Being a kid is rough. Sometimes you can't breathe the air around you without someone making fun of you for it.
What can make you a target is unpredictable. I was once made fun of for "having a face." Another kid was a target for watching anime. It just takes a little impetus from some jerk and all of a sudden it feels like the entire school is laughing at you.
u/thiqq1600 asked:
Here were some of those answers.
When It Was Cool To Be A Jerk
GiphyBeing the nice kid.
Always respected my teachers, tried not to interrupt the class, getting good grades and stepped up for myself and my friends.
But I guess there comes a time when supposedly "normal" students are marginalized - for no reason.
Pennywise
I was a poor kid on scholarship at a rich private school. My first roommate during freshman year was quite well-off-- her parents hired an interior designer to customize her portion of the dorm, her entire wardrobe consisted of expensive clothes from Abercrombie and Fitch and Victoria's Secret, she had tons of expensive name-brand makeup, and she had no qualms about buying and eating $10+ worth of takeout every night. Meanwhile I was working full-time to finance the rest of my education, had a second-hand computer, and could only afford the basics for my half of the dorm. Around mid-November, she apparently begged student housing to transfer me out of "her" dorm because my cheap clothes and decorating style "offended her."
I did end up switching to a different dorm room that spring because at one point, when I was out of the room, she stole what little cash I had out of my purse. Later on, she scribbled on all of my posters. She also spread rumors about how I was filthy and smelled bad because I was poor. The RA was not helpful; she had us fill out some survey about each other and basically said "not my problem." I went to student housing and they allowed me to switch to a nicer dorm room with a different roommate. The person who pulled me in became my roommate sophomore year and we are still close friends to this day.
Short, Then Tall
I was bullied in the 6th grade by the older kids for being short. Then when I saw them again in high school I had about 4-6 inches of height on them (I'm 6'4"). Also, I was bullied for my accent as I was born in western NC and had moved to south TX (predominantly Hispanic). I lost the accent within a year or so. Kids can be jerks.
Ohmygod, Shoes
I was in middle school and my soles were literally falling off my shoes and people talked about them. I tried to glue them back with glue and everything but it made them look worse. They were like $10 from Walmart and my mom couldn't afford to buy me new ones because she had to pay for the school supplies and fees for my other sisters as well. I also had to wear old pants from my previous years which turned into highwaters after a few washes.
But guess what? It turns out that was the best year of my life and now I'm in school to teach middle school.
An Unexpected Ally
Having adhd. I was the weird kid because I didn't understand social situations all that well due to the adhd. Then I was bullied for being upset about being bullied. The whole school was in on it. When I stood up for myself I got in trouble. So it was an impossible situation. Then I got cute in high school and had big boobs so suddenly dudes were hitting on me instead of bullying me. Like they forgot what they did and said lol.
Thankfully the other girls and I started to get along because we bonded over being sick of being hit on by creeps. When I exploded with rage in class over a dude taking pics of my boobs, I suddenly had people on my side when before they would have mocked me. So I guess boobs saved me. Thanks, boobs.
Poor Diction
The kid who couldn't say the letter 'R' until he was 18, which was convenient as I was the vice-captain of wugby, I was also in the wowing club for a year as the cox which is the person sitting at the end saying "Stwoke, stwoke, stwoke. Wow wow wow your boat gently down the stweam." And I worked at wed wooster (Australia).
No Way Out
I have a "heart" shaped face that looked pretty round with my baby cheeks as a kid. I couldn't tell you why — as I and the kid spearheading this are white — but I was frequently called nasty slurs for Asian and Native American folks due to my face shape and slightly down-slanted eyes. Nine years of that same "joke".
Other things of note (I was like, THE primary unpopular kid at my catholic K-8 gradeschool): my hippie parents were unmarried (therefore I was born of sin); my family didn't have a lot of money/tuition was a huge burden and there wasn't much left afterwards (no parties, no extracurriculars, hand-me-down clothes, etc); I wasn't allowed to wear deodorant until high school; I mostly wore boys clothes outside of school and played video games; I told a "friend" I had a crush on a girl (at the time I honestly didn't know sexual preferences even existed — I thought everyone was attracted to everyone); I was accused of being a witch; I ate mayonnaise; and my childhood nickname was more common among porn personas and pet dogs than it was for regular people.
Psyche Damaged
I was bullied for radiating victim vibes, or acting like a victim. No surprise that I was victimized. My father was a narcissistic bully, so all I knew was being bullied. At home, at school, everywhere really. By the time I was 18 I was a basket-case. All I knew about most human interaction was being bullied. I finally got away from my dad and started learning a different way to behave. I no longer attract predators, but it took me about ten years to get to a place where I could start behaving in a way that resembled being a mature, well-adjusted person.
YooHoo Shouldn't Target People
I tended to experience more isolated incidents of bullying over the years. One of the worst ones was from a girl I didn't even know really, she said made some innuendo about my mom's drinking problem something like so "so I heard your mom likes to party".
The one with probably the biggest lasting implications is where I got picked on for taking too long on some test. I still have to struggle really hard to control my anxiety when I'm feeling rushed. I got made fun of for sucking on Yoo-Hoo too long, I'm already dealing with the social isolation and I'm not even allowed to enjoy a damn Yoo-Hoo!
I had one bully tell me I would grow up to be a school shooter like if I was wouldn't you be at the top of the list?
I had one guy bully grab my butt and this was way before I even realized I was bisexual so that was weird. I think I was targeted because I was shy and not an athlete.
Wombo-Combo
GiphyI got hit with the marvelous wombo-combo of being tall, socially awkward, skinny af, having bad acne, and being gay. That last one not many people caught on to, though, and most of those who did didn't really think I was, which is kind of ironic. Luckily for me, by the time my last year of high school came around my skin cleared, I started to put on a bit of weight, and while I never had tons of friends, the ones I did I was always close with, so it got somewhat better.
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.