--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I loved driving with Marlboro Man. I saw…" description: "\"“I loved driving with Marlboro Man. I saw things I’d never seen before, things I’d never even considered in my two and a half decades of city life. For..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png" --- # I loved driving with Marlboro Man. I saw things I’d never… ![“I loved driving with Marlboro Man. I saw things I’d never seen before, things I’d never even considered in my two and a half decades of city life. For the first time ever, I began to grasp the concept of north, south, east, and west, though I imagine it would take another twenty-five years before…” quote by Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png) > ““I loved driving with Marlboro Man. I saw things I’d never seen before, things I’d never even considered in my two and a half decades of city life. For the first time ever, I began to grasp the concept of north, south, east, and west, though I imagine it would take another twenty-five years before I got them straight. I saw fence lines and gates made of welded iron pipe, and miles upon miles of barbed wire. I saw creeks--rocky, woodsy creeks that made the silly water hazard in my backyard seem like a little mud puddle. And I saw wide open land as far as the eye could see. I’d never known such beauty. Marlboro Man loved showing me everything, pointing at pastures and signs and draws and lakes and giving me the story behind everything we saw. The land, both on his family’s ranch and on the ranches surrounding it, made sense to him: he saw it not as one wide open, never-ending space, but as neatly organized parcels, each with its own purpose and history. “Betty Smith used to own this part of our ranch with her husband,” he’d say. “They never had kids and were best friends with my grandparents.” Then he’d tell some legend of Betty Smith’s husband’s grandfather, remembering such vivid details, you’d think he’d been there himself. I absorbed it all, every word of it. The land around him pulsated with the heartbeats of all who’d lived there before…and as if it were his duty to pay honor to each and every one of them, he told me their names, their stories, their relationship, their histories. I loved that he knew all those things.”” [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator discovers a vast, organized landscape through the stories of a rancher, gaining appreciation for history, geography, and community ties. **In simple terms:** Learning about land and its stories opened the narrator’s eyes. Key Takeaway Seek stories that connect you to place and history. Themes nature storytelling heritage exploration community Mood reflective inspired Type educational nostalgic When to use this quote - traveling in rural areas - listening to locals - documenting regional histories Key Concepts place‑based learning oral history cultural geography Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have when sharing others’ histories? - How can we honor both myth and factual accuracy? 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I could hear nothing but cows and crickets when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-arrived-back-home-just-before-midnight-and-marlboro-man-met-me-at/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I breathed in a deep dose of night air, trying to calm my schoolgirl nervousness. “I, umm…” I began. “I decided to stick around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-breathed-in-a-deep-dose-of-night-air-trying-to-calm-my-schoolgirl/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I want you both to show me how much you know about each other,” he began. “I want you both to make me a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-want-you-both-to-show-me-how-much-you-know-about-each-other-he/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Minutes later, we were back at the sliding glass door that led inside the house--me, leaning against the glass, Marlboro Man anchoring me there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/minutes-later-we-were-back-at-the-sliding-glass-door-that-led-inside/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Marlboro Man picked me up the next evening, exactly one month before our wedding day. Our evening apart had made the heart grow fonder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-picked-me-up-the-next-evening-exactly-one-month-before/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“You did not do my homework assignment for me,” he said, grabbing the collage again and looking it over. “I had insomnia,” I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/you-did-not-do-my-homework-assignment-for-me-he-said-grabbing-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“When we arrived at the wedding at Marlboro Man’s grandparents’ house, I gasped. People were absolutely everywhere: scurrying and mingling and sipping champagne and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/when-we-arrived-at-the-wedding-at-marlboro-man-s-grandparents-house-i/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I walked proudly out of the church, the new wife of Marlboro Man. When we exited the same doors through which my dad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-walked-proudly-out-of-the-church-the-new-wife-of-marlboro-man-when/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“But then the cowboy standing in front of you smiles gently and says, “You sure?” Those two simple words opened up the Floodgates