--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My name is Herbert Badgery. I am a…" description: "\"“My name is Herbert Badgery. I am a hundred and thirty-nine years old and something of a celebrity. They come and look at me and wonder how I do it. Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/peter-carey-4293_hard-to-believe_my-name-is-herbert-badgery-i-am-a-hundre_1975432.png" --- # My name is Herbert Badgery. I am a hundred and thirty-nine… ![“My name is Herbert Badgery. I am a hundred and thirty-nine years old and something of a celebrity. They come and look at me and wonder how I do it. There are weeks when I wonder the same, whole stretches of terrible time. It is hard to believe you can feel so bad and still not die.” quote by Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/peter-carey-4293_hard-to-believe_my-name-is-herbert-badgery-i-am-a-hundre_1975432.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/peter-carey-4293_hard-to-believe_my-name-is-herbert-badgery-i-am-a-hundre_1975432.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/826/peter-carey-4293_hard-to-believe_my-name-is-herbert-badgery-i-am-a-hundre_1975432.png) > ““My name is Herbert Badgery. I am a hundred and thirty-nine years old and something of a celebrity. They come and look at me and wonder how I do it. There are weeks when I wonder the same, whole stretches of terrible time. It is hard to believe you can feel so bad and still not die.”” [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A centenarian reflects on fame and the paradox of feeling terrible yet surviving. **In simple terms:** Old age fame fame, and suffering coexist. Key Takeaway Recognize resilience despite hardship. Themes age fame loneliness health resilience Mood melancholic reflective Type literary personal When to use this quote - daily life - health crises - public scrutiny - personal reflection Key Concepts existentialism psychology celebrity Questions to Reflect On - How do you find meaning when fame feels burdensome? - What sustains you during prolonged hardship? A Different Perspective Longevity does not guarantee happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Somebody told me a story where they met a celebrity when they were six years old, and the celebrity was really mean. They still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madelaine-petsch/somebody-told-me-a-story-where-they-met-a-celebrity-when-they-were/) [Madelaine Petsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madelaine-petsch/) > [“It's hard to believe that this is how it's done. That this is how we get here into the world, by accident or design,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/it-s-hard-to-believe-that-this-is-how-it-s-done-that-this-is-how-we/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [“He dusted off the shoulder tab and stared at it, so light in his hand, so inconsequential. It was hard to believe that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mills/he-dusted-off-the-shoulder-tab-and-stared-at-it-so-light-in-his-hand/) [Mark Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mills/) > [Today is my grandfather's birthday." "How old is he?" "Sixty-three. It's hard to believe he was once a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/today-is-my-grandfather-s-birthday-how-old-is-he-sixty-three-it-s/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [In the nineteeth century, knitting was prescribed to women as a cure for nervousness and hysteria. Many new knitters find this sort of hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/in-the-nineteeth-century-knitting-was-prescribed-to-women-as-a-cure/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [“I remember reading about these primitive initiation rituals in school. They had one where they take the kid way out into the wilderness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tharp/i-remember-reading-about-these-primitive-initiation-rituals-in-school/) [Tim Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tharp/) > [It's hard to believe sometimes that I am the world record holder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armand-duplantis/it-s-hard-to-believe-sometimes-that-i-am-the-world-record-holder/) [Armand Duplantis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armand-duplantis/) > [ “\[S\]he hardly deserved to be labeled a witch.' 'I find it hard to believe anyone could take such a thing seriously. This isn't the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-brockway/s-he-hardly-deserved-to-be-labeled-a-witch-i-find-it-hard-to-believe/) [Connie Brockway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-brockway/) > [“It’s hard to feel supported when you can’t tell people everything. People haven’t really got a clue what it’s like. It’s hard to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/it-s-hard-to-feel-supported-when-you-can-t-tell-people-everything/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [I love you,its simple saying,but hard to believe for someone who say it..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madz/i-love-you-its-simple-saying-but-hard-to-believe-for-someone-who-say/) Madz > [People are still crazy about Python after twenty-five years, which I find hard to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/people-are-still-crazy-about-python-after-twenty-five-years-which-i/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [I hope you don’t mind my joining you,” said Leanne. I minded. After all, she’d tried to kill me. A girl in a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-hope-you-don-t-mind-my-joining-you-said-leanne-i-minded-after-all/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [I still feel like a kid sometimes myself so hard to believe that I'm a mom. Now I'm an adult! It only took 38 years!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-ortiz/i-still-feel-like-a-kid-sometimes-myself-so-hard-to-believe-that-i-m/) [Ana Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-ortiz/) > [“I find it hard to believe that I shall die. Because I'm bubbling in cold freshness. My life will be very long because each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-find-it-hard-to-believe-that-i-shall-die-because-i-m-bubbling-in/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) ## More by Peter Carey > [“I have traveled widely. I have seen this country in its infancy. I tell you what it will become. The public squares will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/i-have-traveled-widely-i-have-seen-this-country-in-its-infancy-i-tell/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [At the very end of a book I can manage to work for longer stretches, but mostly, making stuff up for three hours, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/at-the-very-end-of-a-book-i-can-manage-to-work-for-longer-stretches/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [Being famous as a writer is like being famous in a village. It's not really any very heady fame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/being-famous-as-a-writer-is-like-being-famous-in-a-village-it-s-not/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [It's not like I've got 100 ideas. I finish a book, and I've got none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/it-s-not-like-i-ve-got-100-ideas-i-finish-a-book-and-i-ve-got-none/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [“Remember, this