People Reveal What They Didn't Understand As A Kid That Makes Perfect Sense Now

I get it now!

Oprah says it best, it's amazing when you reach life's Ah-Ha moments. The things that we learn as we age can be life altering. Often you look back and wonder... "how was I so dense?" Then there are always those moments of clarity where you think.... "now how can I un-learn this?

Redditor u/xXRealMWXx wanted to compare notes on life lessons by asking.... What did you not understand as a kid, but you now understand as an adult?


There is an Ah-ha Moment!

Giphy

You wouldn't care what people thought of you if you knew how seldom they think of you. lilmisssuccubus

Thanks Alanis.... 

The Alanis Morissette lyric "You're my best friend / best friend with benefits" from "Head Over Feet." I told my parents that my best friend was my best friend with benefits when I was like 8, and they laughed hysterically and I just assumed it's because they weren't cool and into Alanis' music and didn't understand that it clearly meant "super best friend." And in a way I guess it does mean that. bripatrick

Ho-Ho... NO.

That my parents couldn't just double the presents this Christmas if I tell them it's okay to not do anything for next Christmas. Maplemore

Alright Johnny, it's time we had a talk about Time Value of Money. ofthedove

Left, Right and Sideways....

The whole "my right vs. your right" thing confused the heck out of me as a preschooler. I knew my own lefts and rights but when my mom was facing me and used to say "my right isn't the same as your right." I learned to just do the opposite of what she looked like. Problem is this led to me thinking that the difference was because of AGE, so kid's lefts and rights were the opposite of adult's lefts and rights. So somehow I got the idea in my head that when you turned 21 your lefts and rights switched (I have no clue why I specifically thought 21, I had this image in my head of blowing out 21 candles and everyone saying congratulations and you get some kind of certificate to officially switch them). Well I'm 21 now and my lefts and rights never switched. tripper74

You made it through the wilderness....

Giphy

I didn't know what virginity was and my dad would say I would understand when I got older. In the meantime, I thought it would make such a pretty name for a girl. cdngoneguy

Sacrifice.... 

The stress of paying bills and budgeting. My parents tried to keep this hidden from me but I could tell how much they carefully budgeted. They also sacrificed for us kids. I didn't get that until I had a dog first and then children. marya123mary

It's not "actual" fruit you know?

Why my parents wouldn't let me eat 3 fruit roll-ups per day. Lead5alad

I remember being almost 4 and eating an entire box of Blue fruit roll ups. They were Garfield themed. Later that night, we had a babysitter who I didn't know well. I ended up needing to poop, and tried my best at wiping myself (no way I was going to call out for the baby sitter). The paper was blue after my attempt at wiping myself. I didn't know what to do or even how to properly wipe. My toddler solution was to Scotch Tape a wad of TP to my butt. Imagine my parents trying to understand why there's a blue crap wad taped to their 3 year old's butt. RichardBurger

Recess runs out...

Vacations and breaks aren't a given. You don't just get to stop working for a few weeks randomly throughout the year, and no one plans around your vacation - you must plan all of your own (and sometimes other people's) work around your departures. Oh, and vacations are expensive. There's probably a reason that Billy down the block's family is able to take five people to Disney World: because they have money.

I'm a violin teacher now and blew this poor kid's mind this past weekend when he asked me what I was doing for spring break. I sort of stared at him for a second, and then remembered that spring break is a thing that kids get... so I told him that I'm working because I don't get a spring break and he was just completely aghast. Sorry buddy, the adult world isn't as fun as being a kid. artemis_floyd

You can still be Prince... 

  • I used to think that living beyond 24 was crazy and impossible
  • I used to think you would grow up to be a particular person instead of a larger version of yourself. I genuinely thought I could become Prince.
  • I really thought I'd need the karate chop as a part of my adult life. Sprenth

Let's Wrestle....

Giphy

When one time I accidentally walked in on my parents, they weren't "just wrestling." adirtymedic

My 5 year old son walked in on me and my SO. Watched us for I have no clue how long before breaking the muffled quiet with "can I play with you guys?" I was so horrified, all I could muster was "NO. Go to bed!"

He started crying and after I got dressed and went to check on him he said he was sad he wasn't allowed to wrestle and play with us. Oh God I'm so embarrassed just remembering it. Manderelli

REDDIT

Woman with her head in her hands behind a laptop comuputer.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

When on trial for a crime, no matter how great or small, you are still innocent until proven guilty.

Sadly, when it comes to your friends, family, or bosses you may not be presumed innocent and might find yourself scolded for a missing piece of clothing or technology, forgetting to close a window, or any number of menial, inconsequential things.

In spite of the fact that you, in fact, didn't do it and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that you did.

Nonetheless, whether their judgement is clouded by frustration, or they were simply looking for a reason to scold and yell at you, you still might find yourself at their wrath.

Even if you can't help but giggle at what you're being accused of.

Keep reading...Show less

Movies are meant to make us feel things.

What those things are is intimate to each individual.

Art shines a light on the here and now.

And no art or film is better at that than documentaries.

Thanks to the golden age of television we are inundated with documentaries.

They give us a glimpse into real life.

And real life... is horrible.

Some documentaries leave more nighrtmares than Michale Myers.

Keep reading...Show less
books on brown wooden shelf
Photo by Susan Q Yin on Unsplash

CW: graphic depictions of novels.

When I was in eighth-grade honors English, our first book of the year was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Unlike with other books, our eyes didn't glaze over as we read. In fact, we were enthralled.

We were very invested in the characters, we all cried at the end, and even though the book didn't have a happy ending, we bonded through the sadness and were still happy we were able to read the book.

My mom, who passed on her love of reading to me, always read the books we were assigned for school. She hated this one.

While she could appreciate the story and understood it was a product of its time, she thought the story, especially the end, maybe a bit inappropriate for students my age. She was not the type to make a stink about things, but she let me know her feelings.

My mom's opinion was not all that unique. There are lots of parents who weren't always fans of what their kids had to read for school.

Sometimes it's because they would've liked their child to be a little older when they read a particular book. This was my mom's complaint about Of Mice and Men. Other people don't think particular books are appropriate for school at all.

Those people took to Reddit to share what books they read in school that they wouldn't want their kids to read in school today...at least, not until they are a little older.

Keep reading...Show less

What do we really know about famous people?

Not much if we're honest.

But that doesn't stop us from prying into their lives and dissecting and destroying it.

It feels like society needs to have people to build up and tear down.

Is it that we all need an enemy?

Or is it just another form of reality tv?

So many people, celebrity and non-celebrity have been heaped on with vitriol.

Their lives often take a downturn.

Then in hindsight, upon re-examing, we learn maybe society went too far.

And those people too were just trying to survive.

Keep reading...Show less