---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Future?\" Homer said. He was a little…"
description: "\"“Future?\" Homer said. He was a little embarrassed because all his life, from day to day, he had been busy mapping out a future, even if it was only a f..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg"
---

#  Future?" Homer said. He was a little embarrassed because…

![“Future?&quot; Homer said. He was a little embarrassed because all his life, from day to day, he had been busy mapping out a future, even if it was only a future for the next day. &quot;Well,&quot; he said, &quot;I don't know for sure, but I guess I'd like to be somebody some day.” quote by William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg)

> ““Future?" Homer said. He was a little embarrassed because all his life, from day to day, he had been busy mapping out a future, even if it was only a future for the next day. "Well," he said, "I don't know for sure, but I guess I'd like to be somebody some day.””

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A character reflects on uncertainty about the future while yearning for purpose.

**In simple terms:** He’s unsure but hopes to become someone meaningful.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uncertainty while pursuing purpose.

Themes

hope identity future self‑discovery insecurity

Mood

reflective hopeful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career planning
- personal goals
- self‑reflection

Key Concepts

existential longing personal growth ambition

Questions to Reflect On

- What does “being somebody” mean to you?
- How can you find purpose without a fixed future?

A Different Perspective

The desire for significance may cause anxiety.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [The gods weave misfortunes for men, so that the generations to come will have something to sing about.” Mallarmé repeats, less beautifully, what Homer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-gods-weave-misfortunes-for-men-so-that-the-generations-to-come/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [“Faye burst into the room. She ignored Homer and went straight to the couch. Now what in hell's the matter?" she exploded. Darling daughter,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/faye-burst-into-the-room-she-ignored-homer-and-went-straight-to-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Let’s go home,’ Homer said, ‘to Hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marsden/let-s-go-home-homer-said-to-hell/)

[John Marsden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marsden/)

> [“Beautiful women have a following all their own. If that sounds misogynistic, I’m sorry, that’s the way the world works. Homer said the Greeks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yudhanjaya-wijeratne/beautiful-women-have-a-following-all-their-own-if-that-sounds/)

[Yudhanjaya Wijeratne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yudhanjaya-wijeratne/)

> [“When he and Wally stopped laughing, Homer said, ‘I’ve never seen the ocean, you know.’ ‘Candy, did you hear that?’ Wally asked, but Candy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/when-he-and-wally-stopped-laughing-homer-said-i-ve-never-seen-the/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“When Homer Wells saw the stationmaster’s brain stem exposed, he felt that Dr. Larch was busy enough – with both hands – for it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/when-homer-wells-saw-the-stationmaster-s-brain-stem-exposed-he-felt/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [“There’s no men like that nowadays. This is a degenerate age, Miss Shirley.” “Homer said the same thing eight hundred years, B.C.,” smiled Anne.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/there-s-no-men-like-that-nowadays-this-is-a-degenerate-age-miss/)

[L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/)

> [“Certainly she no longer thinks of the future, because every day the future proves itself to be a duplicate of the present. So instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-gillham/certainly-she-no-longer-thinks-of-the-future-because-every-day-the/)

David R. Gillham

> [I never have planned a whole lot of future. It's one day at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-royal/i-never-have-planned-a-whole-lot-of-future-it-s-one-day-at-a-time/)

[Darrell Royal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-royal/)

> [Bad debt is sacrificing your future day needs for your present day desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/bad-debt-is-sacrificing-your-future-day-needs-for-your-present-day/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [The future will one day be the present and will seem as unimportant as the present does now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/the-future-will-one-day-be-the-present-and-will-seem-as-unimportant/)

[W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/)

> [I plan for the future, but the only day I really worry about is the day I'm living right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-simmons/i-plan-for-the-future-but-the-only-day-i-really-worry-about-is-the/)

[Richard Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-simmons/)

> [“I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I’ve ever had, and no matter what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-who-i-am-because-of-you-you-are-every-reason-every-hope-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-joyce/i-am-tomorrow-or-some-future-day-what-i-establish-today-i-am-today/)

[James Joyce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-joyce/)

> [The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/the-day-we-fret-about-the-future-is-the-day-we-leave-our-childhood/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

## More by William Saroyan

> [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [The basic truth of all things, as nearly as we may ever dream of determining and knowing this truth, is form, that which is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/the-basic-truth-of-all-things-as-nearly-as-we-may-ever-dream-of/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [“This is a hell of a night. I don't want to leave it just to go to sleep.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-is-a-hell-of-a-night-i-don-t-want-to-leave-it-just-to-go-to-sleep/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [Americans still believe they are cut out to be successful-in everything: love, love-making, luck, luck-giving, money-making, sense-making, cancer-avoiding, clothes-wearing, car-driving, and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/americans-still-believe-they-are-cut-out-to-be-successful-in/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [I can't decide for you whether or not you have got to write, but if anything in the world, war, or pestilence, or famine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-can-t-decide-for-you-whether-or-not-you-have-got-to-write-but-if/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [He paints for the blind, and we are the blind, and he lets us see for sure what we saw long ago but weren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/he-paints-for-the-blind-and-we-are-the-blind-and-he-lets-us-see-for/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [I am interested in madness. I believe it is the biggest thing in the human race, and the most constant. How do you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-am-interested-in-madness-i-believe-it-is-the-biggest-thing-in-the/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [Two years ago your father died, Ulysses. But as long as we are alive, as long as we are together, as long as two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/two-years-ago-your-father-died-ulysses-but-as-long-as-we-are-alive-as/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [Cowards are nice, they're interesting, they're gentle, they wouldn't think of shooting down people in a parade from a tower. They want to live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/cowards-are-nice-they-re-interesting-they-re-gentle-they-wouldn-t/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [In the time of your life, live - so that in that good time there shall be no ugliness or death for yourself or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/in-the-time-of-your-life-live-so-that-in-that-good-time-there-shall/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [San Francisco is a world to explore. It is a place where the heart can go on a delightful adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/san-francisco-is-a-world-to-explore-it-is-a-place-where-the-heart-can/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [Even after you've won fame and fortune, every time you write you've got to write, there's no shortcut, you have to start your career…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/even-after-you-ve-won-fame-and-fortune-every-time-you-write-you-ve/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose history is ended, whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/i-should-like-to-see-any-power-of-the-world-destroy-this-race-this/)

