--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Are we running away from home?” I asked…" description: "\"“Are we running away from home?” I asked, giving voice to the question that had been on my mind for two days, ever since the lady at the Wok On restaur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/michele-jaffe-17027_home_are-we-running-away-from-home-i-asked-gi_180196.png" --- # Are we running away from home?” I asked, giving voice to… ![“Are we running away from home?” I asked, giving voice to the question that had been on my mind for two days, ever since the lady at the Wok On restaurant asked where we were from and my mother lied. My mother had laughed. I couldn’t see her face, but her laugh I could always conjure—rich, ringing…” quote by Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/michele-jaffe-17027_home_are-we-running-away-from-home-i-asked-gi_180196.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/michele-jaffe-17027_home_are-we-running-away-from-home-i-asked-gi_180196.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/222/michele-jaffe-17027_home_are-we-running-away-from-home-i-asked-gi_180196.png) > ““Are we running away from home?” I asked, giving voice to the question that had been on my mind for two days, ever since the lady at the Wok On restaurant asked where we were from and my mother lied. My mother had laughed. I couldn’t see her face, but her laugh I could always conjure—rich, ringing, like bells calling you to a wedding. “No, silly goose. You can’t run away from home. It’s not home if you want to run away from it.” She paused to brush a strand of hair from my face. “You can only run away from a house. Home is something you run toward.”” [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker reflects on the paradox of fleeing physical places versus seeking a deeper sense of belonging, suggesting true home is an aspirational destination, not a location to escape. **In simple terms:** Home is a goal, not a place to run from. Key Takeaway Seek purpose, not just escape. Themes identity belonging home escape purpose Mood contemplative nostalgic Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - family discussions - personal crises - migration decisions - career changes Key Concepts psychology philosophy family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What does “home” mean to you? - How can you move toward a sense of belonging? A Different Perspective Home may be elusive if one defines it solely by geography. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Running away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running-away/) ## Related quotes > [So what if I'm ninety-three? So what if I'm ancient and cranky and my body's a wreck? 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A. Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-a-carson/) > [I can let you in, Eva. I’m trying. But your first response when I screw up is to run away. You do it every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/i-can-let-you-in-eva-i-m-trying-but-your-first-response-when-i-screw/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [For me, what Macbeth is about is people who cannot face their fears and pain and instead of facing them and going beyond, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-cotillard/for-me-what-macbeth-is-about-is-people-who-cannot-face-their-fears/) [Marion Cotillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-cotillard/) > [A rational army would run away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-de-montesquieu/a-rational-army-would-run-away/) [Baron de Montesquieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-de-montesquieu/) > [I think that as people and as humans, our social pattern is to always run away from problems... as humans in general.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cristian-machado/i-think-that-as-people-and-as-humans-our-social-pattern-is-to-always/) [Cristian Machado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cristian-machado/) > [“It is so wrong to run away from your purpose – you may be running away with a solution that may solve the world’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-s-mashego/it-is-so-wrong-to-run-away-from-your-purpose-you-may-be-running-away/) [D.S. Mashego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-s-mashego/) > [A hero is someone who simply got too frightened to use his good sense and run away, then somehow lived through it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-e-feist/a-hero-is-someone-who-simply-got-too-frightened-to-use-his-good-sense/) [Raymond E. Feist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-e-feist/) > [You’ve learned a new rule and it’s simple: don’t put yourself in situations you’d like to run away from. But when you run, run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/you-ve-learned-a-new-rule-and-it-s-simple-don-t-put-yourself-in/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Happiness comes from moving toward something. When you run away, ofttimes you bring your misery with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-sullivan/happiness-comes-from-moving-toward-something-when-you-run-away/) [Michael J. Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-sullivan/) > [“Well, I remember someone saying this to me, "...run away from him before you decide to die for him." One of the biggest sins…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saya-kji/well-i-remember-someone-saying-this-to-me-run-away-from-him-before/) Saya KJI ## More by Michele Jaffe > [“Little Life Lesson 40: If you are lucky enough to vist the Fantasyland Diner, try to stay as long as possible because their desserts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/little-life-lesson-40-if-you-are-lucky-enough-to-vist-the-fantasyland/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“There's no such thing as lost; there's just adjusting your perspective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/there-s-no-such-thing-as-lost-there-s-just-adjusting-your-perspective/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“That kiss you gave me was the hottest kiss i've ever had. I pulled away because i was afraid i wouldn't be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/that-kiss-you-gave-me-was-the-hottest-kiss-i-ve-ever-had-i-pulled/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [It's so nice to have sane friends. I imagine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/it-s-so-nice-to-have-sane-friends-i-imagine/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [I was thinking that maybe when everything around you changed all the time, it was nice to know that something would always be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/i-was-thinking-that-maybe-when-everything-around-you-changed-all-the/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [Because after the haze of not being kissed cleared I was forced to face the facts that: 1. Jack was a very bad guy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/because-after-the-haze-of-not-being-kissed-cleared-i-was-forced-to/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [that was the plan? part of it, you don't wan tot know the rest. i believe the word 'these dog colllars would make excellent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/that-was-the-plan-part-of-it-you-don-t-wan-tot-know-the-rest-i/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“Which left me with the cheery knowledge that my father would wan tto spend time with me even if i were a cold, stiff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/which-left-me-with-the-cheery-knowledge-that-my-father-would-wan-tto/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [little life lesson 23: before making a snide comment about someone else's outfit, check to see if you're wearing knee boots with fringe. if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/little-life-lesson-23-before-making-a-snide-comment-about-someone/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [favor de dejar un especimim em este copa para el doctor what? she told you to pee in a cup, i think that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/favor-de-dejar-un-especimim-em-este-copa-para-el-doctor-what-she-told/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“Oh well, it’s over for you. Call the code at 2:03 p.m.” My eyes widened in shock. “That’s what they say when someone dies.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/oh-well-it-s-over-for-you-call-the-code-at-2-03-p-m-my-eyes-widened/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [talking to yourself again, jas? yes, it beats talking to you. oh, time machine back to first grade much? only to visit your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/talking-to-yourself-again-jas-yes-it-beats-talking-to-you-oh-time/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [Popularity can be a real headache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/popularity-can-be-a-real-headache/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [I didn't mean to interupt you if you were looking for your friends Miss--' 'Callihan,' but you can call my Jasmine. Or Jas.' Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/i-didn-t-mean-to-interupt-you-if-you-were-looking-for-your-friends/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“ask yourself, what would babbi do? waht WWBD? You know, the famous line in the movie Bambi if you can't say anything nice, don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/ask-yourself-what-would-babbi-do-waht-wwbd-you-know-the-famous-line/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) [Explore all 38 Michele Jaffe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) ## More Home quotes > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [“It is not the force of the wind, but the depth of the roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/it-is-not-the-force-of-the-wind-but-the-depth-of-the-roots/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [If your life's at a juncture and you need to think about things, there's nowhere better than home. However old you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-kinsella/if-your-life-s-at-a-juncture-and-you-need-to-think-about-things-there/) [Sophie Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-kinsella/) > [Most days, I go home and I feel rejuvenated. I feel ebullient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/most-days-i-go-home-and-i-feel-rejuvenated-i-feel-ebullient/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/) [James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. 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