--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wasn't even sure why I was getting this…" description: "\"“I wasn't even sure why I was getting this medal, really. No, that's not true. I knew why. It's like people you see sometimes, and you can't imagine wh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/r-j-palacio-2789_death_i-wasn-t-even-sure-why-i-was-getting-thi_510168.png" --- # I wasn't even sure why I was getting this medal, really… ![“I wasn't even sure why I was getting this medal, really. No, that's not true. I knew why. It's like people you see sometimes, and you can't imagine what it would be like to be that person, whether it's somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who can't talk. Only, I know that I'm that person to other…” quote by R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/r-j-palacio-2789_death_i-wasn-t-even-sure-why-i-was-getting-thi_510168.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/r-j-palacio-2789_death_i-wasn-t-even-sure-why-i-was-getting-thi_510168.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64b/r-j-palacio-2789_death_i-wasn-t-even-sure-why-i-was-getting-thi_510168.png) > ““I wasn't even sure why I was getting this medal, really. No, that's not true. I knew why. It's like people you see sometimes, and you can't imagine what it would be like to be that person, whether it's somebody in a wheelchair or somebody who can't talk. Only, I know that I'm that person to other people, maybe to every single person in that whole auditorium. To me, though, I'm just me. An ordinary kid. But hey, if they want to give me a medal for being me, that's okay. I'll take it. I didn't destroy a Death Star or anything like that, but I did just get through the fifth grade. And that's not easy, even if you're not me.”” [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) ## 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 feels ordinary yet recognized, highlighting how personal achievements can be celebrated despite modest self‑view. **In simple terms:** Ordinary kid gets a medal for finishing fifth grade. Key Takeaway Accept recognition while staying humble. Themes humility recognition self‑esteem Mood proud reflective Type inspirational personal When to use this quote - school graduation - award ceremonies - public acknowledgment - personal milestones Key Concepts identity achievement perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance pride and humility? - What does recognition mean to you? A Different Perspective May overlook deeper struggles behind simple achievements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Death star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death-star/) [Fifth grade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fifth-grade/) [Getting Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-medal-2423799/) [Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal/) [Medal Okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal-okay-4325261/) [Medal Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medal-really-1044407/) [Olympics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/olympics/) [Single person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-person/) [Want Medal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-medal-393226/) ## Related quotes > [The medal just was an object, just a medal, and that's it. What really meant something was the blood, the sweat, the tears that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cejudo/the-medal-just-was-an-object-just-a-medal-and-that-s-it-what-really/) [Henry Cejudo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cejudo/) > [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [The biggest ambition in my career is still to win the European Cup. I want to have a picture of that to look at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-torres/the-biggest-ambition-in-my-career-is-still-to-win-the-european-cup-i/) [Fernando Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-torres/) > [As badly as I want a medal, I know there is a lot of luck involved in that. I want to put myself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kara-goucher/as-badly-as-i-want-a-medal-i-know-there-is-a-lot-of-luck-involved-in/) [Kara Goucher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kara-goucher/) > [Getting a medal is not a small feat, irrespective of what color it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jwala-gutta/getting-a-medal-is-not-a-small-feat-irrespective-of-what-color-it-is/) [Jwala Gutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jwala-gutta/) > [I won a silver medal. But really, I ended up running the fastest race of my life to become part of something that transcended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-norman/i-won-a-silver-medal-but-really-i-ended-up-running-the-fastest-race/) [Peter Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-norman/) > [And what is a gold medal? I'd never really thought about it before Nagano. Now I realize that it's a dream to strive for.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/and-what-is-a-gold-medal-i-d-never-really-thought-about-it-before/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [In 2016 I was fresh and raw and it was grit and determination which got me to the gold medal. Nobody really knew me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kadeena-cox/in-2016-i-was-fresh-and-raw-and-it-was-grit-and-determination-which/) [Kadeena Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kadeena-cox/) > [It's incredible. Nine? Wow. I just remember winning my first one, getting the medal and the plate, the pin with the diamond for first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-kwan/it-s-incredible-nine-wow-i-just-remember-winning-my-first-one-getting/) [Michelle Kwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-kwan/) > [We came from a poor, poor family and for them to see me winning a trophy in front of 90,000 people and getting a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emiliano-martinez/we-came-from-a-poor-poor-family-and-for-them-to-see-me-winning-a/) [Emiliano Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emiliano-martinez/) > [“It wasn’t a death stare--not for a few seconds at least.