Daughters Reveal What They Wish Their Dads Knew About Girls While Growing Up
Being a parent is hard, it can be even harder is you are totally clueless about major aspects of your child's life.
Reddit user @dogidoga asked:
For tons of people out there, the Daddy/Daughter dynamic comes with a few speed bumps. The question was initially posed to the women of Reddit, but a surprising number of men chimed in as well - turning the whole thread into more of a conversation than an endless list. The responses actually turned out pretty enlightening. And, it shows that you can raise a child without the blue or pink stereotypes.
Treat Them Right
The way you treat your wife/girlfriend can teach how I'm supposed to expect men to treat me.
- Elodea
This is why I have changed tactics with my youngest daughter. Instead of being the father that cleaned his gun, or sharpened his knife when the boyfriend came over, I decided that the best way to help my daughter make smarter decisions about boys is to treat her mother with love and respect.
Sure, my wife annoys me at times, but I don't lash out at her, I don't insult her, I have never raised a hand towards her in anger. I raise my voice, but that's more because I am going deaf and don't realize that I am raising my voice, I have never raised it in anger.
We need to teach our daughters how men should be treating women. Not making threats against guys that want to date them. It doesn't look good for us as fathers and teaches them that violence is an acceptable path.
"Boys Don't Like Fat Girls"
How much what he said (or didn't say) mattered. It still bothers me that he didn't tell me I looked pretty either time I was all dressed up as bridesmaid in my friends' weddings and I still remember him saying "boys don't like fat girls," or words to that effect a few times.
Never Embarrass Me
GiphyMy dad was a high school teacher that taught at a really good school. As a teen, I wanted to attend the school my dad taught at but he and my mother insisted I attended a different one that was apparently "of a better standard". It wasn't until years later my mother admitted to me that the reason I was put in a different school was because my dad didn't want me to get teased by other students about him or feel embarrassed by him.
I wish my dad knew he could never embarrass me.
Love you daddy. R.I.P
As a teacher I'm at the cusp of the same thing with my oldest. While the majority wouldn't tease her for who her father is as I'm well liked enough by my students, it would affect her social and school life.
I wouldn't be able to let her friends over if they're from the same school because we're required to do a heap of formwork for that. Can't take her friends home with us for sleepovers etc. No parties at my house because I'm a mandatory reporter for underage drinking (that will exist regardless unfortunately for her). Her teachers can just call my staff room right after a lesson if there's a problem.
She's a good kid and I don't want her ability to grow and make friends and engage respectfully with her teachers to be compromised by the fact that Daddy is the crazy science teacher at the other end of the school.
- Xuanwu
Gender And Interests
I liked trains. He apparently was really sad when my gender was revealed and I was a girl. He wanted a boy to play trains with and I was the last kid they were going to have. Youngest of 3 girls. I liked trains. My mom would buy toy trains and train movies for me to play with, and I would play with them for hours, but my dad never saw me playing with them because when he got home from work, all I wanted to do was play with my dad, and he didn't typically use toys to play with me. He would just teach me cool stuff, or tell me jokes and stories. He played using his voice. If I had known he wanted to play with trains, we would've had a blast.
- Avbitten
As a father of 5 (two girls three boys) I've learned gender bias is generally wrong. My oldest two, girl/boy, were pretty typical but the younger three not so much. My youngest daughter collects hot wheels just like her brothers even if most of them are pink or purple. However she's the first to be in the mud, on the tractor or under the hood of a car with me- Usually asking me to paint a car pink or purple. She's her mother's princess - but she also seeks opportunity on any challenge, any day, and doesn't see the world as pink or blue.
My second son loves Unicorns and pink. My youngest son loves dance class which is 95% female and started his Littlest Pet Shop fascination this year.
Today's chore is to haul firewood from the big stack to the smaller porch stack. Usually about a Rick of wood when we re-stack closer to home in prep for storms later this week. I've got $20 says she earns it alone first before her other two male siblings charged with the task this afternoon... before her double dance classes tonight.
These kids earn cash for every "extra" non-daily chore around here and she earns 7/1 to her brothers on tasks some who consider outside of normal gender bias all the time. 12 yr old wants a new video game and here she is "I could buy it but..."
She's 10, Tiny, Blonde Barbie/Cheerleader, almost flighty at first impression fun loving 1000% typical A-Crowd girl in school but she'd change a college boys tire on the side of a highway faster than he can call Road Service.
It helps to pay attention to what your kids love regardless of gender. I'm old, I don't want to stack firewood anymore LOL.
Hormones
We can be angry without it being hormones.
Honestly, as a guy, I will NEVER treat any emotion or opinion as, "She's just hormonal"
You deal with everything with sincerity and reason, because anything else demeans the person you're talking to. It is the other person's responsibility to identify when they are being unreasonable and "just hormonal", if that is indeed the case, and let you know how severe this issue is.
