--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the…" description: "\"“When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he had already done, he was telling us about the wondrous things he was going to do. Like buil..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/jeannette-walls-1378_amazing-things_when-dad-wasn-t-telling-us-about-all-the_3098054.png" --- # When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he… ![“When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he had already done, he was telling us about the wondrous things he was going to do. Like build the Glass Castle. All of Dad’s engineering skills and mathematical genius were coming together in one special project: a great big house he was…” quote by Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/jeannette-walls-1378_amazing-things_when-dad-wasn-t-telling-us-about-all-the_3098054.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/jeannette-walls-1378_amazing-things_when-dad-wasn-t-telling-us-about-all-the_3098054.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/207/jeannette-walls-1378_amazing-things_when-dad-wasn-t-telling-us-about-all-the_3098054.png) > ““When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he had already done, he was telling us about the wondrous things he was going to do. Like build the Glass Castle. All of Dad’s engineering skills and mathematical genius were coming together in one special project: a great big house he was going to build for us in the desert. It would have a glass ceiling and thick glass walls and even a glass staircase. The Glass Castle would have solar cells on the top that would catch the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity for heating and cooling and running all the appliances. It would even have its own water-purification system. Dad had worked out the architecture and the floor plans and most of the mathematical calculations. He carried around the blueprints for the Glass Castle wherever we went, and sometimes he’d pull them out and let us work on the design for our rooms. All we had to do was find gold, Dad said, and we were on the verge of that. Once he finished the Prospector and we struck it rich, he’d start work on our Glass Castle.”” [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A father’s grand visions inspire hope, but reliance on future success can distract from present realities. **In simple terms:** Dreams can motivate, yet may mask practical needs. Key Takeaway Balance vision with present action. Themes hope family dreams pragmatism Mood optimistic reflective Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - family discussions - project planning - financial budgeting - goal setting Key Concepts visionary planning parental influence risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How do you distinguish inspiring goals from avoidance? - What steps can turn vision into tangible progress? A Different Perspective Dreams may become excuses for inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amazing things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing-things/) [Art work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-work/) [Big House](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-house/) [Build Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/build-glass-5270632/) [Coming together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-together/) [Dad Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad-engineering-5356838/) [Dad Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad-said/) [Dad Worked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad-worked/) [Glass Castle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glass-castle/) [Glass ceiling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glass-ceiling/) ## Related quotes > [Don't build a glass house if you're worried about saving money on heating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/don-t-build-a-glass-house-if-you-re-worried-about-saving-money-on/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [I never thought 'The Glass Castle' would be a movie. It's just too complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-never-thought-the-glass-castle-would-be-a-movie-it-s-just-too/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“It was different than when the king had sent her off to Bellhaven or to some lord’s estate. Here, now, in Rifthold, it felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/it-was-different-than-when-the-king-had-sent-her-off-to-bellhaven-or/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“Sad state to spend your life in. Being afraid of your own self." Rex Walls, The Glass Castle”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-walls/sad-state-to-spend-your-life-in-being-afraid-of-your-own-self-rex-2/) [Jeanette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-walls/) > [“Go where you will, but if I were you, I’d head north, and stick to the forest. Stay out of the mountains. Keep going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/go-where-you-will-but-if-i-were-you-i-d-head-north-and-stick-to-the/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“The room became cinders. Kaltain pushed the chains off her as though they were cobwebs and arose. She disrobed as she walked out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/the-room-became-cinders-kaltain-pushed-the-chains-off-her-as-though/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > ['The Glass Castle' by Jeannette Walls is the quintessential dysfunctional family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-shepard/the-glass-castle-by-jeannette-walls-is-the-quintessential/) [Sara Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-shepard/) > [Even when I'm sitting up in this glass castle, I still got my street soldiers telling me what's happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/even-when-i-m-sitting-up-in-this-glass-castle-i-still-got-my-street/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“I have read that long ago there was a land of glass castles that sank beneath the sea. It was not called Atlantis, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-putnam/i-have-read-that-long-ago-there-was-a-land-of-glass-castles-that-sank/) [Claudia Putnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-putnam/) > [“Oath-breaker. Liar. Traitor. Chaol was all of those things now, but not to Dorian. Never to his true king. “Take out the clock tower…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/oath-breaker-liar-traitor-chaol-was-all-of-those-things-now-but-not/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“The ship began moving. And Chaol—the man she hated and loved so much that she could hardly think around him—just stood there, watching her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/the-ship-began-moving-and-chaol-the-man-she-hated-and-loved-so-much/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [My mum and dad had worked incredibly hard to afford me an education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/my-mum-and-dad-had-worked-incredibly-hard-to-afford-me-an-education/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Even though my mom was talented and had a college degree, she lived in the era when the conventional wisdom in Dallas was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecile-richards/even-though-my-mom-was-talented-and-had-a-college-degree-she-lived-in/) [Cecile Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecile-richards/) > [My dad worked for Kodak and was made redundant when I was about 14. Despite this, my parents did everything they could to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fletcher/my-dad-worked-for-kodak-and-was-made-redundant-when-i-was-about-14/) [Tom Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fletcher/) > [My dad worked all sorts of jobs when I was growing up and finally ended up as a surveyor; my mum delivers meals to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-dockery/my-dad-worked-all-sorts-of-jobs-when-i-was-growing-up-and-finally/) [Michelle Dockery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-dockery/) ## More by Jeannette Walls > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“You should never hate anyone, not even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You had to find the redeeming quality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-not-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [With a complicated childhood, you can either focus on the positive or the negative, and I chose to focus on the positive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/with-a-complicated-childhood-you-can-either-focus-on-the-positive-or/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [She never felt sorry for herself, and that was something I decided I admired most in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/she-never-felt-sorry-for-herself-and-that-was-something-i-decided-i/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“If you want to live in the farmland, haul your sorry hide off to Pennsylvania.