--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay…" description: "\"Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay the utility bill at the end of the month, I was forced to read by the light of the stories themselves.\" — Stev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png" --- # Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay the utility bill… ![“Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay the utility bill at the end of the month, I was forced to read by the light of the stories themselves.” quote by Steve Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png) > “Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay the utility bill at the end of the month, I was forced to read by the light of the stories themselves.” [Steve Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Financial hardship forced reading by the glow of stories, highlighting literature’s sustaining power. **In simple terms:** Stories light up dark times. Key Takeaway Seek solace in reading during hardship. Themes hardship literature resilience Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational literary When to use this quote - financial strain - late‑night reading - creative inspiration Key Concepts sociology psychology storytelling Questions to Reflect On - How have stories helped you cope? - What books illuminate your challenges? A Different Perspective Reading may not solve material needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Couldn Afford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couldn-afford/) [End Of The Month](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-month/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Forced Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forced-read-336830/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Light Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-stories-336829/) [Month Forced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/month-forced-336828/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Pay Utility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-utility-336831/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Utility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/utility/) ## Related quotes > [There were so many times that, as waitresses, you look at your bank account and you literally have 100 bucks, and you're thinking, 'How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-bella/there-were-so-many-times-that-as-waitresses-you-look-at-your-bank/) [Brie Bella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-bella/) > [“Old stories sometimes slid out of her like lamp oil or light, stories containing details oblique and nearly incomprehensible to me or to anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-herring/old-stories-sometimes-slid-out-of-her-like-lamp-oil-or-light-stories/) [Peggy Herring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-herring/) > [“I love it when there’s nothing Left to see but tiny spots of what’s still light Stories piercing the night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-jae/i-love-it-when-there-s-nothing-left-to-see-but-tiny-spots-of-what-s/) [Anna Jae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-jae/) > [“Anna Arkadyevna read and understood, but it was distasteful to her to read, that is, to follow the reflection of other people’s lives. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tolstoy/anna-arkadyevna-read-and-understood-but-it-was-distasteful-to-her-to/) [Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tolstoy/) > [I do like to read in bed, but because I have two kids I'm often forced to read in the bathroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/i-do-like-to-read-in-bed-but-because-i-have-two-kids-i-m-often-forced/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [Turn," Liz said, trying not to hide her impatience at being forced to read at non-speed-of-light pace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-carter/turn-liz-said-trying-not-to-hide-her-impatience-at-being-forced-to/) [Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/) > [If, in the very first pages, I'm forced to read gratuitous phrases or banal metaphors, I won't be able to get inside the story.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herta-m-ller/if-in-the-very-first-pages-i-m-forced-to-read-gratuitous-phrases-or/) [Herta Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herta-m-ller/) > [“Weekends, End of the month, your birthday and Valentines day will remind you how single and how lonely you are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/de-philosopher-dj-kyos/weekends-end-of-the-month-your-birthday-and-valentines-day-will/) [De philosopher DJ Kyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/de-philosopher-dj-kyos/) > [I've never sat down to quantify how many hours I actually spend on the strip. I use the deadlines to estimate my progress; each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/i-ve-never-sat-down-to-quantify-how-many-hours-i-actually-spend-on/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [Always make sure you have your rent. At the end of the month, if you have to eat Ramen for a week because you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-behrs/always-make-sure-you-have-your-rent-at-the-end-of-the-month-if-you/) [Beth Behrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-behrs/) > [I wanted to tell them that, in Kabul, we snapped a tree branch and used it as a credit card. Hassan and I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-wanted-to-tell-them-that-in-kabul-we-snapped-a-tree-branch-and-used/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [If you want to quit smoking every time you think about buying a pack put five dollars in a jar and at the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/if-you-want-to-quit-smoking-every-time-you-think-about-buying-a-pack/) [Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/) > [If people just put away what's left at the end of the month, that's a recipe for failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/if-people-just-put-away-what-s-left-at-the-end-of-the-month-that-s-a/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [“Is life worth living? Like everybody else, I have many times asked that question, usually deciding negatively, because I am most likely to ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/is-life-worth-living-like-everybody-else-i-have-many-times-asked-that/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) > [“He is totally abandoned in the way he buys book after book, never to read a single one. I wouldn't mind if he used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natsume-s-seki/he-is-totally-abandoned-in-the-way-he-buys-book-after-book-never-to/) [Natsume Sōseki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natsume-s-seki/) ## More by Steve Stern > [Walter Benjamin has this notion of the angel of history and in a way that's paradoxical itself. We don't have angels in history anymore.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/walter-benjamin-has-this-notion-of-the-angel-of-history-and-in-a-way/) [Steve Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/) > [The Holocaust marooned the Jewish people in history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/the-holocaust-marooned-the-jewish-people-in-history/) [Steve Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/) > [The interface of history and myth is where my stories take place anyway, and there's always a way I'm trying to tap mythologies with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/the-interface-of-history-and-myth-is-where-my-stories-take-place/) [Steve Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/) > [“The golem is for Franz Kafka big headache.." The ache, he confided, grew in Kafka's head, spreading throughout his bones, his joints swelling until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/the-golem-is-for-franz-kafka-big-headache-the-ache-he-confided-grew/) [Steve Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/) [Explore all 5 Steve Stern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/) ## More Bills quotes > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. Do a lot of spitting out the hot air.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-seuss/a-s-you-partake-of-the-world-s-bill-of-fare-that-s-darned-good-advice/) [Dr. Seuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-seuss/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [This is not really currency that circulates. It's like the old joke about expensive vintage wine. Wine prices will go up and once in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/this-is-not-really-currency-that-circulates-it-s-like-the-old-joke/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [If Bill Gates left Microsoft we wouldn't allow Donald Trump to run it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/if-bill-gates-left-microsoft-we-wouldn-t-allow-donald-trump-to-run-it/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/) [Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/) > [He's fat and a clown, Bill, a fat clown for all to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-dunphy/he-s-fat-and-a-clown-bill-a-fat-clown-for-all-to-see/) [Eamon Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-dunphy/) > [There's nothing nice about Steve Jobs and there's nothing evil about Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-peddle/there-s-nothing-nice-about-steve-jobs-and-there-s-nothing-evil-about/) [Chuck Peddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-peddle/) > [At first I thought, if I were Superman, a perfect secret identity would be "Clark Kent, Dentist," because you could save money on tooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/at-first-i-thought-if-i-were-superman-a-perfect-secret-identity-would/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [The one thing the police cannot protect us from is a politician like Bill de Blasio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/the-one-thing-the-police-cannot-protect-us-from-is-a-politician-like/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [Bill Hicks - blowtorch, excavator, truthsayer, and brain specialist. He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay the utility bill at the end of the month, I was forced to read by the light of the stories themselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Stern" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay-the-utility-bill-at-the-end/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bills" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay-the-utility-bill-at-the-end/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a27/steve-stern-58445_bills_sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay_2435643.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to pay the utility bill at the end of the month, I was forced to read by…” — Steve Stern", "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": "Steve Stern", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-stern/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Sometimes, when I couldn’t afford to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay-the-utility-bill-at-the-end/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-stern/sometimes-when-i-couldn-t-afford-to-pay-the-utility-bill-at-the-end/#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 } } ] } ```