I don't know if this has a word for it, but in the legal-world, this is called 'negotiating in good-faith'.
The Boy You Wanted
That I'm not a boy, and it hurts immensely when you spend more time with the neighbor's son than you own daughter because I'm not the boy you wanted.
I just wanted healthy kids.. and I got that. Now, i did make them do Ninja Warrior stuff and we played war with water guns, so I got to play as well. My youngest likes dolls, so i show her some cool WWE moves with them.
Raise Her Strong
Tell her she's strong and raise her to be it, treat her like she's the strongest person you've ever met. It will make her believe it, and there's no better way you could protect her from the world, when you're not around, than by making her believe in herself. Nothing meant more to me than the day my dad, the strongest man I know, said he admired my strength.
Accept It
Accept the fact that your daughter will eventually need OBGYN visits, birth control, and will participate in dating and sex at some point. You don't have to be happy about it but please don't shame me or make me feel ashamed that I enjoy being human. I have to leave the room or wait for dad to leave in order to call my OBGYN office and I'm 23 years old.
See, as a dad to a little girl, it's just hard to accept that all of that will happen. Not because of "norms" or sanctity or some antiquated way of thinking - it's just that they're all signs that my little girl isn't so little anymore.
For most dads, it's just hard to accept - not something we willingly fight, but something we willingly don't want to admit to ourselves. Sure there are others that have very antiquated ways of thinking but not all - hell, not the majority.
I dreaded the day my daughter (six years old now) would tell me she had a crush at school, and I jokingly acted like I was not happy at first, but I let her know immediately after that having a crush is normal and acceptable.
I dread the day that she has her first period, but I know I'll start packing pads in her backpack when she turns 10 just in case it happens when she's in school.
I dread the day I have to take her to an OBGYN or fill a script for birth control for her, but I know that day will come. Same as the day she tells me she's sexually active. But I know the one thing I have to do is accept it, as hard as it is when that day comes - because I know as hard as it is for me, it's doubly hard and embarrassing for her.
But if there is anything threads like these that pop up every so often have taught me, is that communication is key - and having open lines of communication with her, where nothing is off limits, will allow her to have a better life and make better life choices (where she can learn from my and my wife's mistakes and observation (wisdom?) without having to make the same mistakes herself).
So for all the fellow dads out there - don't be afraid to communicate with your princesses. And for all the princesses out there, don't be afraid to communicate with your dads - these things are new to us too, and we're always going to be afraid of accepting the fact that the little girl we held in our arms for years is growing up.
- Jsanc623
Some Vagina To Guard
I'm jealous of all that time and money you spent on my brother and getting to know him as a person. I wish you'd just treat me like a person, not some vagina you felt the need to creepily guard until I got married.
- Zombombaby
Fathers have a strong instinct to protect the family, especially the women. It's just something you can never truly understand as a woman.
We Notice
That we notice when he would do some semi-creepy things like stare women down on the street (he was married to my mom for 40 years.) I wish he knew how I internalized a whole bunch of stuff from it. It was creepy on a general level...but to do it in front of your daughter like she doesn't see you just made it worse. Maybe that's lame, but it is genuine.
- durachok
Brushing Hair
How to brush hair. When I was little I remember crying every morning before school because my dad would just take the brush and practically rip my scalp off. All he would say was "sorry I don't know how to do girl hair"..ouch.
What's the secret. [6 and 3 yr old girls] Lol. I've tried wet brushes. Detangles. Best I can do is hold it and brush is small sections. About 2 more days away from going and grabbing one of those toy hair dressing heads for practice.
- DJToca
Periods Can Be Bad
GiphyHow bad periods can be.
My dad thinks that a period is all about blood, but never understands that I go through an awful pain while on my period.
- mehgrill
I learned this from my first girl friend (16) and she was blowing chunks in my bathroom sink. I asked what the hell was wrong, and she explained to me her period started. I was blown the away. I ended up going to the store to get Mydol which I learned came in several different types and I bought them all. I don't recall if I had to buy pads, but since we're married now I have done so. Having an older sister who I was close with I knew it caused problems, but I was not aware of the extreme levels of pain that can occur.
Because You're Family
I love my dad, he's really great, but I wish he hadn't compared my relationship with my brother to his relationship with his own brothers. It's awesome that my dad and his brothers got along, but my brother bullied me relentlessly, and having my dad constantly telling us that we were supposed to get along because we were family made me think that something was wrong with me.
This List
Kids aren't action figures. You don't get to mold them to be whatever you want them to be, and you don't get to vicariously live your fantasies through them.
PMS is a real thing that affects some women, but it only occurs for a few days at a very specific point in the menstrual cycle and it's more likely to produce feelings of fatigue/depression/anxiety than feelings of anger/irritability. When you blame all female emotions on PMS, it's both scientifically inaccurate and tremendously invalidating.
