--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Is that what happened? Standing in the…" description: "\"“Is that what happened? Standing in the cane, he was trying to catch a girl he was yet to see, but his heart knew all about, and me, holding on to him ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/toni-morrison-271_golden-boy_is-that-what-happened-standing-in-the-ca_106788.jpg" --- # Is that what happened? Standing in the cane, he was trying… ![“Is that what happened? Standing in the cane, he was trying to catch a girl he was yet to see, but his heart knew all about, and me, holding on to him but wishing he was the golden boy I never saw either. Which means from the very beginning I was a substitute and so was he.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/toni-morrison-271_golden-boy_is-that-what-happened-standing-in-the-ca_106788.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/toni-morrison-271_golden-boy_is-that-what-happened-standing-in-the-ca_106788.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/toni-morrison-271_golden-boy_is-that-what-happened-standing-in-the-ca_106788.jpg) > ““Is that what happened? Standing in the cane, he was trying to catch a girl he was yet to see, but his heart knew all about, and me, holding on to him but wishing he was the golden boy I never saw either. Which means from the very beginning I was a substitute and so was he.”” [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage reflects on unfulfilled longing and feeling like a substitute in love, using metaphorical language to convey disappointment and yearning. **In simple terms:** Feels like a substitute in a missed romance. Key Takeaway Unmet desire creates a sense of being second‑best. Themes love longing identity Mood melancholic wistful Type literary When to use this quote - personal diaries - fictional narratives Key Concepts self‑worth unrequited affection Practical Applications - Exploring emotional depth in creative writing Questions to Reflect On - What does being a 'substitute' reveal about self‑perception? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Golden boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-boy/) ## Related quotes > [“There was no sign he’d even been in a fight –Fucking Golden Boy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-thebart/there-was-no-sign-he-d-even-been-in-a-fight-fucking-golden-boy/) [Liz Thebart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-thebart/) > [I have no grudges against Golden Boy, they're a good company. I can do business with them. I can do business with Top Rank,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/i-have-no-grudges-against-golden-boy-they-re-a-good-company-i-can-do/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [Coming out of the Olympic Games, I was the golden boy and I got put up on a pedestal. I got stuff handed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-degale/coming-out-of-the-olympic-games-i-was-the-golden-boy-and-i-got-put-up/) [James DeGale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-degale/) > [When I want to talk to someone from Golden Boy, I make sure Richard calls me. Bosses talk to bosses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrien-broner/when-i-want-to-talk-to-someone-from-golden-boy-i-make-sure-richard/) [Adrien Broner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrien-broner/) > [We don't control Canelo or Golden Boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetrius-andrade/we-don-t-control-canelo-or-golden-boy/) [Demetrius Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetrius-andrade/) > [Golden Boy is going to be one of the best promoters out there. To be able to be a part of it and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/golden-boy-is-going-to-be-one-of-the-best-promoters-out-there-to-be/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [When I left New York, not a lot of shows were happening there, but 'Golden Boy' is such a New York show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maeve/when-i-left-new-york-not-a-lot-of-shows-were-happening-there-but/) [Stella Maeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maeve/) > [“Golden Boy with feet of clay Let me help you on your way A proper push will take you far - But what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-donaldson/golden-boy-with-feet-of-clay-let-me-help-you-on-your-way-a-proper/) Stephen Donaldson > [“He pointed to Butt, behind his drum set. "There he is. Don't smell so good and can't hardly talk. But he can drub those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leander-watts/he-pointed-to-butt-behind-his-drum-set-there-he-is-don-t-smell-so/) [Leander Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leander-watts/) > [I tried my best to get my brother to get signed by Golden Boy and all his higher-ups, but I don't know, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermell-charlo/i-tried-my-best-to-get-my-brother-to-get-signed-by-golden-boy-and-all/) [Jermell Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermell-charlo/) > [My father was a golden boy from a very small town. He won a very prestigious law scholarship to NYU Law School, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-bailey/my-father-was-a-golden-boy-from-a-very-small-town-he-won-a-very/) [Blake Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-bailey/) > [I've been a golden boy for too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-ve-been-a-golden-boy-for-too-long/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [“If you need servicing while we’re stuck in this fancy-ass hotel for a week, I’m going to be the one to do it. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-bailey/if-you-need-servicing-while-we-re-stuck-in-this-fancy-ass-hotel-for-a/) [Tessa Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-bailey/) > [“Even Colin - the golden boy, the man with the easy smile and devilish humor - had raw spots of his own. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/even-colin-the-golden-boy-the-man-with-the-easy-smile-and-devilish/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [I'm really happy to be working with CES Boxing, Gary Shaw Productions and Eye of the Tiger Management. It shows the direction in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/i-m-really-happy-to-be-working-with-ces-boxing-gary-shaw-productions/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) ## More by Toni Morrison > [Perhaps that's what all human relationships boiled down to: Would you save my life? or would you take it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/perhaps-that-s-what-all-human-relationships-boiled-down-to-would-you/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [In times of dread, artists must never choose to remain silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/in-times-of-dread-artists-must-never-choose-to-remain-silent/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Not know it was hard;knowing it was harder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/not-know-it-was-hard-knowing-it-was-harder/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Didn’t everything on God’s earth have or acquire defense?