is the country of the duck-billed platypus. When you are cut off from the rest of the world, things are bound to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/remember-this-is-the-country-of-the-duck-billed-platypus-when-you-are/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [Australia is my lens. I cannot see the world any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/australia-is-my-lens-i-cannot-see-the-world-any-other-way/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [If you ever read one of my books I hope you'll think it looks so easy. In fact, I wrote those chapters 20 times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/if-you-ever-read-one-of-my-books-i-hope-you-ll-think-it-looks-so-easy/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [I had known loneliness before, and emptiness upon the moor, but I had never been a NOTHING, a nothing floating on a nothing, known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/i-had-known-loneliness-before-and-emptiness-upon-the-moor-but-i-had/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [I did not know that history is like a blood stain that keeps on showing on the wall no matter how many new owners…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/i-did-not-know-that-history-is-like-a-blood-stain-that-keeps-on/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [I think that thing about the destruction of the world is there all the time, it's there every day when we look out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/i-think-that-thing-about-the-destruction-of-the-world-is-there-all/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [“Your American, you wouldn't know if you were up yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/your-american-you-wouldn-t-know-if-you-were-up-yourself/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [“He were still smiling but his voice were hard as a spoon rattling in a metal cup.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/he-were-still-smiling-but-his-voice-were-hard-as-a-spoon-rattling-in/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [“Would you rather have the lords and nobles back? What is Democracy for? Not so we can rob each other. Or cheat.' I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/would-you-rather-have-the-lords-and-nobles-back-what-is-democracy-for/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [“7. Some Theories that Arose at the Time 1. The world is merely a dream dreamt by god who is waking after a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/7-some-theories-that-arose-at-the-time-1-the-world-is-merely-a-dream/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) > [I'm always the one with the activist friends. I've been an activist very little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-carey/i-m-always-the-one-with-the-activist-friends-i-ve-been-an-activist/) [Peter Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) [Explore all 113 Peter Carey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-carey/) ## More Hard to believe quotes > [“I find it hard to believe that I shall die. Because I'm bubbling in cold freshness. My life will be very long because each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarice-lispector/i-find-it-hard-to-believe-that-i-shall-die-because-i-m-bubbling-in/) [Clarice Lispector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarice-lispector/) > [I still feel like a kid sometimes myself so hard to believe that I'm a mom. Now I'm an adult! It only took 38 years!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-ortiz/i-still-feel-like-a-kid-sometimes-myself-so-hard-to-believe-that-i-m/) [Ana Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-ortiz/) > [I hope you don’t mind my joining you,” said Leanne. I minded. After all, she’d tried to kill me. A girl in a novel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/i-hope-you-don-t-mind-my-joining-you-said-leanne-i-minded-after-all/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [People are still crazy about Python after twenty-five years, which I find hard to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/people-are-still-crazy-about-python-after-twenty-five-years-which-i/) [Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/) > [I love you,its simple saying,but hard to believe for someone who say it..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madz/i-love-you-its-simple-saying-but-hard-to-believe-for-someone-who-say/) Madz > [“It’s hard to feel supported when you can’t tell people everything. People haven’t really got a clue what it’s like. It’s hard to trust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/it-s-hard-to-feel-supported-when-you-can-t-tell-people-everything/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [ “\[S\]he hardly deserved to be labeled a witch.' 'I find it hard to believe anyone could take such a thing seriously. This isn't the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-brockway/s-he-hardly-deserved-to-be-labeled-a-witch-i-find-it-hard-to-believe/) [Connie Brockway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-brockway/) > [It's hard to believe sometimes that I am the world record holder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armand-duplantis/it-s-hard-to-believe-sometimes-that-i-am-the-world-record-holder/) [Armand Duplantis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armand-duplantis/) > [“I remember reading about these primitive initiation rituals in school. They had one where they take the kid way out into the wilderness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-tharp/i-remember-reading-about-these-primitive-initiation-rituals-in-school/) [Tim Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-tharp/) > [In the nineteeth century, knitting was prescribed to women as a cure for nervousness and hysteria. Many new knitters find this sort of hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/in-the-nineteeth-century-knitting-was-prescribed-to-women-as-a-cure/) [Stephanie Pearl-McPhee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-pearl-mcphee/) > [Today is my grandfather's birthday." "How old is he?" "Sixty-three. It's hard to believe he was once a human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/today-is-my-grandfather-s-birthday-how-old-is-he-sixty-three-it-s/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [“He dusted off the shoulder tab and stared at it, so light in his hand, so inconsequential. It was hard to believe that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mills/he-dusted-off-the-shoulder-tab-and-stared-at-it-so-light-in-his-hand/) [Mark Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mills/) > [“It's hard to believe that this is how it's done. That this is how we get here into the world, by accident or design,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-chaon/it-s-hard-to-believe-that-this-is-how-it-s-done-that-this-is-how-we/) [Dan Chaon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-chaon/) > [If you stumble over mere believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/if-you-stumble-over-mere-believability-what-are-you-living-for-love/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) Browse all 487 Hard to believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My name is Herbert Badgery. 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