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I wait till everyone leaves a social media site before I go on. I wait till everyone says it's over and then I'm like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-wait-till-everyone-leaves-a-social-media-site-before-i-go-on-i-wait/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [I enjoy Chris Rock. Bill Burr. Wanda Sykes. I enjoy the legends. But no one is like Richard Pryor. Before I knew what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-enjoy-chris-rock-bill-burr-wanda-sykes-i-enjoy-the-legends-but-no/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [That's hard to write something that makes you laugh out loud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/that-s-hard-to-write-something-that-makes-you-laugh-out-loud/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [You never know where people come from or what they've been through, and you meet them in the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/you-never-know-where-people-come-from-or-what-they-ve-been-through/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [One thing I always say about my mom is we were so poor, but she always made sure that we got whatever we were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/one-thing-i-always-say-about-my-mom-is-we-were-so-poor-but-she-always/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) [Explore all 99 Janelle James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) ## More Comedy quotes > ['Mad TV' is one of my most favorite shows of all time and is a huge part of my obsession with sketch comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-dawson/mad-tv-is-one-of-my-most-favorite-shows-of-all-time-and-is-a-huge/) [Shane Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-dawson/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I wouldn't want people to laugh at me. That's why I have to give all that I can, and at least produce something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhao-wei/i-wouldn-t-want-people-to-laugh-at-me-that-s-why-i-have-to-give-all/) [Zhao Wei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhao-wei/) > [“Our world will not die as a result of the bomb, as the papers say, it will die of laughter, of banality, of making a joke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/our-world-will-not-die-as-a-result-of-the-bomb-as-the-papers-say-it/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [I've been funny my whole life. This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [There's a difference between delivering real funny and just silly funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-rel-howery/there-s-a-difference-between-delivering-real-funny-and-just-silly/) [Lil Rel Howery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-rel-howery/) > [Oh to that corkscrew, the useful tool to unlock the treasure of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-guzaldo/oh-to-that-corkscrew-the-useful-tool-to-unlock-the-treasure-of-wit/) [Andrew Guzaldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-guzaldo/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [I do love to laugh!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-giudice/i-do-love-to-laugh/) [Teresa Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-giudice/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) [Browse all 19,795 Comedy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you grow up poor and you work hard, your relaxation comes from laughter. 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