--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My headboard has bars, like a jail cell…" description: "\"“My headboard has bars, like a jail cell. Sometimes I’ll be asleep and think I’m in prison, and I’ll hear my alarm clock go off and feel like I’m out o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg" --- # My headboard has bars, like a jail cell. Sometimes I’ll be… ![“My headboard has bars, like a jail cell. Sometimes I’ll be asleep and think I’m in prison, and I’ll hear my alarm clock go off and feel like I’m out on parole. Only then does it hit me: life in the slumbering gulag wasn’t so bad after all, and I’ll take the mushy dream gruel over a grueling day…” quote by Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg) > ““My headboard has bars, like a jail cell. Sometimes I’ll be asleep and think I’m in prison, and I’ll hear my alarm clock go off and feel like I’m out on parole. Only then does it hit me: life in the slumbering gulag wasn’t so bad after all, and I’ll take the mushy dream gruel over a grueling day any day.”” [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## 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 likens daily life to a prison, finding comfort in the dream world over harsh reality, highlighting escapism and resilience. **In simple terms:** Dreams feel safer than a tough day, like being on parole. Key Takeaway Find healthy ways to cope with daily pressures. Themes mental health escapism resilience perception comfort Mood introspective hopeful cautious Type motivational psychological reflective When to use this quote - personal reflection - stress management - creative writing - mental health awareness Key Concepts psychology stress relief mindfulness self‑care Questions to Reflect On - What small changes can make waking life feel less oppressive? - How does dreaming help process stress? A Different Perspective Escapism can hinder confronting real issues and personal growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alarm clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alarm-clock/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Like Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-jail-477178/) [Like Parole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-parole-4200093/) [Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prison/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Slumbering Gulag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slumbering-gulag-4200092/) [Think Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-prison-1149718/) ## Related quotes > [“I want a camera shaped like a jail, so I can capture a ghost on film.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-want-a-camera-shaped-like-a-jail-so-i-can-capture-a-ghost-on-film/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I'd like to think that if I were in prison for a crime I didn't commit, someone would be trying to get me the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lutz/i-d-like-to-think-that-if-i-were-in-prison-for-a-crime-i-didn-t/) [Lisa Lutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lutz/) > [“You and me,” she says, “we're two sides of the same coin. Gender's a box you turn inside out, tear up, and sew a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-breedlove/you-and-me-she-says-we-re-two-sides-of-the-same-coin-gender-s-a-box/) [Lynn Breedlove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-breedlove/) > [Most of us think prison is a place where bad people go - which is what I thought for a long time - until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ava-duvernay/most-of-us-think-prison-is-a-place-where-bad-people-go-which-is-what/) [Ava DuVernay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ava-duvernay/) > [People always think about what prison is. What prison really is - it's not a physical challenge, it's mental.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/people-always-think-about-what-prison-is-what-prison-really-is-it-s/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [I don't care if you want to hunt, I don't care if you think it's your right. I say, sorry, you are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/i-don-t-care-if-you-want-to-hunt-i-don-t-care-if-you-think-it-s-your/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) > [We think of our prison inmates as the dregs of society, and we scorn them and push them off to the side and forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-c-moore/we-think-of-our-prison-inmates-as-the-dregs-of-society-and-we-scorn/) [Adrienne C. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-c-moore/) > [Because it would be too agonizing to cope with the possibility that anyone, including our selves, could become a prisoner, we tend to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-davis/because-it-would-be-too-agonizing-to-cope-with-the-possibility-that/) [Angela Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-davis/) > [“The only time I can throw 80 yards is when my football-shaped alarm clock goes off in the morning.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-only-time-i-can-throw-80-yards-is-when-my-football-shaped-alarm/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“It’s just a dream, I told myself. I hate when I dream of alarm clocks going off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-s-just-a-dream-i-told-myself-i-hate-when-i-dream-of-alarm-clocks/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I could be the man of your dreams. I could also be the alarm clock, stealing you away from the man of your dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-could-be-the-man-of-your-dreams-i-could-also-be-the-alarm-clock/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I had to be at work at 8 am this morning, so I set my alarm clock for 7:49. Naturally, my body woke my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-had-to-be-at-work-at-8-am-this-morning-so-i-set-my-alarm-clock-for/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I feel like I’m late for love. I’ll be 30 in March. Damn it! I knew I should have set my alarm clock.