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/if-you-want-to-live-in-the-farmland-haul-your-sorry-hide-off-to/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“I WAS SITTING IN a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-sitting-in-a-taxi-wondering-if-i-had-overdressed-for-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I had the big shoulders; I had the big hair. I loved the '80s. It was all about power women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-had-the-big-shoulders-i-had-the-big-hair-i-loved-the-80s-it-was-all/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Things usually work out in the end." "What if they don't?" "That just means you haven't come to the end yet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/things-usually-work-out-in-the-end-what-if-they-don-t-that-just-means/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“That was the way man was meant to live, he’d say, in harmony with the wild, like the Indians, not this lords-of-the-earth crap, trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/that-was-the-way-man-was-meant-to-live-he-d-say-in-harmony-with-the/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [Sometimes you need a little crisis to get your adrenaline flowing and help you realize your potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sometimes-you-need-a-little-crisis-to-get-your-adrenaline-flowing-and/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Don’t be afraid of your dark places,” Mom told her. “If you can shine a light on them, you’ll find treasure there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/don-t-be-afraid-of-your-dark-places-mom-told-her-if-you-can-shine-a/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I hate Erma," I told Mom... "You have to show compassion for her..." She added that you should never hate anyone, even your worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-hate-erma-i-told-mom-you-have-to-show-compassion-for-her-she-added/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“Sad state to spend your life in. Being afraid of your own self." Rex Walls”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/sad-state-to-spend-your-life-in-being-afraid-of-your-own-self-rex/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [I was so worried that people wouldn't like me or my story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/i-was-so-worried-that-people-wouldn-t-like-me-or-my-story/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [“the surest way to feel rich was to invest in quality nonessentials.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/the-surest-way-to-feel-rich-was-to-invest-in-quality-nonessentials/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) [Explore all 247 Jeannette Walls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) ## More Amazing things quotes > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [We became Homo sapiens not that long ago, from the scientific perspective, and we've retained a lot of our beast nature. We've done all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangechi-mutu/we-became-homo-sapiens-not-that-long-ago-from-the-scientific/) [Wangechi Mutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangechi-mutu/) > [The amazing thing is that we live our lives with the hope that things will go right, that things will happen. And all along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-nakadate/the-amazing-thing-is-that-we-live-our-lives-with-the-hope-that-things/) [Laurel Nakadate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-nakadate/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [So crazy to think that we have only known each other 2 years. its been so amazing and we have got to do so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/one-direction/so-crazy-to-think-that-we-have-only-known-each-other-2-years-its-been/) [One Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/one-direction/) > [When you're true to who you are, amazing things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/when-you-re-true-to-who-you-are-amazing-things-happen/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [I always see people tweeting about these crazy amazing things their boyfriend or girlfriend did for them. You shouldn't have to constantly be trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-prokop/i-always-see-people-tweeting-about-these-crazy-amazing-things-their/) [Matt Prokop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-prokop/) > [We can sit and worry about what's going to happen to us two weeks from now. I'd rather focus on the amazing things happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/we-can-sit-and-worry-about-what-s-going-to-happen-to-us-two-weeks/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [I think Li Na and some other Chinese ladies have done so many amazing things for Asian tennis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kei-nishikori/i-think-li-na-and-some-other-chinese-ladies-have-done-so-many-amazing/) [Kei Nishikori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kei-nishikori/) > [I've had to make time to really explore all the amazing things that are out and try to understand the history of how fashion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-jackson/i-ve-had-to-make-time-to-really-explore-all-the-amazing-things-that/) [Christopher Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-jackson/) > [We thought we completely understood bubbles when we were kids. But we didn't. Bubbles are these amazing things. It's just that people aren't paying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-noddy/we-thought-we-completely-understood-bubbles-when-we-were-kids-but-we/) [Tom Noddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-noddy/) > [Captaining your country, going out at Wembley, captaining Arsenal to 10 trophies, playing your first game - they're all amazing things. But, phew, saving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-adams/captaining-your-country-going-out-at-wembley-captaining-arsenal-to-10/) [Tony Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-adams/) > [There are always groups on campus that are doing amazing things. I know when I was in college, I was a student at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/there-are-always-groups-on-campus-that-are-doing-amazing-things-i/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) [Browse all 498 Amazing things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amazing-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“When Dad wasn’t telling us about all the amazing things he had already done, he was telling us about the wondrous things he was going to do. Like build the Glass Castle. All of Dad’s engineering skills and mathematical genius were coming together in one special project: a great big house he was going to build for us in the desert. It would have a glass ceiling and thick glass walls and even a glass staircase. The Glass Castle would have solar cells on the top that would catch the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity for heating and cooling and running all the appliances. It would even have its own water-purification system. Dad had worked out the architecture and the floor plans and most of the mathematical calculations. He carried around the blueprints for the Glass Castle wherever we went, and sometimes he’d pull them out and let us work on the design for our rooms. All we had to do was find gold, Dad said, and we were on the verge of that. 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