--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you get real old, honey, you realize…" description: "\"When you get real old, honey, you realize there are certain things that just don't matter anymore. You lay it all on the table. There's a saying, 'Only..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg" --- # When you get real old, honey, you realize there are… ![“When you get real old, honey, you realize there are certain things that just don't matter anymore. You lay it all on the table. There's a saying, 'Only little children and old folks tell the truth.'” quote by Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg) > “When you get real old, honey, you realize there are certain things that just don't matter anymore. You lay it all on the table. There's a saying, 'Only little children and old folks tell the truth.'” [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. With age comes a clarity that strips away trivial concerns, revealing that honesty becomes a natural, unguarded expression in both youth and old age. **In simple terms:** Aging reveals what truly matters and encourages frankness. Key Takeaway Age brings perspective and honesty. Themes aging honesty perspective simplicity life priorities Mood reflective nostalgic wise Type aphorism personal anecdote When to use this quote - reflecting on life choices - conversing with elders - teaching younger generations Key Concepts mortality truthfulness generational wisdom Practical Applications - counseling - writing memoirs Questions to Reflect On - What do you consider essential now? - How does honesty shift with age? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Telling the truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telling-the-truth/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [When I was a kid, I loved Popeye, but the old ones, the real old ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-goodman/when-i-was-a-kid-i-loved-popeye-but-the-old-ones-the-real-old-ones/) [John Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-goodman/) > [That's how I started out singing, was that real old-timey country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-evans/that-s-how-i-started-out-singing-was-that-real-old-timey-country/) [Sara Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-evans/) > [Im about done with you. You are all drama and its getting real old..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-about-done-with-you-you-are-all-drama-and-its-getting-real-old/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have one of those real old American built cars. The kind that just PUNCHES through accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-rooney/i-have-one-of-those-real-old-american-built-cars-the-kind-that-just/) Kevin Rooney > [“It’s strange how some folks tell a tale. They go round and round cause the story is a little biddy thing that needs a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-weiss/it-s-strange-how-some-folks-tell-a-tale-they-go-round-and-round-cause/) [Leah Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-weiss/) > [By and large... the good's an illusion, little fables folks tell themselves so they can get through their days without screaming too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/by-and-large-the-good-s-an-illusion-little-fables-folks-tell/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [A man who can't read only knows what other folks tell him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/a-man-who-can-t-read-only-knows-what-other-folks-tell-him/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [Black folks tell their kids they have to be twice as good as a white person? Well, if I tell a child of mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/black-folks-tell-their-kids-they-have-to-be-twice-as-good-as-a-white/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [Many of our nation's reporters and folks will not tell you the truth, and will not treat the wonderful people of our country with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/many-of-our-nation-s-reporters-and-folks-will-not-tell-you-the-truth/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The world is always a new plaything to children, while to the old it seems falling to pieces from sheer dryness. Everything loses its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-douglas-wiggin/the-world-is-always-a-new-plaything-to-children-while-to-the-old-it/) [Kate Douglas Wiggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-douglas-wiggin/) > [“So the rest of the summer you could see the two little girls and Tom like wrens on a wire, on Mrs. Bentley’s front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/so-the-rest-of-the-summer-you-could-see-the-two-little-girls-and-tom/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [When my children are old enough to watch '2012' I will make them watch it and tell them I survived that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-my-children-are-old-enough-to-watch-2012-i-will-make-them-watch/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I would rather be old than a grown-up. All grown-ups are angry, it's just children and old people who laugh.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-backman/i-would-rather-be-old-than-a-grown-up-all-grown-ups-are-angry-it-s/) [Fredrik Backman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-backman/) > [It's sad that children cannot know their parents when they were younger; when they were loving, courting, and being nice to one another. By…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-satir/it-s-sad-that-children-cannot-know-their-parents-when-they-were/) [Virginia Satir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-satir/) > [Both young children and old people have a lot of time on their hands. That's probably why they get along so well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-carroll/both-young-children-and-old-people-have-a-lot-of-time-on-their-hands/) [Jonathan Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-carroll/) ## More by Sarah Louise Delany > [The world is a puzzling place today. All these banks sending us credit cards, with our names on them. Well, we didn't order any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/the-world-is-a-puzzling-place-today-all-these-banks-sending-us-credit/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [I never let prejudice stop me from what I wanted to do in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/i-never-let-prejudice-stop-me-from-what-i-wanted-to-do-in-this-life/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [Have your own doctor, who answers to you. If you don't, when the time comes that you get mixed up with hospitals, they'll treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/have-your-own-doctor-who-answers-to-you-if-you-don-t-when-the-time/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [Oh, Mama was a smart woman. It takes a smart woman to fall in love with a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/oh-mama-was-a-smart-woman-it-takes-a-smart-woman-to-fall-in-love-with/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [Am I going to change the world, or am I going to change me? Or maybe change the world a little bit, just by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/am-i-going-to-change-the-world-or-am-i-going-to-change-me-or-maybe/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [ \[On her 101-year-old sister and herself, at 103:\] We have a lot to do ... People don't understand this. They think we're sitting around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/on-her-101-year-old-sister-and-herself-at-103-we-have-a-lot-to-do/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [In our dreams we are always young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/in-our-dreams-we-are-always-young/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [Life is a vapor. It passes in the blink of an eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/life-is-a-vapor-it-passes-in-the-blink-of-an-eye/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [Even with all my wrinkles! I am beautiful!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/even-with-all-my-wrinkles-i-am-beautiful/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) [Explore all 10 Sarah Louise Delany quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) ## More African american quotes > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. If I am moved or forced away from what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-agreed-a-long-time-ago-i-would-not-live-at-any-cost-if-i-am-moved/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [“This popularity extended to Trump himself, who, according to private demographic research conducted at the time, was even more popular with African American and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/this-popularity-extended-to-trump-himself-who-according-to-private/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I know I'm more forgiving than most African Americans when it comes to second chances for White people who not only commit a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-more-forgiving-than-most-african-americans-when-it-comes/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [I think it's easier for African American and white comics to be praised than it is Latinos because they think our culture or our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lopez/i-think-it-s-easier-for-african-american-and-white-comics-to-be/) [George Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lopez/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. In Blackmon’s estimation, “roughly half of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-haney-l-pez/alabama-in-1927-alone-27-701-men-were-arrested-on-misdemeanor-charges/) [Ian Haney López](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-haney-l-pez/) > [I'm just trying to touch the world and touch the people and just get good material. And show them that we can get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cory-hardrict/i-m-just-trying-to-touch-the-world-and-touch-the-people-and-just-get/) [Cory Hardrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cory-hardrict/) [Browse all 1,848 African american quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When you get real old, honey, you realize there are certain things that just don't matter anymore. You lay it all on the table. There's a saying, 'Only little children and old folks tell the truth.'", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sarah Louise Delany" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize-there-are-certain-things-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "African american" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize-there-are-certain-things-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d90/sarah-louise-delany-42812_african-american_when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize_38967.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When you get real old, honey, you realize there are certain things that just don't matter anymore. You lay…” — Sarah Louise Delany", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sarah Louise Delany", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When you get real old, honey,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize-there-are-certain-things-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/when-you-get-real-old-honey-you-realize-there-are-certain-things-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```