Pay attention to the media your kid consumes, and don't dismiss or ridicule girl-oriented media. Girls crave female role models, so make sure your daughter gets exposed to female characters in something other than love interest/princess/celebrity/caretaker roles. Seek out media where female characters are problem solvers, adventurers, and leaders.
Don't act like feminine things are shameful or boring. Don't be the dad who stays out in his car during his daughter's ballet class because sitting with the dance moms is too embarrassing. Don't be the dad who refuses to buy pads/tampons at the grocery store. Don't be the dad who says that women's sports are low action. Don't be the dad who lavishes time and attention on sons while ignoring daughters. Kids are smarter than you think, and they pick up on stuff like that.
F*ck that sh*t. I was in there every week, every single week. I hemmed recital dresses, did hair, etc etc etc. I'd do it again tomorrow. This whole thread is so frustrating to read...no wonder women are always feeling less than enough and second guessing everything. Sorry for the rant but every single person who has posted at feeling less than good enough, I'm sorry for you that your father wasn't up to the job.
Hair Ties
Not to use plain rubber bands as hair ties. F*ck that hurt!
Ouch... As a guy with mid-back hair I don't even like the hair ties with the metal bit in them as they catch in my hair.. Rubber bands are... Umm.. No....
Can't Control It
That we cannot control our periods.
I came home from school when I was ten with one of those fevers from the flu where all you do is sleep someone has to wake you up to remind you to eat and drink and use the bathroom.
Well all of this was about 3 months after having my first period and most women at least, I'm sure a few men might too, know how irregular they can be during that. Well while I was asleep I started. And (TMI WARNING but it is important to the story) I tend to bleed somewhere in the Oh My-God-I've-Been-Shot range. Now I wasn't expecting to start obviously so I had no pad on or anything. I'd been asleep for a couple of hours Dad woke me up to give me some more meds and I got up to use the bathroom, in there I quickly realized that I had started as most of the crotch area of my jeans was soaked in blood. A few seconds after that dad started yelling at me from the living room. About half the blue couch cushion is now dark purple.
I can barely stand I'm already very sick and now I'm crying, so he makes me change pants get in the truck drives me to the country store down the road and go in and buy myself pads or tampons. He doesn't want to go buy them because he thinks they are gross and he doesn't want to even be seen accompanying his daughter to buy them.
Now I'm ten, I have no idea what I'm supposed to really buy because I've only had 2 periods at this point and I'd just been using moms pads from home. But we were out of them at home and she went a couple towns over for groceries and other things. I don't have a phone to call her I'm crying I'm bleeding through the second set of pants and I feel so weak I'm holding on to the shelf to stay up. Thankfully a really nice lady who worked there helped me and helped me back to the truck.
He was yelling at me the whole time saying if I was going to start I should have been more prepared and put a pad on or used a tampon or something. How I should have known better than to bleed on the couch and how I should have gotten up and used the bathroom when I felt the bleeding. Mom got home and absolutely tore him a new one and gave him some menstruation knowledge while she was at it.
You found me! Let me know here.
Mental health is so important, and we all know it.
If we can't manage our mental health, we can't manage anything else in our lives, either.
Now that the importance of mental health is acknowledged and talking about mental health is more accepted, it's easier than ever to get advice or tips on how to gain control over your mental health.
Of course, you can -- and should -- consider methods like therapy.
However, there are some easy tricks you can try right now, just to help start the process. This could include finding a little joy in each day, throwing yourself into your hobby, developing an exercise routine, or even cleaning the house!
Redditors have lots of great mental health tips, and are ready to share.
It all started when Redditor spiritualsplash asked:
"What's the greatest mental health tip you've gotten?"
Kind To Yourself
"Would you be friends with someone that talks to you the way you talk to yourself in your head? Be kinder to yourself."
– steppinrazor2009
"Yes. I am thankfully over my disordered eating, but struggled with it for years."
"seriously... would I tell a friend, "oh no, you can't eat today, because you ate yesterday, you pig?" I would not. So how on Earth is it okay to say that to yourself?"
– finewhateverbot
Just Do It
"Anything worth doing is worth halfa**ing"
"Cant shower? washcloth. Cant cook? frozen dinners. Cant exercise? stand outside for a moment or by an open window."
"Do the little things"
– crazymissdaisy87
"This was a huge push for me breaking out of my depressive episodes. Don't have the energy to just brush your teeth, floss, then mouth wash? Grab your tooth brush wet it and do a few scrubs. That's all it takes."
"Often times you will "I'm already here might as well do the rest of it" and it helps a ton."
– damboy99
Helping Others Help You
"You know that good feeling you get when you help someone? Asking for help is giving someone else the opportunity to feel that way."
