--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ordinary when extraordinary things began…" description: "\"“ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen. The first of these came as a terrible shock and, like anything that changes you forever, split my ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fce/ransom-riggs-1816_ordinary-extraordina_ordinary-when-extraordinary-things-began_264688.png" --- # ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen. The… ![“ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen. The first of these came as a terrible shock and, like anything that changes you forever, split my life into halves: Before and After. Like many of the extraordinary things to come, it involved my grandfather, Abraham Portman.” quote by Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fce/ransom-riggs-1816_ordinary-extraordina_ordinary-when-extraordinary-things-began_264688.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fce/ransom-riggs-1816_ordinary-extraordina_ordinary-when-extraordinary-things-began_264688.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fce/ransom-riggs-1816_ordinary-extraordina_ordinary-when-extraordinary-things-began_264688.png) > ““ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen. The first of these came as a terrible shock and, like anything that changes you forever, split my life into halves: Before and After. Like many of the extraordinary things to come, it involved my grandfather, Abraham Portman.”” [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extraordinary events can abruptly split life into before and after, reshaping identity and perspective. **In simple terms:** Extraordinary events change life dramatically. Key Takeaway Embrace change as growth opportunity. Themes change identity transformation Mood reflective hopeful Type narrative philosophical When to use this quote - career shifts - personal loss - creative breakthroughs - spiritual awakenings Key Concepts life milestones personal crisis family legacy self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What before event reshaped your life? - How did you navigate the transition? A Different Perspective Not every shock leads to positive change; some can be destabilizing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I had just come to accept that my life would be ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-had-just-come-to-accept-that-my-life-would-be-ordinary-when/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [And as always seems to happen when I have reached the point where I am ready to take decisive action, everything began to happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-lindsay/and-as-always-seems-to-happen-when-i-have-reached-the-point-where-i/) [Jeff Lindsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-lindsay/) > [Art is the demonstration that the ordinary is extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amedee-ozenfant/art-is-the-demonstration-that-the-ordinary-is-extraordinary/) Amedee Ozenfant > [Who wants to be ordinary? Be extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-jax/who-wants-to-be-ordinary-be-extraordinary/) [Nia Jax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-jax/) > [I wouldn't say Musashi is ordinary. But he is. That's what's extraordinary about him. He is not content to rely on whatever natural gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiji-yoshikawa/i-wouldn-t-say-musashi-is-ordinary-but-he-is-that-s-what-s/) [Eiji Yoshikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiji-yoshikawa/) > [For me, the difference between an ‘ordinary’ and an ‘extraordinary’ person is not the title that person might have, but what they do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/for-me-the-difference-between-an-ordinary-and-an-extraordinary-person/) [Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/) > [Drop the idea of being Extraordinary! It's keeping you mediocre. To be Ordinary is the most extraordinary thing in the world. The Ordinary person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/drop-the-idea-of-being-extraordinary-it-s-keeping-you-mediocre-to-be/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love really creative thinking that can make the ordinary extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clarke/i-love-really-creative-thinking-that-can-make-the-ordinary/) [George Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clarke/) > [The good life (for your kids) is where you make the ordinary extraordinary, where you make the natural miraculous. It's where you make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/the-good-life-for-your-kids-is-where-you-make-the-ordinary/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [“Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-mason/why-be-ordinary-when-you-can-be-extraordinary/) [Debbie Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-mason/) > [The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-johnson/the-difference-between-ordinary-and-extraordinary-is-that-little-extra/) [Jimmy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-johnson/) > [“In the middle of all the ordinary--something extraordinary shows up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karianne-wood/in-the-middle-of-all-the-ordinary-something-extraordinary-shows-up/) KariAnne Wood > [When we use this word fun, it sort of bangs up the ordinary and the extraordinary altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/when-we-use-this-word-fun-it-sort-of-bangs-up-the-ordinary-and-the/) [Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/) > [“A little creativity can make something ordinary, extraordinary, and something extraordinary that much more so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/a-little-creativity-can-make-something-ordinary-extraordinary-and/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [“The Ordinary is Extraordinary ..." my motto for life as a writer/Mom/woman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-barr/the-ordinary-is-extraordinary-my-motto-for-life-as-a-writer-mom-woman/) Lisa Barr ## More by Ransom Riggs > [“Maybe I could use a little metal on the inside, I thought. If I'd kept my heart better armored, where would I be now?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/maybe-i-could-use-a-little-metal-on-the-inside-i-thought-if-i-d-kept/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“To have endured horrors, to have seen the worst of humanity and have your life made unrecognizable by it, to come out of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/to-have-endured-horrors-to-have-seen-the-worst-of-humanity-and-have/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“When it comes to big things in life, there are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/when-it-comes-to-big-things-in-life-there-are-no-accidents-everything/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“Hugh and Fiona stood off to one side, their hands linked and foreheads touching, saying goodbye in their own quiet way. Finally, we'd all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/hugh-and-fiona-stood-off-to-one-side-their-hands-linked-and-foreheads/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [I grew up feeling like a weirdo like many kids do. But I was lucky to find my own home for peculiar children. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-grew-up-feeling-like-a-weirdo-like-many-kids-do-but-i-was-lucky-to/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“Then I was face to face with it. Tongues fanned from its gaping, bladed mouth. Its eyes were black and weeping more black and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/then-i-was-face-to-face-with-it-tongues-fanned-from-its-gaping-bladed/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“It's not about destiny but i do think there's balance in the world and forces we don't understand intervene to tip the scales the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/it-s-not-about-destiny-but-i-do-think-there-s-balance-in-the-world/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“Oh, thank heavens! Someone remembered the bath mat," Enoch deadpanned. "We are saved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/oh-thank-heavens-someone-remembered-the-bath-mat-enoch-deadpanned-we/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“You tread a precariously thin line between being charmingly headstrong and insufferably pigheaded.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/you-tread-a-precariously-thin-line-between-being-charmingly/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“I did love her, of course, but mostly because loving your mom is mandatory, not because she was someone I think I'd like very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-did-love-her-of-course-but-mostly-because-loving-your-mom-is/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“ ‘You don’t strike me as a quitter.’ ‘Then you don’t know me very well,’ I replied.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/you-don-t-strike-me-as-a-quitter-then-you-don-t-know-me-very-well-i/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“I came to enjoy communicating by hand. There was something sweet about holding a tangible thing that had been touched and marked upon by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-came-to-enjoy-communicating-by-hand-there-was-something-sweet-about/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“Bombs are falling and we're reading stories, I thought. I have entered the realm of the insane. -Jacob”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/bombs-are-falling-and-we-re-reading-stories-i-thought-i-have-entered/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“Yo no sabía como llamar a aquello que sucedía entre nosotros, pero me gustaba. Me proporcionaba una sensación estúpida, frágil y agradable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/yo-no-sab-a-como-llamar-a-aquello-que-suced-a-entre-nosotros-pero-me/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) > [“I think they worried that my grandfather would infect me with some incurable dreaminess from which I’d never recover – that these fantasies were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ransom-riggs/i-think-they-worried-that-my-grandfather-would-infect-me-with-some/) [Ransom Riggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) [Explore all 201 Ransom Riggs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ransom-riggs/) ## More Ordinary extraordinary quotes > [“The Ordinary is Extraordinary ..." my motto for life as a writer/Mom/woman”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-barr/the-ordinary-is-extraordinary-my-motto-for-life-as-a-writer-mom-woman/) Lisa Barr > [“A little creativity can make something ordinary, extraordinary, and something extraordinary that much more so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-stabile/a-little-creativity-can-make-something-ordinary-extraordinary-and/) [Scott Stabile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-stabile/) > [When we use this word fun, it sort of bangs up the ordinary and the extraordinary altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bogost/when-we-use-this-word-fun-it-sort-of-bangs-up-the-ordinary-and-the/) [Ian Bogost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bogost/) > [“In the middle of all the ordinary--something extraordinary shows up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karianne-wood/in-the-middle-of-all-the-ordinary-something-extraordinary-shows-up/) KariAnne Wood > [The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-johnson/the-difference-between-ordinary-and-extraordinary-is-that-little-extra/) [Jimmy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-johnson/) > [“Why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-mason/why-be-ordinary-when-you-can-be-extraordinary/) [Debbie Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-mason/) > [The good life (for your kids) is where you make the ordinary extraordinary, where you make the natural miraculous. It's where you make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shmuley-boteach/the-good-life-for-your-kids-is-where-you-make-the-ordinary/) [Shmuley Boteach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shmuley-boteach/) > [I love really creative thinking that can make the ordinary extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clarke/i-love-really-creative-thinking-that-can-make-the-ordinary/) [George Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clarke/) > [Drop the idea of being Extraordinary! It's keeping you mediocre. To be Ordinary is the most extraordinary thing in the world. The Ordinary person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/drop-the-idea-of-being-extraordinary-it-s-keeping-you-mediocre-to-be/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [For me, the difference between an ‘ordinary’ and an ‘extraordinary’ person is not the title that person might have, but what they do to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jody-williams/for-me-the-difference-between-an-ordinary-and-an-extraordinary-person/) [Jody Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jody-williams/) > [I wouldn't say Musashi is ordinary. But he is. That's what's extraordinary about him. He is not content to rely on whatever natural gifts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiji-yoshikawa/i-wouldn-t-say-musashi-is-ordinary-but-he-is-that-s-what-s/) [Eiji Yoshikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiji-yoshikawa/) > [Who wants to be ordinary? Be extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-jax/who-wants-to-be-ordinary-be-extraordinary/) [Nia Jax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-jax/) > [Art is the demonstration that the ordinary is extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amedee-ozenfant/art-is-the-demonstration-that-the-ordinary-is-extraordinary/) Amedee Ozenfant > [Courage is the moment when an ordinary being becomes an extraordinary being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jacques/courage-is-the-moment-when-an-ordinary-being-becomes-an-extraordinary/) [Brian Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jacques/) > [Do not try to be special. If you are simply ordinary, more ordinary than others, you will become extraordinary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/do-not-try-to-be-special-if-you-are-simply-ordinary-more-ordinary/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) Browse all 58 Ordinary extraordinary quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“ordinary when extraordinary things began to happen. The first of these came as a terrible shock and, like anything that changes you forever, split my life into halves: Before and After. 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