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-feel-like-i-m-late-for-love-i-ll-be-30-in-march-damn-it-i-knew-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Facebook is like jail. You sit around, waste time, have a profile pictures, write on walls, and get poked by guys you dont really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-is-like-jail-you-sit-around-waste-time-have-a-profile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Facebook is just like a jail. you sit around,waste some time,creep a little bit,have a profile picture,write on people's walls and get poked by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-loveable/facebook-is-just-like-a-jail-you-sit-around-waste-some-time-creep-a/) [Arjun Loveable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-loveable/) ## More by Jarod Kintz > [“I notice when you’re gone. Or do I? How can I observe something that isn’t there?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-notice-when-you-re-gone-or-do-i-how-can-i-observe-something-that/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I wouldn’t love you if you were the last Sodomite in Gomorrah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wouldn-t-love-you-if-you-were-the-last-sodomite-in-gomorrah/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“A blanket could be used to make sweet, sweet music with the love of your life. Hopefully that person is me, because I’ve been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-blanket-could-be-used-to-make-sweet-sweet-music-with-the-love-of/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“A brick could be used to slow down time. Sort of like a camel in a wheelchair pushed by a thirsty Arab. Hey, Khalid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-to-slow-down-time-sort-of-like-a-camel-in-a/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“We have a love so pure that it makes snow seem yellow. (Don’t eat it!)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/we-have-a-love-so-pure-that-it-makes-snow-seem-yellow-don-t-eat-it/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I hid Mrs. Frozenwater’s body in the ice cube trays in my freezer. Better to keep her there than let her memory thaw out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-hid-mrs-frozenwater-s-body-in-the-ice-cube-trays-in-my-freezer/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Two similar words might lead to two similar ideas. They might also lead to the basement, which I recently converted into a dungeon/torture chamber.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/two-similar-words-might-lead-to-two-similar-ideas-they-might-also/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Nothing is and isn’t; nothing is and isn’t—nothing itself is, and at the same time, nothing isn’t.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/nothing-is-and-isn-t-nothing-is-and-isn-t-nothing-itself-is-and-at/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Embossed letters represent the topography of typography.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/embossed-letters-represent-the-topography-of-typography/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“There’s only one piece of clothing I could eat fast, and that’s a scarf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/there-s-only-one-piece-of-clothing-i-could-eat-fast-and-that-s-a-scarf/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Dora J. Arod is to Jarod Ora, as yes is to yes. Yes is also the correct answer to “Will you marry me?” Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/dora-j-arod-is-to-jarod-ora-as-yes-is-to-yes-yes-is-also-the-correct/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“The best part about being kidnapped is being blindfolded and getting kicked into the trunk of a car. Boy, normally I have to beg…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-best-part-about-being-kidnapped-is-being-blindfolded-and-getting/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Orafoura once told me that if I were a car, I’d be a Ferrari. One that was scratched smashed, rusted, and stolen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/orafoura-once-told-me-that-if-i-were-a-car-i-d-be-a-ferrari-one-that/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“What makes a good leader? I ask myself this every day, and then as I begin to list off characteristics I realize I’m describing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/what-makes-a-good-leader-i-ask-myself-this-every-day-and-then-as-i/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“I’d like to file a missing person’s report—on my clone. It’s nearly 2012. He should have been here by now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-d-like-to-file-a-missing-person-s-report-on-my-clone-it-s-nearly/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) [Explore all 6,921 Jarod Kintz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) ## More Alarm clock quotes > [“answer. Donald’s dysfunctional belief was related to Janine’s, but he’d held on to it for much longer—a life of responsible and successful work should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-burnett/answer-donald-s-dysfunctional-belief-was-related-to-janine-s-but-he-d/) [Bill Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-burnett/) > [My phone is an alarm clock, a flashlight, a music player and a digital camera.