– WingZombie
Them, Not You
"I was having trouble with a co-worker. She was always criticizing me and annoying me. It didn’t have any practical effect on my job or career (she wasn’t on my team, nor was she in a position of authority) but it was demoralizing and unpleasant."
"I brought it up with my boss and he sighed and before he walked away, he said only “She’s a b*tch.”"
"It was terrific! I realized, yes, she is a b*tch. She complains about me and insults me, because she is an unpleasant person. It has nothing to do with me and it only has the effect on me that I allow it to have."
– substantial-freud
Lower The Pressure
"The best advice a coworker-turned-friend ever gave me when I complained sometimes I found the company drinks excruciatingly boring was "you know you don't have to enjoy things, right?""
"Suddenly showed me that I somehow had internalised that me finding things boring meant something was wrong with me, rather than with the things."
– SteveXVI
Superheroes Are You
"You're not your trauma"
– nomnemnem
"Unless your trauma was being bitten by a radioactive spider, in which case, you might be Spiderman."
– mahmoudhanine9t7
I Like To Move It, Move It
"To start working out ( Nothing major, walks etc) and to find a hobby I like to do."
– Connect_Door6700
"A lot of people roll their eyes at this one, but it’s so true. Even something like walking daily can have a massive impact on your mental health."
– underhooking
Appreciate You
"Go where your celebrated not where your tolerated . idk why but this quote got me a lot further in life when I was going through my trauma"
– sudocanna
"After the last 4 years being at a job that sucked my soul and confidence out of me every single day, I feel this. Found a new job where my knowledge and skill was appreciated and acknowledged (and the pay was wayyy higher). I literally cried after my first day at my new job because I had forgotten what it felt like to be seen."
– ChaplnGrillSgt
Hydrate
"I was so confused when someone told me to start drinking water regularly. I feel myself much happier and healthier"
– buggybboo
No One Cares About You...And That's Good
""People don't give a f*ck about you. Everyone gives a f*ck about themselves and has anxiety of how other people perceive them. They are too busy being paranoid themselves. Literally nobody gives a single f*ck about what you do or did or didn't do.""
"This extremely helped my panic attacks about joining a new team and having to give presentations to them, feeling super self conscious. As soon as I realized they don't actually notice the things about myself I'm hyper aware of, everything became easier."
– momoji13
Looking Forward
"To always have something to look forward to. Whether it's a new episode of a show every week or a D&D session with your friends just make sure that you always have something to look forward to during the week."
– Heather_Chandelier
Lesson Learned
"Mistakes should be treated as lessons not regrets. Once you realize what you have learned from the mistake, let it go."
– Xuntosub
Control Your Reactions
"You are more than what happens to you. Also, you have a right to feel angry if you've been wronged, but you still have to find ways to move forward. Even if you don't forgive and forget."
– Levelless86
"This is true. I went through a major depressive episode in my early 20s and had a friend cajole me into therapy. I had dropped out of college, gone through a series of dead-end jobs, and isolated myself from any meaningful relationships."
"I spent the entire first session explaining how everything that had gone wrong in my life could be connected back to my father. When I eventually took a breath, the therapist halted my rant. She told me that the abuse was categorically his fault, but everything I had done since and was doing now was my choice and in my control."
"That statement alone didn’t fix anything, but I saw that I was stuck emotionally at the age of my abuse. I needed to find a way to restart the clock. We started focusing my efforts on mindfulness, accountability, and forming healthy, mature relationships. I worked on moving forward and building self confidence. It was infinitely more beneficial than rehashing the past and “how did that make you feel” discussions."
– imgoingtostealtheDOI
Is There Any Evidence To Back Up That Theory?
"If you’re an overthinker, learn to segregate your thoughts by asking yourself is it an assumption based thought or an evidence based one."
– Downtown_Mixture6380
As a fellow overthinker, this is amazing advice!
The first time I went to India on vacation to visit family, I had a terrifying experience.
I was nine years old. My grandma called my name, so I turned to face her. She told me lunch was ready and asked me to tell my brother, who was in another room. I turned around and saw a large monkey standing in the middle of the living room!
I let out a short yell but couldn't move to say anything. Luckily, my grandma saw the monkey as well. I didn't know what to do; I knew there were monkeys everywhere. I saw them in the trees. However, I never expected one to come into the house!
My grandma was able to scare it away. She closed our front door so it wouldn't happen again and explained to me monkeys sometimes liked to come into houses if they smell food, like our lunch.
Looking back on it, the experience was more interesting than anything, but nine-year-old me refused to go outside again for three days and made sure all the doors were closed and locked, not trusting monkeys not to be smart enough to use a doorknob.
I'm definitely not the only person who has had a terrifying experience in a foreign country.
It all started when Redditor J3nnyDoll asked:
What's the weirdest/scariest thing you've experienced in a foreign country?"
