--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back in the old days, a man could just…" description: "\"Back in the old days, a man could just get sick and die. Now they have to wage a battle. So my Uncle Bert is waging a courageous battle, which I've see..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/norm-macdonald-1825_arms_back-in-the-old-days-a-man-could-just-ge_185792.jpg" --- # Back in the old days, a man could just get sick and die… ![“Back in the old days, a man could just get sick and die. Now they have to wage a battle. So my Uncle Bert is waging a courageous battle, which I've seen, because I go and visit him. And this is the battle: he's lying in the hospital bed, with a thing in his arm, watching Matlock on the TV.” quote by Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/norm-macdonald-1825_arms_back-in-the-old-days-a-man-could-just-ge_185792.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/norm-macdonald-1825_arms_back-in-the-old-days-a-man-could-just-ge_185792.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c50/norm-macdonald-1825_arms_back-in-the-old-days-a-man-could-just-ge_185792.jpg) > “Back in the old days, a man could just get sick and die. Now they have to wage a battle. So my Uncle Bert is waging a courageous battle, which I've seen, because I go and visit him. And this is the battle: he's lying in the hospital bed, with a thing in his arm, watching Matlock on the TV.” [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern illness often feels like a prolonged struggle, but simple comforts like companionship and familiar TV can provide solace. **In simple terms:** Illness is a battle; small comforts help. Key Takeaway Offer companionship and familiar comforts. Themes health compassion comfort Mood empathetic reflective Type humorous observational When to use this quote - hospital visits - long-term illness - family support Key Concepts resilience human connection Questions to Reflect On - What small comforts can you provide to someone ill? - How does familiar media affect patients? A Different Perspective Comfort alone may not cure the underlying disease. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Battle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/battle/) [Courageous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courageous/) [Hospitals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hospitals/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Old days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-days/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I had a wonderful contact, especially with Uncle Bert who was an angel and led the whole group over to my side of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dian-fossey/i-had-a-wonderful-contact-especially-with-uncle-bert-who-was-an-angel/) [Dian Fossey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dian-fossey/) > [“The men didn’t want to waste time beaching the ship. I heard a loud splash as Prince Jason himself slung the stone anchor overboard;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-m-friesner/the-men-didn-t-want-to-waste-time-beaching-the-ship-i-heard-a-loud/) [Esther M. Friesner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-m-friesner/) > [Al Capone's my uncle. The old days were a lot different. The Latin Casino was the big time. When I got there I figured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/al-capone-s-my-uncle-the-old-days-were-a-lot-different-the-latin/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Memory. All alone in the moonlight I can smile at the old days I was beautiful then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-nunn/memory-all-alone-in-the-moonlight-i-can-smile-at-the-old-days-i-was/) [Trevor Nunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-nunn/) > [Good old days when there were more relationships and less relationship statuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny/good-old-days-when-there-were-more-relationships-and-less/) [Lenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny/) > [Where there has been racial hatred, it must be ended. Where there has been tribal animosity, it will be finished. Let us not dwell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jomo-kenyatta/where-there-has-been-racial-hatred-it-must-be-ended-where-there-has/) [Jomo Kenyatta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jomo-kenyatta/) > [I feel like everybody's waiting for a job y'know, you can make a movie on your phone. 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And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rothstein/the-town-will-never-be-the-same-after-the-tangiers-the-big/) Sam Rothstein ## More by Norm MacDonald > [In estimating the adversities of life, we would seldom have much reason to complain of the evils we suffer, did we understand the dangers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/in-estimating-the-adversities-of-life-we-would-seldom-have-much/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [Chastity is oftener owing to diffidence and shame, than to fortitude of reason or virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/chastity-is-oftener-owing-to-diffidence-and-shame-than-to-fortitude/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [The first principle of solid wisdom is discretion, without it all the erudition of life is merely bagatelle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norm-macdonald/the-first-principle-of-solid-wisdom-is-discretion-without-it-all-the/) [Norm MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norm-macdonald/) > [I'd say Jon Stewart has remained funny the entire time. 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There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. 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"I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back in the old days, a man could just get sick and die. Now they have to wage a battle. So my Uncle Bert is waging a courageous battle, which I've seen, because I go and visit him. 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