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Time & Perspective Quote by Jerry Lawler

"I've been here for nine years, and over that time, these people have become like my family"

About this Quote

Nine years is a suspiciously specific number: long enough to feel real, short enough to sound earned. In Jerry Lawler's line, the sentiment lands like a practiced finishing move - not because it's fake, but because it’s a performance-language audiences are trained to trust. Wrestling (and entertainment more broadly) runs on the paradox of staged outcomes and authentic bonds. He’s tapping that seam: the work might be constructed, the relationships aren’t.

The intent is straightforward loyalty-building. By calling coworkers "family", Lawler collapses the distance between employer, colleague, and audience-facing brand. It’s a phrase that softens the transactional nature of show business - travel, contracts, backstage politics - into something warmer and harder to criticize. If you’re "family", then disagreements become misunderstandings, not power struggles; departures read like heartbreak, not negotiation.

The subtext is about legitimacy and belonging. Lawler isn’t claiming instant intimacy; he’s banking on time served. "These people" is telling, too: slightly formal, a step back from naming names. It keeps the statement inclusive and diplomatic, a safe umbrella over a rotating cast. In an industry where alliances shift and public narratives matter, specificity can be a liability.

Contextually, this kind of line often surfaces at inflection points - anniversaries, tributes, contract renewals, or moments when a performer needs to reassure fans that the machine still has a human core. It’s emotional, but it’s also a public relations gesture: an entertainer translating workplace endurance into shared identity, so the audience can feel they’re watching not just a product, but a home.

Quote Details

TopicFamily
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Lawler, Jerry. (2026, January 18). I've been here for nine years, and over that time, these people have become like my family. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-been-here-for-nine-years-and-over-that-time-19157/

Chicago Style
Lawler, Jerry. "I've been here for nine years, and over that time, these people have become like my family." FixQuotes. January 18, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-been-here-for-nine-years-and-over-that-time-19157/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I've been here for nine years, and over that time, these people have become like my family." FixQuotes, 18 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-been-here-for-nine-years-and-over-that-time-19157/. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Jerry Lawler (born November 29, 1949) is a Entertainer from USA.

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