In Parents We Trust?
"I got lost in an underground city in Tukey as a child. I stepped away from my parents and group to look at something, and when I turned around, they were all gone. I couldn't find anyone who spoke English for a while until finally a man who spoke a little English helped me find my way back to the surface to wait for my parents to come back out. Thankfully, one of the women from our group was already there because she had gotten claustrophobic. Being "lost" was scary enough, but not being able to communicate terrified me. Then, when my parents came up, they didn't even realize I had been lost. So that became the scariest thing, realizing I wasn't exactly "safe" with my parents' inattentiveness."
– fleurdwoman
The Other Side
"A few years ago I'm in Saudi Arabia on business. The company CEO had advised me to use Uber there, because it would be easier than talking to a cabbie who probably didn't speak English. At the end of the trip, I get an Uber to head back to the airport. I notice that the driver blows right past the airport turn-off. It feels like we're heading out into the desert. Pretty quickly, I'm starting to get nervous. I try to ask what is going on, but the guy just looks in the rearview mirror and smiles."
"A few miles later, he's finally taking a turn into, not the airport, but a Saudi air force base! He pulls up to the gates, and out come the guards, yelling at him and pointing their weapons. Now I'm practically crapping my pants in the back seat! WTH is going on? I'm going to be shot or arrested trying to enter a Saudi base illegally because of a f*cking Uber driver!"
"The guy eventually backs up and turns around. We get back on the highway, go a few miles, and he turns off, again. This time, he chose the entrance for all the highway coaches (buses) for people going to the Hajj at Mecca! It's Ramadan, and the place is packed with Muslims making the sacred journey. It's another repeat of this idiot getting himself yelled at again for being in the wrong place. At least this time the guys doing the yelling are not armed, but still..."
"We're back on the highway again in a few minutes, and for the second time, the guy drives right past the correct airport turn-off. I'm in the back wondering how hard I can punch the CEO in the face without getting fired. FFS now where are we going?"
"He follows the highway into town and does this big arc and now we're driving parallel to the previous path of chaos, but about 5 or 6 kms away. The airport is on my right now (it was to the left, previously). This time he takes the first exit, but I'm not familiar with it, but it's the airport, so I'm not complaining."
"As we get closer to the terminals, I realize we're on the wrong side of the airport (like domestic flights versus international flights). He needs to reverse his course, and drive all the way around the outside along that big loop, again. F*ck that. I'm getting out without saying anything. At least I'm at the airport, and maybe there's a shuttle."
"Nope, no shuttle. There are, however, about 50 cab drivers all offering to take me, somewhere, but all they can say is "you need cab?" That's it. One guy sorta steps forward. I'm asking for someone who speaks English and he finally brings a young guy around. In addition to saying "you need cab?", this guy can also say "no problem, I drive you there." It's progress. I show him my airline ticket and he realizes right away I'm on the wrong side of the airport. I ask him how much to go to the other side, and he says it will be the equivalent of $50USD. For a 10 minute ride!"
"Seemed like a better rate than Uber."
"FWIW I wrote a complaint to Uber. They reimbursed me immediately."
– dromard666
Summoning
"I used to teach English in Japan. I didn’t get off most nights until 9pm, so it was close to 10 by the time I made it to the train stop near my apartment. One night I’m walking home and the street is dead, except for this elementary school boy walking towards me and whistling."
"In Japan, whistling at night is said to attract demons so I was a bit unsettled by his behavior. The kid just kept whistling. I hurried home, demon free."
"I also used to find long thick black hair in my apartment in places I’d recently cleaned. I don’t have thick black hair, my hair is fine and red, so that was weird. I also didn’t have guests with hair like that so, who knows!"
– Lost_Feature8488
An Unsung Hero
"In Egypt, as I was leaving, an official guy in uniform came over and asked to see my passport and put it straight into his pocket and said I was being detained. Walked me over to a side office and told me to wait inside."
"I didn't go in and told him (maybe stupidly) that I was about to miss my flight and he said, he could 'make the process faster' if I paid the 'administrative fee'. Fine - a bribe whatever. Wasn't the first time on this trip. I take out the literal last of my cash and hand it to him, he puts it straight into his pocket and says 'not enough.'"
"I'm explaining that it's literally all of the money I have and this woman, not in any kind of uniform, walks over to the guy, says something to him quite quietly (like speaking into his ear) and he looks petrified. Just absolutely terrified. Immediately gives me back my passport and not just the cash I gave him but some more that I guess he got from someone else before me and starts apologising to me profusely and even offered to escort me to my gate."
"She just smiled at me and told me to have a nice flight."
– PhiloPhocion
Mysterious, Very Mysterious
"Few years back I was in Russia (I don't recall what was name of that place I was in) and well..."