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/didn-t-everything-on-god-s-earth-have-or-acquire-defense/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You looked at them and wondered why the were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-looked-at-them-and-wondered-why-the-were-so-ugly-you-looked/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [All she saw, down in the cellar well beneath the stoop, was a light yellow feather with a tip of green. And she had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/all-she-saw-down-in-the-cellar-well-beneath-the-stoop-was-a-light/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [For me, Art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sort of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/for-me-art-is-the-restoration-of-order-it-may-discuss-all-sort-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“To Sethe, the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/to-sethe-the-future-was-a-matter-of-keeping-the-past-at-bay/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“Hate does that. Burns off everything but itself, so whatever your grievance is, your face looks just like your enemy's.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/hate-does-that-burns-off-everything-but-itself-so-whatever-your/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“You know how a star is supposed to twinkle? We say twinkle because that is how it looks, but when a star feels itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/you-know-how-a-star-is-supposed-to-twinkle-we-say-twinkle-because/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“There is no bad luck in the world but whitefolks”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-is-no-bad-luck-in-the-world-but-whitefolks/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [My father saw two black men lynched on his street in Cartersville, as a child. And I think seeing two black businessmen - not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/my-father-saw-two-black-men-lynched-on-his-street-in-cartersville-as/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [“She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Its threat gave her direction, clarity, audacity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/she-was-fierce-in-the-presence-of-death-heroic-even-as-she-was-at-no/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) [Explore all 774 Toni Morrison quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) ## More Golden boy quotes > [“There was no sign he’d even been in a fight –Fucking Golden Boy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-thebart/there-was-no-sign-he-d-even-been-in-a-fight-fucking-golden-boy/) [Liz Thebart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-thebart/) > [“Even Colin - the golden boy, the man with the easy smile and devilish humor - had raw spots of his own. He was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-quinn/even-colin-the-golden-boy-the-man-with-the-easy-smile-and-devilish/) [Julia Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-quinn/) > [“If you need servicing while we’re stuck in this fancy-ass hotel for a week, I’m going to be the one to do it. No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tessa-bailey/if-you-need-servicing-while-we-re-stuck-in-this-fancy-ass-hotel-for-a/) [Tessa Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tessa-bailey/) > [I've been a golden boy for too long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-stewart/i-ve-been-a-golden-boy-for-too-long/) [Rod Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-stewart/) > [My father was a golden boy from a very small town. He won a very prestigious law scholarship to NYU Law School, and there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-bailey/my-father-was-a-golden-boy-from-a-very-small-town-he-won-a-very/) [Blake Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-bailey/) > [I tried my best to get my brother to get signed by Golden Boy and all his higher-ups, but I don't know, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jermell-charlo/i-tried-my-best-to-get-my-brother-to-get-signed-by-golden-boy-and-all/) [Jermell Charlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jermell-charlo/) > [“He pointed to Butt, behind his drum set. "There he is. Don't smell so good and can't hardly talk. But he can drub those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leander-watts/he-pointed-to-butt-behind-his-drum-set-there-he-is-don-t-smell-so/) [Leander Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leander-watts/) > [“Golden Boy with feet of clay Let me help you on your way A proper push will take you far - But what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-donaldson/golden-boy-with-feet-of-clay-let-me-help-you-on-your-way-a-proper/) Stephen Donaldson > [When I left New York, not a lot of shows were happening there, but 'Golden Boy' is such a New York show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maeve/when-i-left-new-york-not-a-lot-of-shows-were-happening-there-but/) [Stella Maeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maeve/) > [Golden Boy is going to be one of the best promoters out there. To be able to be a part of it and help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/golden-boy-is-going-to-be-one-of-the-best-promoters-out-there-to-be/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [We don't control Canelo or Golden Boy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetrius-andrade/we-don-t-control-canelo-or-golden-boy/) [Demetrius Andrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetrius-andrade/) > [When I want to talk to someone from Golden Boy, I make sure Richard calls me. Bosses talk to bosses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrien-broner/when-i-want-to-talk-to-someone-from-golden-boy-i-make-sure-richard/) [Adrien Broner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrien-broner/) > [Coming out of the Olympic Games, I was the golden boy and I got put up on a pedestal. I got stuff handed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-degale/coming-out-of-the-olympic-games-i-was-the-golden-boy-and-i-got-put-up/) [James DeGale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-degale/) > [I have no grudges against Golden Boy, they're a good company. I can do business with them. I can do business with Top Rank,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-mosley/i-have-no-grudges-against-golden-boy-they-re-a-good-company-i-can-do/) [Shane Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-mosley/) > [I'm really happy to be working with CES Boxing, Gary Shaw Productions and Eye of the Tiger Management. It shows the direction in which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/i-m-really-happy-to-be-working-with-ces-boxing-gary-shaw-productions/) [Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/) [Browse all 23 Golden boy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/golden-boy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Is that what happened? Standing in the cane, he was trying to catch a girl he was yet to see, but his heart knew all about, and me, holding on to him but wishing he was the golden boy I never saw either. 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