--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My experiences growing up - my father…" description: "\"My experiences growing up - my father lived in New York, so I was going out there in the summers and meeting really interesting people and people havin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/mahershala-ali-6687_advantage_my-experiences-growing-up-my-father-live_128595.jpg" --- # My experiences growing up - my father lived in New York… ![“My experiences growing up - my father lived in New York, so I was going out there in the summers and meeting really interesting people and people having what seemed to me to be extraordinary experiences and really taking advantage of these wonderful opportunities. And so I will go - I would go to…” quote by Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/mahershala-ali-6687_advantage_my-experiences-growing-up-my-father-live_128595.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/mahershala-ali-6687_advantage_my-experiences-growing-up-my-father-live_128595.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c1/mahershala-ali-6687_advantage_my-experiences-growing-up-my-father-live_128595.jpg) > “My experiences growing up - my father lived in New York, so I was going out there in the summers and meeting really interesting people and people having what seemed to me to be extraordinary experiences and really taking advantage of these wonderful opportunities. And so I will go - I would go to the big city and watch these people performing onstage and doing television and films. And then I would go back to Hayward, and it just suddenly felt that much smaller and sort of limiting because I had this hyper awareness of how much larger the world was.” [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Growing up in a small town while experiencing the vibrant culture of a big city creates a stark contrast that expands one's perspective and fuels ambition. **In simple terms:** Big city experiences broaden horizons. Key Takeaway Seek diverse experiences to grow. Themes growth perspective ambition culture city vs town Mood inspired reflective Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - travel - networking - personal development Key Concepts Sociology psychology urban studies Questions to Reflect On - How can you integrate big‑city insights into small‑town life? - What habits keep you grounded amid expanding horizons? A Different Perspective Such contrast can also cause feelings of inadequacy when returning home. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Big cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-cities/) [Big city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-city/) [Cities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities/) [Experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiences/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Interesting people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interesting-people/) [Meetings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meetings/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Summer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/summer/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I talk to our kids now that they are grown up, and I ask them about the experiences that had growing up that really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/i-talk-to-our-kids-now-that-they-are-grown-up-and-i-ask-them-about/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I feel like a late bloomer when it comes to certain life experiences...or is it that everyone else is growing up too fast...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-feel-like-a-late-bloomer-when-it-comes-to-certain-life-experiences/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all have to go through our own experiences of growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-cusack/we-all-have-to-go-through-our-own-experiences-of-growing-up/) [Carmen Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-cusack/) > [That's the main thing, looking for interesting characters, good directors, and experiences where you're growing and learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-hoult/that-s-the-main-thing-looking-for-interesting-characters-good/) [Nicholas Hoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-hoult/) > [I never heard my mom say, "Not now, I'm busy." 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They were kids, at the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/my-parents-were-in-high-school-when-i-was-born-my-mom-was-16-my-dad/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [Because on that watch list, they would be like, yeah, your name - they told me like, yeah, your name matches the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/because-on-that-watch-list-they-would-be-like-yeah-your-name-they/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [I started traveling by myself as early as 5 to see my dad. I'd go to Toronto or Los Angeles, depending on what show…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-started-traveling-by-myself-as-early-as-5-to-see-my-dad-i-d-go-to/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [One thing that the audience, and perhaps critics, aren't aware of is that, especially in a film like 'Moonlight,' you always shoot a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/one-thing-that-the-audience-and-perhaps-critics-aren-t-aware-of-is/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [I think in some ways, I would go back home, and I didn't really quite fit in and couldn't - didn't have a person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-think-in-some-ways-i-would-go-back-home-and-i-didn-t-really-quite/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [I remember clearly, when I was about 4, my Aunt Linda said, 'I'm not babysitting him no more. He's bad.' 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