"If I remember it correctly then I was in some smaller town that looked like ghost town. You could see outside only few people and buildings looked abandoned. Also almost no cars. Prety weird and scary, but the peek was at one of outer edges there was a small forest and small wall in front of it. Nothing else around. Just small forest with small clean untoutched concrete wall. And on some trees in that small forest I saw hats just hanging from there. I sadly don't have photos of that place, but I know I never will return there."
– Omikron_1
Racing The Sun
"A few years ago I was visiting Colombia and need to travel into the interior from Cartagena. It was about a 6 hour drive to where I was going so I arrange for a car the next morning and off we go."
"As we get deeper into the countryside I notice the driver seems a little hurried. Like tires screeching around corners and weaving through moving traffic. I was already a little nervous and he was making me more nervous, so I ask him if everything's okay and that I'm not in that big of a hurry so he can take his time."
"He looks in the mirror back at me and says "it's not safe for you to be out here at night so we need to hurry.""
"Of course I'm just sitting there kinda thinking well, sh*t. So I ask him if it's that serious and he looks back in the mirror at me again and says "dangerous for you and dangerous for me to be with you.""
"And then it clicked he wasn't just worried about me, he was scared for himself. Last hour or so of that drive, racing the fading Sun was absolutely panic-inducing."
"I've been to the country a few more times now and have yet to experience anything bad but that car ride seriously freaked me out in the moment."
– Kodiak_Runnin_Track
Keep Your Information Private
"In Tunisia cops stopped our Taxi, wanted our papers and to know where we stay. Soon afterwards taxi driver said we shouldn’t have told him. A few days later the cop comes to reception saying he’s our friend. That was a mess. Luckily I ran into our tour guide who got rid of him. Seems the cop was hoping some ”donation.”"
– mrSunshine-_
Shiver Me Timbers!
"Real pirates rolled up on our beach in Jamaica. The local police had to chase them off. Crazy site for sure."
– Str8Thuggin13
No Peace
"Taking an overnight ferry during a People to People program in the summer with a bunch of high schoolers. Overnight from Italy to Sicily."
"Bunch of younger to middle aged dudes not in the group were constantly hitting on the girls and were trying to proposition them back to their cabins on the ship. A few of us saw some trying to follow us back to our own rooms and a male teacher had to intervene."
"Later that night when in the room with the three other girls we heard our door being tested to see if locked. I was fully prepared to claw the eyes out of any motherf*cker who successfully got in but it was a f*ckin scary sleepless night."
– SeaOfFireflies
Man's Best Friend
"I have a friend that's from South Africa. He was going to go back for a bit to visit some family and friends. He invited me along. We stayed with one of his friends who live in a really old colonial house in, quite literally, the middle of nowhere. This house has a fence around the entire property."
"We were returning to the house one night. It was very dark. No street lights or anything. We pulled up to the gate to the property. I was in the passenger seat so I hopped out to open the gate. As I opened the gate I thought I heard something run past me, but a bit in the distance. I was a bit spooked so I quickly closed the gate after the vehicle passed through. When I fully closed it I heard the same thing run past me, but this time much closer."
"I knew I wasn't just hearing things this time. I was absolutely freaked out. Here I was in the middle of nowhere in a country with plenty of animals that can quite easily tear me apart. At this point I started running back to the vehicle. As I was running I heard the same thing run after me, but it was gaining on me. As I reached the door the thing reached me. This time, I could see it and it was indeed an animal. It was the house owner's friendly dog excited to see me. I never felt so relieved in my entire life. I thought for sure I was going to die."
– slicedbread1991
Shopping Can Be Scary
"When I was in Turkey my friend and I (F23 and F28) were walking through a small market just browsing. We stopped next to one shop to take a look on something. Owner immediately jumped in trying to persuade us to buy (which is normal) or for my friend (and only her) to go with him upstairs to see more goods. When we refused and turned to walk away he grabbed my friend by upper arm and hauled her to the stairs. We both were screaming and hitting him but he only let go when I twisted his thumb making him loosen his hold. My friend had huge bruise on her arm for the rest of vacation."
– Milhent
I'm thankful all I had to deal with was a monkey!
Do you have any travel experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
All this popularity of fan fiction and fan theory.
Fans have continued to add to their favorite cinematic and television universe through different theories and fiction writing.
Some fill in gaps and major plotholes, and some make you look at some of your favorite classics with entirely new eyes.
Redditor phantom_avenger wanted to discuss what fan fiction may not need to be made, so they asked:
"What's a dark and disturbing fan theory from a kid's movie or show that you believe is 100% true?"
Fan theories freak me out.
Where do people come up with some of this stuff?
Donkey boys
Good Morning Smile GIF by DreamWorks AnimationGiphy"That donkey from Shrek is one of the talking donkey boys from Pinocchio."
