--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was born on the kitchen table. We were…" description: "\"I was born on the kitchen table. We were so poor my mother couldn't afford to have me; the lady next door gave birth to me.\" — Mel Brooks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/mel-brooks-2308_birth_i-was-born-on-the-kitchen-table-we-were_1365867.png" --- # I was born on the kitchen table. We were so poor my mother… ![“I was born on the kitchen table. We were so poor my mother couldn't afford to have me; the lady next door gave birth to me.” quote by Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/mel-brooks-2308_birth_i-was-born-on-the-kitchen-table-we-were_1365867.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/mel-brooks-2308_birth_i-was-born-on-the-kitchen-table-we-were_1365867.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/758/mel-brooks-2308_birth_i-was-born-on-the-kitchen-table-we-were_1365867.png) > “I was born on the kitchen table. We were so poor my mother couldn't afford to have me; the lady next door gave birth to me.” [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He was born in extreme poverty, highlighting resilience and community support. **In simple terms:** Even in hardship, life finds a way. Key Takeaway Seek help and stay resilient. Themes poverty community survival Mood empathetic optimistic Type narrative inspirational When to use this quote - social services - family support - education access Key Concepts sociology human spirit Questions to Reflect On - What resources could improve such situations? - How can society better support the vulnerable? A Different Perspective Stigma may hinder seeking assistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Birth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/birth/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Apparently I'm the most naked that anyone's been on TNT. My poor mother. I'm ready to run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-lee/apparently-i-m-the-most-naked-that-anyone-s-been-on-tnt-my-poor/) [Sheryl Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-lee/) > [My father died and left me, my poor mother done the best that she could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-johnson/my-father-died-and-left-me-my-poor-mother-done-the-best-that-she-could/) [Robert Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-johnson/) > [Other families who are poor do what they can to get out of it. My mother did not. She did not utilise her resources.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/other-families-who-are-poor-do-what-they-can-to-get-out-of-it-my/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [I came up poor. My mother only had a fourth-grade education. My dad didn't have any education at all. But they were very structured.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evander-holyfield/i-came-up-poor-my-mother-only-had-a-fourth-grade-education-my-dad/) [Evander Holyfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evander-holyfield/) > [“You ain’t old yet but when you get old, all the women in the village start to look down on you when they find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-jared-hosein/you-ain-t-old-yet-but-when-you-get-old-all-the-women-in-the-village/) K. Jared Hosein > [My poor mother. Every time I get a job she asks, "Am I gonna have to watch you kiss someone again in this one?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-bracey/my-poor-mother-every-time-i-get-a-job-she-asks-am-i-gonna-have-to/) [Luke Bracey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-bracey/) > [“My poor mother begged for a sheep but raised a wolf.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-k/my-poor-mother-begged-for-a-sheep-but-raised-a-wolf/) Michelle K > [We were so poor that my mother would often leave me in a foster home until she could raise enough money to rent rooms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-dell-orefice/we-were-so-poor-that-my-mother-would-often-leave-me-in-a-foster-home/) [Carmen Dell'Orefice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-dell-orefice/) > [A rich child often sits in a poor mother's lap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danish-proverb/a-rich-child-often-sits-in-a-poor-mother-s-lap/) Danish Proverb > [We were poor, my mother and I, living in a world of doom and gloom, pessimism and bitterness, where storms raged and wolves scratched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/said-sayrafiezadeh/we-were-poor-my-mother-and-i-living-in-a-world-of-doom-and-gloom/) [Said Sayrafiezadeh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/said-sayrafiezadeh/) > [I grew up poor. My mother raised a family of four on between $9,000 and $15,000 a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/i-grew-up-poor-my-mother-raised-a-family-of-four-on-between-9-000-and/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I had learned that there were substitutes for a mother who couldn't be a mother. You could find love with other people. You could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/i-had-learned-that-there-were-substitutes-for-a-mother-who-couldn-t/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Because my mother couldn't change my present, I decided to change my daughter's future”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manal-al-sharif/because-my-mother-couldn-t-change-my-present-i-decided-to-change-my/) [Manal al-Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manal-al-sharif/) > [I admire the women who can have babies and jump right back to work. As a nursing mother, I couldn’t sit there and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-long/i-admire-the-women-who-can-have-babies-and-jump-right-back-to-work-as/) [Nia Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-long/) > [“Whilst my mother couldn't give me access to the world, she at least made sure to let me know it existed. A kid cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/whilst-my-mother-couldn-t-give-me-access-to-the-world-she-at-least/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) ## More by Mel Brooks > [Woody Allen is a genius. His films are wonderful. He's poetic, but he's also a critic. He artfully steps back from a social setting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/woody-allen-is-a-genius-his-films-are-wonderful-he-s-poetic-but-he-s/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [ Comedy is lively, comedy is joy, and that's what keeps us \[people\] going, we've got to look forward to little, little happiness's. Little, little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/comedy-is-lively-comedy-is-joy-and-that-s-what-keeps-us-people-going/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [All right, I am often brash, rude and brutally direct. Someday I'm going to die and I don't have time to toe-dance around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/all-right-i-am-often-brash-rude-and-brutally-direct-someday-i-m-going/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I don't think in terms of results at all. I think: what next insanity can I shock the world with?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-don-t-think-in-terms-of-results-at-all-i-think-what-next-insanity/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [My mother is very short - four-eleven. She could walk under tables and never hit her head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/my-mother-is-very-short-four-eleven-she-could-walk-under-tables-and/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [The audience. They see the name Mel Brooks, they want something really funny. They don't want to be moved; they don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/the-audience-they-see-the-name-mel-brooks-they-want-something-really/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I realised that all one really had to do was just observe. Observe and slightly exaggerate, and you had comedy. Instead of creating a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-realised-that-all-one-really-had-to-do-was-just-observe-observe-and/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Life literally abounds in comedy if you just look around you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/life-literally-abounds-in-comedy-if-you-just-look-around-you/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Look, I really don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive, you got to flap your arms and legs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/look-i-really-don-t-want-to-wax-philosophic-but-i-will-say-that-if/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I knew it... I'm surrounded by assholes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-knew-it-i-m-surrounded-by-assholes/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [I was in the army, and to me it was like a newsreel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/i-was-in-the-army-and-to-me-it-was-like-a-newsreel/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [But I have bad taste with a deep fount of intellectuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/but-i-have-bad-taste-with-a-deep-fount-of-intellectuality/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > ['Mad About You' was very fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mel-brooks/mad-about-you-was-very-fun/) [Mel Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mel-brooks/) > [Immortality is a by-product of good work. Masterpieces are not for artists, they're for critics. 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From the time that an ovum is fertilized a new life begins that is neither that of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/declaration-on-procured-abortion-congregation-for-the-doctrine-of-the-faith-1974/conception-is-the-beginning-of-human-life-from-the-time-that-an-ovum/) Declaration on Procured Abortion Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 1974 > [In the entire history of the universe, let alone in your own history, there has never been another day just like today, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/in-the-entire-history-of-the-universe-let-alone-in-your-own-history/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [The greatest mystery in life is not life itself, but death. Death is the culmination of life, the ultimate blossoming of life. 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It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. 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