--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was in the kitchen drinking coffee when…" description: "\"I was in the kitchen drinking coffee when I heard Coretta cry, \"Martin, Martin, come quickly!\" I put down my cup and ran toward the living room. As I a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/martin-luther-king-jr-127_bus_i-was-in-the-kitchen-drinking-coffee-whe_2098824.png" --- # I was in the kitchen drinking coffee when I heard Coretta… ![“I was in the kitchen drinking coffee when I heard Coretta cry, "Martin, Martin, come quickly!" I put down my cup and ran toward the living room. As I approached the front window Coretta pointed joyfully to a slowly moving bus: "Darling, it's empty!” quote by Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/martin-luther-king-jr-127_bus_i-was-in-the-kitchen-drinking-coffee-whe_2098824.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/martin-luther-king-jr-127_bus_i-was-in-the-kitchen-drinking-coffee-whe_2098824.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f78/martin-luther-king-jr-127_bus_i-was-in-the-kitchen-drinking-coffee-whe_2098824.png) > “I was in the kitchen drinking coffee when I heard Coretta cry, "Martin, Martin, come quickly!" I put down my cup and ran toward the living room. As I approached the front window Coretta pointed joyfully to a slowly moving bus: "Darling, it's empty!” [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## 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 reacts swiftly to a child's urgent call, highlighting instinctive compassion and the urgency of rescue. **In simple terms:** Acts quickly when someone needs help. Key Takeaway Respond promptly to cries for aid. Themes compassion urgency family Mood urgent empathetic Type narrative motivational When to use this quote - emergency response - parenting - community aid - first aid training Key Concepts altruism instinctive response Questions to Reflect On - What would you do in a similar urgent situation? - How does instinct guide moral action? A Different Perspective None provided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coffee/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Drinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking/) [Drinking coffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drinking-coffee/) [Living room](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living-room/) ## Related quotes > [When's the last time you walked by a pub in Dublin and heard Irish music? When's the last time you ordered a coffee and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-flatley/when-s-the-last-time-you-walked-by-a-pub-in-dublin-and-heard-irish/) [Michael Flatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-flatley/) > [“From the kitchen was now issuing the smell of freshly brewed coffee and I heard Frida rumbling about. 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Some of the best design work I’ve ever done was drinking coffee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-burka/design-is-all-about-relationships-unfortunately-many-designers-don-t/) Daniel Burka ## More by Martin Luther King, Jr > [The strong man holds in a living blend strongly marked opposites.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-strong-man-holds-in-a-living-blend-strongly-marked-opposites/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Somewhere somebody must have some sense. Men must see that force begets force, hate begets hate, toughness begets toughness. 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