Psychological_Put395
"I didn’t know who the 'donkey boys' were, but I looked it up and it’s horrifying on its own… to see one of those boys grown up and still a Donkey seems pretty dark to me!"
spolite
She's a Help
"The trolls in Frozen manipulated everything to get Christoph on the throne beside Anna, including making Hans go crazy, all the way back to their parent's deaths."
PicnutIn
"Frozen 2, guess who happens to show up in 2 mins after Elsa ‘activates’ the four elemental spirits to ‘help out’ the citizens of Arendelle."
"Guess who tells the queen and her only heir ‘we’ll look after the capital while you go the enchanted forest that no-one is able to escape from’. Guess who tells Elsa she needs to undercover the truth about her past which in the end makes her dive too deep and get frozen solid in Ahtohallen. Grand Pabbie is a villain confirmed."
Cryptand_Bismol
Crazy/Cracked
"Casper is the ghost of Richie Rich."
Apprehensive_Goal811
"I read a Casper 'parody' comic strip in 'Crazy' magazine when I was a kid that was a bit like this. 'Cracked' was a low-rent terrible shadow of MAD magazine, but 'Crazy' was the next tier down, just nasty."
"In the story, the kid's dad throws him head first into a TV (CRT type), killing him, and his spirit is left floating around: Casper the ghost."
"It made me so upset and worried as a kid and made me feel yucky inside. I wish I had never read it. It still comes to mind even today, and the sour feeling with it."
The_One-Armed_Badger
Thins them out...
"Peter Pan kills the Lost Boys when they become adults. The pirates are Lost Boys who ran away and formed a conclave to protect themselves from Peter."
"The book technically says that when Lost Boys grow up Peter 'thins them out' which could be killing or could be kicking them out of Neverland. But if he kicks them out, where do the pirates come from?"
Lord_Mikal
"Peter Pan is definitely killing the Lost Boys that start to grow up, and the ones who dare to rebel against him, the ones who get tired of playing with him too. Those who survive then become pirates."
Rare_Hovercraft_6673
And Piggy?
Press Conference Kermit GIFGiphy"Kermit the frog caused 9/11."
"In lt's a very merry muppet Christmas movie, they edit out the twin towers, however, they forget to do it in the 'what would life be like if I didn't exist bit.'"
"Meaning canonically, kermit the frog caused 9/11."
kg123xyz
Now that one is wild.
Torn
beauty and the beast smile GIF by DisneyGiphy"That the Beast from 'Beauty and the Beast' killed some of his servants because of a brief scene revealing torn apart furniture and several other inanimate objects."
Kandy_669
Science
"The Telly Tubbies are human scientists on a terraforming mission in the far future. They crash landed while still in hypersleep, trapped inside their bio- encounter suits, their minds reduced to those of children. The world they live in is the result of the attempts of the ship AI (sunbaby) to simultaneously complete the mission and rehabilitate the crew."
WittyNomDePlume
Yo home to Bel-AIr
"That Will Smith died during the fight on the playground and being sent to his family in Bel-Air was actually heaven. That’s why his parents would only see him on his birthday/other holidays, because they were visiting his grave."
G8585
"Would also make sense as to why he and the fiancé just randomly called off their wedding at the altar. Entangling someone else wouldn't match with whatever purgatorial state he was in."
"Then the parents bizarrely getting married instead let him know his loved ones were going to be ok without him. Kinda sweet in a way. Still, I never understood that storyline."
Dangercakes13
The Dark King
"Prior to the events of Lion King 2 Simba and Nala had another child (this is the cub seen at the end of the first movie), however that cub was murdered by Zira resulting in the banishment of the Outsiders.
"Hence why Zazu refers to them as 'murderous' outsiders and why Simba is so overprotective of Kiara. Also, while not in itself 'evidence' the movie does make a quick reference to Kopa from the Lion King books. At the start of the song We Are One Simba pushes Kiara off a rock and her tail lands on her head."
"The way the tail floor is positioned makes it look like she has the same mane as Kopa did in the book (so even if this theory may not have been intentionally part of the story it is possible Kopa still served as a partial inspiration for some of the writers and animators)."
"And yes, IK Kopa survived in the books, but I prefer the idea of him dying or at the very least never returning. Since if that isn't the case it'd mean he's the 'true' king and that'd undercut Kiara's story."
Theher0not
Interesting
Flying George Jetson GIFGiphy"The Flintstones and Jetsons take place at the same time, reflecting the widening divide between the wealthiest and poorest of society."
FalseAlarmEveryone
Now that is a show I'd watch.
Do you have any other theories? Let us know in the comment below.
Few things can give you a better cry than a sad movie ending.
It's cathartic and horrible all at once.
I still weep at 'Ghost.'
That ending will always be relevant.