[WILLIAM SAROYAN](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [There could be no extreme vanity in my recognition of myself, if in fact there could be any at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/there-could-be-no-extreme-vanity-in-my-recognition-of-myself-if-in/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [“This sense of being out of time has driven thousands of people from their homes into moving-picture theaters where new universes appear before them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/this-sense-of-being-out-of-time-has-driven-thousands-of-people-from/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

[Explore all 207 William Saroyan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

## More Day to day quotes

> [“There is a powerful difference between picturing an image that does not relate to you, and recalling something specific that you are connected with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-houge/there-is-a-powerful-difference-between-picturing-an-image-that-does/)

[Adam Houge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-houge/)

> [For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/for-the-meaning-of-life-differs-from-man-to-man-from-day-to-day-and/)

[Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/)

> [I try not to look too far ahead. I'm more about living day to day and working hard. I think it's great to visualize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/i-try-not-to-look-too-far-ahead-i-m-more-about-living-day-to-day-and/)

[Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/)

> [Put not off from day to day and from cycle to cycle, is the belief that ye will succeed in obtaining the mysteries when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/put-not-off-from-day-to-day-and-from-cycle-to-cycle-is-the-belief/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [I regret that there aren't more short stories in other magazines. But in a certain way, I think the disappearance of the short-story template…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-stein/i-regret-that-there-aren-t-more-short-stories-in-other-magazines-but/)

[Lorin Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-stein/)

> [“There is no shortcut for hard work that leads to effectiveness. You must stay disciplined because most of the work is behind the scenes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/there-is-no-shortcut-for-hard-work-that-leads-to-effectiveness-you/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [As a child, I certainly wanted to have hair that I could grow long and flip around. I no longer want that. My own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-okonedo/as-a-child-i-certainly-wanted-to-have-hair-that-i-could-grow-long-and/)

[Sophie Okonedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-okonedo/)

> [Each day is a step we make towards eternity and we shall continue thus to step from day to day until we take the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-mcauley/each-day-is-a-step-we-make-towards-eternity-and-we-shall-continue/)

[Catherine McAuley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-mcauley/)

> [I want the government to provide the military so we don't get invaded by somebody and destroyed. I want the government to provide the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/i-want-the-government-to-provide-the-military-so-we-don-t-get-invaded/)

[Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/)

> [The more aware you become, the more you shed from day to day what you have learned so that your mind is always fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-more-aware-you-become-the-more-you-shed-from-day-to-day-what-you/)

[Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/)

> [We forget today that Britain still depends for its livelihood and, indeed, its day-to-day survival, on the sea. But the Royal Navy is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keegan/we-forget-today-that-britain-still-depends-for-its-livelihood-and/)

[John Keegan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keegan/)

> [“The woman next to you that looks really bad might be going through the toughest challenge ever with her teenage daughter; think about if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-morrison/the-woman-next-to-you-that-looks-really-bad-might-be-going-through/)

Barbara Morrison

> [When you are so full that there is no emptiness in you, that you have started feeling the significance of the ordinary, day-to-day existence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/when-you-are-so-full-that-there-is-no-emptiness-in-you-that-you-have/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [“My experiences in the Astronaut Corps had taught me that you never know what will happen from day to day. It’s best to experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leland-melvin/my-experiences-in-the-astronaut-corps-had-taught-me-that-you-never/)

[Leland Melvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leland-melvin/)

> [I've never thought about the end of my career. I've had this growing motto in my life to live day to day - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-polamalu/i-ve-never-thought-about-the-end-of-my-career-i-ve-had-this-growing/)

[Troy Polamalu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-polamalu/)

Browse all 1,000 Day to day quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Future?\" Homer said. He was a little embarrassed because all his life, from day to day, he had been busy mapping out a future, even if it was only a future for the next day. \"Well,\" he said, \"I don't know for sure, but I guess I'd like to be somebody some day.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Saroyan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarrassed-because-all-his-life/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Day to day"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarrassed-because-all-his-life/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0b/william-saroyan-1743_day-to-day_future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarr_3097410.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Future?\" Homer said. He was a little embarrassed because all his life, from day to day, he had been busy…” — William Saroyan",
                "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": "William Saroyan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Future?\" Homer said. He was a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarrassed-because-all-his-life/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/future-homer-said-he-was-a-little-embarrassed-because-all-his-life/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