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-phone-is-an-alarm-clock-a-flashlight-a-music-player-and-a-digital/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Something, which the police called a bomb, had exploded in his shed. Investigations were begun, and the efforts of the authorities were soon to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-von-salomon/something-which-the-police-called-a-bomb-had-exploded-in-his-shed/) [Ernst von Salomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-von-salomon/) > [Here in the UK the audience immediately reacts and they get the fact that: "What would be the most annoying thing in the world?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/here-in-the-uk-the-audience-immediately-reacts-and-they-get-the-fact/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [We've already seen digital picture frames pre-loaded with viruses; I'm not eager to have my refrigerator hacked or my alarm clock turned against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/we-ve-already-seen-digital-picture-frames-pre-loaded-with-viruses-i-m/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [The beloved may be treacherous, greasy-headed and given to evil habits, or else it can be a man in his late forties who works…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/the-beloved-may-be-treacherous-greasy-headed-and-given-to-evil-habits/) [Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/) > [“I have a dream. And in this dream I’m under the covers in bed, just a few scant inches away from Carter’s body. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-sivec/i-have-a-dream-and-in-this-dream-i-m-under-the-covers-in-bed-just-a/) [Tara Sivec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-sivec/) > [“Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn’t on the floor. Men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/men-know-what-they-want-men-make-concrete-plans-men-own-alarm-clocks/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Sleeping is my drug, my bed is the dealer, and my alarm clock is the police..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-sakundiak/sleeping-is-my-drug-my-bed-is-the-dealer-and-my-alarm-clock-is-the/) [Mitchell Sakundiak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-sakundiak/) > [“Tip #2: No more alarm clocks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-helen-conroy/tip-2-no-more-alarm-clocks/) [Mary Helen Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-helen-conroy/) > [“(On differences between men and boys) Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/on-differences-between-men-and-boys-men-know-what-they-want-men-make/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [As a performer, I wanted to be the loudest, most persistent alarm clock I could be, because there didn’t seem like any other way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/as-a-performer-i-wanted-to-be-the-loudest-most-persistent-alarm-clock/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [Stress is an alarm clock that lets you know you're attached to something not true for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-katie/stress-is-an-alarm-clock-that-lets-you-know-you-re-attached-to/) [Byron Katie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-katie/) > [“You know the horrible life of the alarm clock – it’s a monster that has always appalled me because of the number of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-vache/you-know-the-horrible-life-of-the-alarm-clock-it-s-a-monster-that-has/) [Jacques Vache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-vache/) > [I could barely function as an adult; I slept through alarm clocks and lost train tickets mid-journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/i-could-barely-function-as-an-adult-i-slept-through-alarm-clocks-and/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) [Browse all 255 Alarm clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alarm-clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My headboard has bars, like a jail cell. Sometimes I’ll be asleep and think I’m in prison, and I’ll hear my alarm clock go off and feel like I’m out on parole. Only then does it hit me: life in the slumbering gulag wasn’t so bad after all, and I’ll take the mushy dream gruel over a grueling day any day.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jarod Kintz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-sometimes-i-ll-be-asleep-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alarm clock" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-sometimes-i-ll-be-asleep-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e28/jarod-kintz-2_alarm-clock_my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-s_1290118.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My headboard has bars, like a jail cell. Sometimes I’ll be asleep and think I’m in prison, and I’ll hear my…” — Jarod Kintz", "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": "Jarod Kintz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“My headboard has bars, like a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-sometimes-i-ll-be-asleep-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-headboard-has-bars-like-a-jail-cell-sometimes-i-ll-be-asleep-and/#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 } } ] } ```