Also, there is something beautiful about crying as a group of strangers in the dark together.
Note: there are movie spoilers below.
Redditor Fl1p1 wanted to talk about the times movies left us in tears, so they asked:
"Which movie has the saddest ending of all time?"
I've shed so many tears in theaters. I can't keep track.
But I will say one word... "Titanic."
Knock Out
morgan freeman boxing GIFGiphy"Million Dollar Baby."
thesweet_submissive
"Damn, I was gonna say the same. I went in blind and that sad ending hit me like a truck. I wept so much alone in my room. The only movie to evoke such a strong emotion from me."
if**kbarney
I Love Literature
"Of Mice and Men."
3BlindMonks
"Oof we had to read the book in high school, and we read THAT part aloud in class. Before we began, the teacher gave a tissue box to each row of desks, and all us teens were like 'that’s a bit dramatic isn’t it haha.'"
"Then while reading that scene, most of the class ended up either quietly crying or at least visibly sad. I love literature, i majored in English, and I know reading isn’t everyone’s cup of tea; to see a novel move the ones that didn’t even enjoy literature to begin with was truly inspiring. I think seeing a novel move people so drastically is what really pushed me into creative writing."
gothboob69
So... Moving
"Where the red fern grows."
Fun-Training-6241
"I had a sociopath for a 6th grade English teacher that made the class take turns reading this book aloud. So cruel. Everyone was choked up."
WhiskyNerdFAF
"It was actually the VERY ending that got to me, where he's talking about wishing how he could go back and visit his old stomping grounds and maybe find a 2 bit axe with a rusty lantern hanging off of it. I grew up in the woods and seeing evidence of your old past self still preserved is so... moving."
spazmatt527
I'm Tired Boss
"The Green Mile."
Short_Perspective72
"I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. Tired of not ever having me a buddy to be with, or tell me where we's coming from or going to, or why. Mostly I'm tired of people being ugly to each other."
Johnny_Grubbonic
"Saw it in the movies. Everyone in the theater cried. Even when the credits started to roll and the lights went on, we all sat there for a couple minutes collecting ourselves. Hadn’t seen anything like that, before or since then."
DopeCharma
Bye Jenny
Academy Awards Film GIF by CBSGiphy"Forrest Gump. I wouldn’t say it is the 'saddest' however the ending where they visit Jenny’s grave, gets me every time."
Emeraldfox_5
"The part where Bubba dies got me even more."
RandomMemer_42069
Forrest Gump always sets the tears flowing.
A Hard Hit
ewan mcgregor popcorn GIFGiphy"Big Fish... Fantastic movie. I generally don't do emotional with movies but damn this one hit hard. Probably topped my childhood tears of Optimus Prime being killed off in the Transformers movie when I was a kid."
sirandtheirDLW
Family Fun?
"My Girl."
longtallsally15
"On Weekends my dad always looked into the tv magazine and chose a kids movie for us to watch. No warning for it, just 'lovely movie for the whole family.'"
"So me, overly empathic 7 year old watched it… and ended up crying for like 2 hours. My father ended up calling the magazine hotline to yell at them. Since then I spoil myself with endings. Unless I know it has a good ending I just can‘t watch movies."
kamalaophelia
Gut Wrenching
"Life is Beautiful."
mazlow01
"Gawd that movie is so hard to watch but is so amazing."
PirateJohn75
"I literally just saw a clip of this movie in a documentary of where he goofily goose steps around the corner in front of his son with a nazi behind him a couple of days ago and just burst into tears. That movie is gut wrenching."
ArmadilloNext9714
"Also my answer. As a Jew who lost ancestors in the Holocaust, that movie had a physical impact on me."
CommissarCiaphisCain
Bad History
"Bridge to Terabithia."
OkFineBanMe68
"I knew nothing about the movie or book when I went in so it was a huge surprise to me and honestly it tore me to pieces when it played out."
Malikhi
"I read that book in school. Didn’t like it. Movie came out and my mom was like hey that was a school book we should go see it. I said nah no thanks I was a kid when I read it I’ll pass."
"She says fine takes my younger brother (4years younger than me so maybe 10 at this time) and two of my cousins (10 and 8) and my aunt."
"My mom came home so upset and I was just hangin' on the couch. She started yelling at me asking why I didn’t warn them and how come I let them go see that stupid movie. I got grounded for it."
VolubleWanderer
Value
"Schindler’s List."
"Though 1100 Jews were saved, Schindler broke down and mourned over not saving more. Instead of patting himself on the back about what he achieved, he came to understand the value of human life and wished he had done more."
Breathtaking
Great Job Congrats GIF by Cappa Video ProductionsGiphy"The Whale recently. The reveal of the letter had me shattered."
bharatchipkar6
The Whale was a lot. But beautiful. See it.
Do you have any to add? Let us know in the comments.