As children, we saw the world as a very simple place. We thought we knew everything, and that nothing would ever hurt us. Oh how we were wrong, almost all of the time.
Weelie92 asked:
What's the dumbest idea you had as a child?
A happy ending, at least?
"I once tried to build my own trampoline."
"Placed four chairs a good distance apart, spread a bed sheet across them, and put something heavy to hold down the sheet. Now, a smart person would test this, make sure it's going to hold my weight or actually work like a trampoline. I did not take any such precautions, and took a dive face first from the back of the couch."
"And that's how I got the scar on my forehead."
"I did get a real trampoline when I was older though, never even got hurt on it."
Catshit-Dogfart
Poor mom.
Giphy"I dug a hole in the back yard thinking I could build an underground house. My mum ended up falling into it when she went to hang some shirts on the laundry line. Luckily she didn't get hurt."
lil_meme1o1
They're lucky they didn't learn the hard way.
"I remember reading The Boxcar Children and I was convinced that anyone who was like 13 years old was basically an adult, and could survive by themselves."
"My parents were constantly finding the hoard of canned food and camping supplies that I was trying to squirrel away in order to try to live in the woods."
SaltySolicitor
Wow.
"I tried to roast marshmallows on steam from the dishwasher."
phoenixrising0711
They'll value their sleep once they hit adulthood.
Giphy"That the world was stupid for thinking 6-8 hours sleep was necessary. For about one academic year, I stayed up till about 3am playing games or watching films or even doing last minute homework and woke up at 6 for school."
"I was falling asleep in the afternoon lessons every day but I got back home and perked up again. Most of that year is a blur. I think it also coincided with when I stopped growing taller."
the-londoner
Awkward.
"I thought booby traps had something to do with boobies."
"So I went like a commando through the backyards in the neighbourhood and stole bras off the clothes lines. Since I figured - they already trap boobies at some level - they are the material needed to build my larger trap."
"My dad found whatever insane net I tried to build by connecting them all together stashed in the garage and was pretty confused, then pretty upset when I told him what I was working on."
"Since I had no record of where I got them from he made me go door to door asking if any females in the house were missing bras, then go through my entire collection to pick out which one."
"No one was very happy based on my actions."
billbapapa
Dream crushed.
"I thought that if you put blank copy paper in the copier it would make infinite paper."
"My dream of ruining the paper market at a young age was cut short when the paper ran out of the copier."
Mossyalmond
Bullet dodged.
Giphy"I formed a detective agency with my friends and would scour the local newspaper for cases to solve. Got really excited when I read that there were people down the street who's son just died suddenly. Was just leaving the house to go interview the dead kid's parents when thankfully my mom found out and stopped us."
That could've gone very wrong.
"Bungie jumping from the tree out front of my house. With a rope tied around my waist. Dad found me asleep hanging from the tree an hour later."
Shes_dead_Jim
How did they think this was a good idea?
"I learned that the shape of proteins make up stuff in your body, such as your eye color."
"I wished I had different colored eyes."
"I learned that proteins get denatured (change shape) when put in certain conditions, such as high temperature."
"Fast forward to me boiling a pot of water under my face in hopes of the steam changing my eye color."
theslimsandy
OUCH!!
"I wondered what would happen if I stapled my thumb. Answer was it f**king hurt and bled."
MorbidMunchkin
"I once did that too, but it wasn't serious at all. Told my friend about it, and he didn't believe me saying 'you would stop when it starts to hurt.' Then he tried to show me how you can't do it and stapled his thumb, only deeper."
perec1111
So I failed...
"In 9th grade biology class in the late 80s I had an idea to cure AIDS. I made it my science fair project. I thought that if you can keep the patient in a sterile environment (like the boy in the bubble) and suppress white cell production, the virus would starve. I even looked up the name of the drug that could suppress the white dell production."
"Then once there was no trace of the virus, administer a white cell boosting drug an BOOM. AIDS free. Unfortunately, the effort I put into this post is about the same as the effort I put into the science fair project. So I failed. AND the science teacher told me that the virus would probably mutate to thrive off of other types of cells."
CatchingRays
Hey Mario...
Mushroom Love GIF by Oklahoma FungiGiphy"I once ate a mushroom growing from some grass near my house and went home and told my dad that I ate a mushroom and was gonna grow bigger like Mario. My dad went berserk and demanded I show him where i ate it from. It wasn't until i grew up until I realized how dangerous it could have been."
Faster
"I thought that traffic lights were all controlled by one person in a big control room with a bunch of monitors and switches. Sometimes I would wonder if it were possible to achieve contact and ask for the lights to switch faster. Or there was the time I thought my dancing, singing flowerpot that had the flowers spin would be great to curl my hair with."
Aleiocus
10 years later...