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-g-blaise/it-wasn-t-a-death-stare-not-for-a-few-seconds-at-least/) [S.G. Blaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-g-blaise/) > [All my life, I've been the rebel in the X-wing fighter, and then one morning, I woke up, and I was on board the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-kotick/all-my-life-i-ve-been-the-rebel-in-the-x-wing-fighter-and-then-one/) [Bobby Kotick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-kotick/) > [“Martha would come over every week and check on Mia and work with her on relaxation and breathing exercises to prepare for the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renee-carlino/martha-would-come-over-every-week-and-check-on-mia-and-work-with-her/) [Renee Carlino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renee-carlino/) > [“It is a period of civil war. The spaceships of the rebels, striking swift From base unseen, have gain’d a vict’ry o’er The cruel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-doescher/it-is-a-period-of-civil-war-the-spaceships-of-the-rebels-striking/) [Ian Doescher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-doescher/) > [“There’s no one around to answer all my questions now that Ben’s gone. It’s a stark fact that continually reasserts itself each time I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jackson-miller/there-s-no-one-around-to-answer-all-my-questions-now-that-ben-s-gone/) [John Jackson Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jackson-miller/) ## More by R.J. Palacio > [“I think there should be a rule that everyone should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives because they overcometh the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/i-think-there-should-be-a-rule-that-everyone-should-get-a-standing/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“And being at school was awful in the beginning. Every new class I had was like a new chance for kids to “not stare”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/and-being-at-school-was-awful-in-the-beginning-every-new-class-i-had/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“That’s when I saw Daisy sitting near my bed. I mean, I knew it wasn’t Daisy, but for a second I saw a shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/that-s-when-i-saw-daisy-sitting-near-my-bed-i-mean-i-knew-it-wasn-t/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Funny how sometimes you worry a lot about something and it turns out to be nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/funny-how-sometimes-you-worry-a-lot-about-something-and-it-turns-out/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“The first look I got of August, well, it made me want to cover my eyes and run away screaming.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/the-first-look-i-got-of-august-well-it-made-me-want-to-cover-my-eyes/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“We’re kind of like Beauty and the Beast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/we-re-kind-of-like-beauty-and-the-beast/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“No, it’s okay,” I said. “Let’s just go”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/no-it-s-okay-i-said-let-s-just-go/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Or, what does a poor man have, a rich man need, and you would die if you ate it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/or-what-does-a-poor-man-have-a-rich-man-need-and-you-would-die-if-you/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Sometimes when I have the feeling like I’m almost crying, it can turn into an almost-laughing feeling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/sometimes-when-i-have-the-feeling-like-i-m-almost-crying-it-can-turn/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“My name is August, by the way. I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/my-name-is-august-by-the-way-i-won-t-describe-what-i-look-like/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Actually, I prefer not to even try to imagine it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/actually-i-prefer-not-to-even-try-to-imagine-it/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Her smile hugged me”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/her-smile-hugged-me/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Here I was looking for symbolism and metaphors and um . . . sometimes a duck is just a duck!"--Mr. Tushman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/here-i-was-looking-for-symbolism-and-metaphors-and-um-sometimes-a/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“Shall we make a new rule of life... always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/shall-we-make-a-new-rule-of-life-always-to-try-to-be-a-little-kinder/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) > [“August is the Sun. Me and Mom and Dad are planets orbiting the Sun. The rest of our family and friends are asteroids and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-palacio/august-is-the-sun-me-and-mom-and-dad-are-planets-orbiting-the-sun-the/) [R.J. Palacio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) [Explore all 135 R.J. Palacio quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-palacio/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-powers/) > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I wasn't even sure why I was getting this medal, really. No, that's not true. I knew why. 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