of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/but-then-the-cowboy-standing-in-front-of-you-smiles-gently-and-says/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) ## More by Ree Drummond > [“What else haven’t you told me?” I thought for a minute. “Actually, yes…there is,” I replied, pausing to consider my words carefully, “I eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/what-else-haven-t-you-told-me-i-thought-for-a-minute-actually-yes/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [Butter, cream, and bacon. That's such a great foundation right there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/butter-cream-and-bacon-that-s-such-a-great-foundation-right-there/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“More and more, I began helping around the homestead. I learned to operate my John Deere mower so I could keep the yard around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/more-and-more-i-began-helping-around-the-homestead-i-learned-to/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I walked proudly out of the church, the new wife of Marlboro Man. When we exited the same doors through which my dad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-walked-proudly-out-of-the-church-the-new-wife-of-marlboro-man-when/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“When we arrived at the wedding at Marlboro Man’s grandparents’ house, I gasped. 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Could I ever be with a man who’d never, in his entire life, eaten sushi? Could I, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/at-times-the-differences-concerned-me-could-i-ever-be-with-a-man-who/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“You did not do my homework assignment for me,” he said, grabbing the collage again and looking it over. “I had insomnia,” I said.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/you-did-not-do-my-homework-assignment-for-me-he-said-grabbing-the/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I couldn’t bear the thought of a ham sandwich. Imagining milk trickling down my esophagus almost sent me over the edge. Even the saltines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-couldn-t-bear-the-thought-of-a-ham-sandwich-imagining-milk/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Marlboro Man picked me up the next evening, exactly one month before our wedding day. Our evening apart had made the heart grow fonder,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/marlboro-man-picked-me-up-the-next-evening-exactly-one-month-before/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I’ll send the nurse in here in a minute, okay?” Waste of time , I thought. “Okay, but…do you think there’s anything we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-ll-send-the-nurse-in-here-in-a-minute-okay-waste-of-time-i-thought/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“How come I wasn’t riding around in his middle seat? Was I supposed to initiate this? Was this expected of me? Because I probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/how-come-i-wasn-t-riding-around-in-his-middle-seat-was-i-supposed-to/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, and hey…if I don’t answer the door right away it probably means I’m doing some weight training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-ll-see-you-in-the-morning-oh-and-hey-if-i-don-t-answer-the-door/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) > [“Minutes later, we were back at the sliding glass door that led inside the house--me, leaning against the glass, Marlboro Man anchoring me there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/minutes-later-we-were-back-at-the-sliding-glass-door-that-led-inside/) [Ree Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) [Explore all 361 Ree Drummond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ree-drummond/) ## More Barbed wire quotes > [“Now, okay, important knitting life lesson right here: don’t go acrylic. Just don’t. 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And I saw wide open land as far as the eye could see. I’d never known such beauty. Marlboro Man loved showing me everything, pointing at pastures and signs and draws and lakes and giving me the story behind everything we saw. The land, both on his family’s ranch and on the ranches surrounding it, made sense to him: he saw it not as one wide open, never-ending space, but as neatly organized parcels, each with its own purpose and history. “Betty Smith used to own this part of our ranch with her husband,” he’d say. “They never had kids and were best friends with my grandparents.” Then he’d tell some legend of Betty Smith’s husband’s grandfather, remembering such vivid details, you’d think he’d been there himself. I absorbed it all, every word of it. The land around him pulsated with the heartbeats of all who’d lived there before…and as if it were his duty to pay honor to each and every one of them, he told me their names, their stories, their relationship, their histories. I loved that he knew all those things.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ree Drummond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw-things-i-d-never-seen-before/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Barbed wire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ree-drummond/i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw-things-i-d-never-seen-before/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/428/ree-drummond-818_barbed-wire_i-loved-driving-with-marlboro-man-i-saw_1643724.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I loved driving with Marlboro Man. 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