"I thought that if I just tried really hard and got stronger that I could pick myself up by my legs and fly. No clue how long I tried that before I realized I couldn't get it to work. Coincidentally, 10 years later, I'm at my ex-gf's house and I see her younger brother sitting with his legs crossed and trying to pull them up. I proceed to ask him what he's doing and if he's alright (he was straining pretty hard). Turns out he was trying to do the exact same thing."
hungryfarmer
Fallen
The Exorcist Stairs GIF by filmeditorGiphy"That I could execute the act of flipping down the stairs. I gathered my whole family around the staircase while I sat at the top. I don’t remember whether I told them my plan or not but they all let me count down and then start falling down the stairs."
letsmovetocalifornia
Wheels Off
"I wanted to go in tighter circles when riding my bike. My mom was napping so I found her screwdriver and took my training wheels off. Then I did go in tighter circles. It was fun until the wheels kicked out and I fell on my forehead. Hello concussion. I remember being proud I got the training wheels off, proud I could go without them, then blank, then mad freezies were on my head. I wanted to eat them."
DaughterEarth
High Above
season 4 wow GIF by PortlandiaGiphy"There used to be a couple of paragliders that would fly above our neighborhood during summer evenings. I thought I could join them by just grabbing the corners of my security blanket and jumping off of something tall. I also did not know what hills were until I was four."
Kangaroodle
VHS Disaster
"Me and my sister's thought that our VHS player got hungry so we fed ours blocks of butter over the space of a few weeks and we pushed it in as far as it would go."
"Eventually my mum tried play a VHS tape and it wouldn't work. So she got someone out to fix it, they opened it up and found a bucket load of butter in there. Safe to to say she want best pleased."
BroskiTheChocobo
Kids are the best, aren't they?
There are few moments in life more momentous than buying your first home.
Of course, as is the case with any big decision, after going through with it, your mind begins to spiral down into a series of doubts.
Most of the time, once you've moved in and lived there for a while, all these doubts begin to slowly disappear.
In some cases, though, those doubts quickly turn into regrets.
Particularly when you notice more and more elements of what you thought was your "dream" home that is more reminiscent of a nightmare.
Redditor californiabred was curious to hear the biggest regrets from people who recently purchased a home, leading them to ask:
"Homeowners who bought recently, what’s your biggest regret?"
Not The What, But The When
"Not buying 4 years ago."- 3rdPartyArbitor
Location, Location, Location!
"The situation when you bought a house where it was possible and a month later they sell a house in the area where you wanted"- BenefitOk3952
"Not knowing enough about the area/town."
"I hate where we live."
"Hoping we can move by the time my oldest starts kindergarten."- MP1087
jason patric fox GIF by Wayward PinesGiphyUpon Closer Inspection...
"The inspector told us the main drain in the basement was clogged."
"We thought it was clogged with something normal."
"It was, in fact, 'clogged' with cement from when our basement floor was redone."
"So now our basement regularly gets standing water on one side."- doctorpotterhead
"Hiring the wrong home inspector they missed so much, I really have to wonder if all those reviews were bought and paid for."- CaptainQuoth
Landscaping Decisions
"Not planting the fruit trees sooner."
"It’s a long wait."- SageLeaf1
Plant Hope GIF by The Seed of Life FoundationGiphyHow Long Have You Got...
"Be shameless enough to perform your own base level of inspection of a house so you don’t have to rely on what an inspector finds or get in a situation where you have to make an offer regardless of what the inspection finds."
"Turn all the faucets on and run the dishwasher."
"Start the washer machine for a second."
"Figure out if there is any water pressure issue."
"Bring a multi line laser and a tape measure."
"Check for any significant changes in slope on the foundation for some settling issues."
"Pay attention to the downspouts."
"Do they terminate right at the house or do they have longer pipes that lead the water away?"
"Pay attention to the flooring and create a rough estimate of what it will cost to immediately replace the flooring."
"Way easier to do when you don’t have a house full of furniture and can do it right before you move in."
"On the financial side you need to talk with multiple lenders at all times and make sure they continue to give you the most up to date closing costs."
"There were a lot of sneaky numbers that made there way in that I was unaware of as a first time home buyer."
"Until that mortgage lender gives you the locked in rate don’t trust them as to what number they are currently telling you."
"Discover your maximum mortgage rate + escrow and work backwards as to the maximum house you can afford."
"Don’t buy based on the pipe dream of refinancing."- from_the_Luft
GIF by BlindspotGiphyProcrastination...
"Not recent, but I still regret not refinishing the floors before I moved in."
"I'll never do it now."- WinterFilmAwards
"I regret not having the inside painted and the carpet replaced before we moved in."
"Been here two years and it never felt like 'my home' until I got rid of the stains of those who came before."- DaisyRage7
Consider A Test Drive...
"Not particularly recent, but we did not pull out cars in the driveway or attempt to park them."
"So we didn't realize that my car could only enter the driveway from one direction, so I had to turn around half a block up every time I needed to park."
"And we just BARELY got two cars in the driveway."
"So my regret is that I took for granted that the driveway met our needs."- gtizzz
homer simpson episode 24 GIFGiphyAlways Read The Fine Print
"I bought a few years ago."
"So many things have gone sideways."
"One thing I regret is not being educated about permits."
"Contractors/handymen/ anyone who works on your house really, never mentions a permit may be needed."
"Learned that it’s up to me and me alone to do the research and phone calls."
"Currently have a job on hold because they needed a permit."
"The company blamed me and now I’m not sure they’re even going to do the work."
"Watch the movie 'The Money Pit'."
"It’s not that far off."
"Some days I wish I’d just be a renter."- MissPeppingtosh
Simply Not Worth The Effort
"Don't bother childproofing your home."
"They still get in."- Blueblackzinc
season 9 friends GIFGiphyIt's easy to question whether or not buying a home was the right decision.
But rather than live a life full of regret, why not make the most out of what you have, and turn your not-quite-dream home into a temporary dream home?
Who knows, it might even increase the resale value.
In an instant, anything can change in life.
Deciding to turn left instead of right at a traffic light can save your life -- and you may never know it.
That's why the movie "Sliding Doors" is so great.
Small choices and seemingly minor chances can shift things massively.
Redditor Lexie_Mark wanted to hear about how life can change drastically by the smallest influences, so they asked:
"What's a seemingly minor decision you made that ended up having a massive impact on your life?"
I had dinner with a guy once.
I told him a joke and let him read 5 pages of my writing.
Now I write for this website. BOOM!
Right Turn
Never Mind Baby GIFGiphy"Turned up to a military recruiting day on the wrong weekend as a youngster. Walked into a BBQ for traumatized veterans accidentally. That changed my mind."
flecknoe
Moving on...
"I had moved countries and decided to go back home after initial plans didn't work out. Had a ticket booked, was in a hotel near the airport, and got an invite to stay with online friends for a week or so before going back. Deferred my ticket, took them up on the offer."
"Met the love of my life there- moved to his city, have a new job, new friends, new life completely."
Severn6
Hey Teach
"While I was experiencing a period of career ennui, I treated myself to taking some college classes in biology, which I had always been interested in."
"While walking in the neighborhood close to the university one day, I saw one of the professors walking down the street, contentedly eating some ice cream. I don't know what possessed me, but I actually stopped him, said hello, that I was in one of his classes, and how much I liked the course."
"I have come across many professors in such casual circumstances before and since and never had the inclination or the guts to talk to them, particularly when they are clearly just having an enjoyable moment and likely don't want to be annoyed by a random student they don't even know."
"But I talked to him, and we had such a nice chat that he invited me to come to his lab and potentially do some work there. I came by a few days later, and he asked me a few questions and then asked one of his postdocs if he'd like to have me give him some help on a project. The postdoc said yes, and within 2.5 years I had my MS in biology (advised by Dr. Professor and helped greatly by that postdoc), and I was on my way to getting my PhD.
"Now I'm the prof."
zazzlekdazzle
On the Vespa
"4 months ago I was riding my Vespa to the gym on a Saturday morning, and I was T-boned by a car pulling out of a side street. She was looking the other way to make sure the traffic was clear and didn’t see me."
"I was coming from her right (in Australia, left-hand drive) and the front left of her car hit the back of my Vespa. If I had been half a second faster, I wouldn’t have been hit."
"I ended up with a crushed lower left leg and foot, permanent nerve damage, and 2 weeks in hospital. Fast forward to now, and I still can’t walk or move my leg and foot, I’m in unimaginable pain, and I (just today) lost my job."
"The recovery timeline is looking like 18-24 months and there’s no guarantee I’ll walk again."
"I was just trying to be healthy and go to the gym on a Saturday, and now my life has totally turned upside down. lol. Sigh."
ShoeAccomplished119
Swipe Right
tinder GIFGiphy"Matched with a guy on Tinder and complained about my current job. Encouraged (and walked me through) the recruitment process for a government job and 5 years later I’ve had 4 promotions, earned almost twice my old salary, and have much higher job satisfaction."
misssofifi
Maybe Tinder isn't so bad after all.
Key Strokes
Jim Carrey Reaction GIFGiphy"Taking a typing class in 1974. Almost no guys took typing at my school. Made life with computers a lot easier."
A20Havoc
"Same here, it was the main reason I got a job in IT, I was able to have a lifelong career."
MyIpodStillWorks
Run
"Started running because I heard it helps with chronic tinnitus, now run 5 days a week, lost 20 kg, stopped drinking, and can sleep. It doesn't cure the tinnitus, there is no cure and probably never will be, but it made it more manageable, lowered the volume in my head, and let me sleep easier. I still have it and struggle with it sometimes, but running/exercise for me is the best way to mitigate the stress chronic tinnitus causes."
rickdangerous85
Brisbane
"Buying tickets to Guns 'N Roses. I'm from Northern Australia and went to the Brisbane show. Ended up going with an old friend who was looking for an extra roommate, moved to Brisbane, did an audio course cause I needed something to do, and ended up working in the music industry full-time. Just got off tour with Suicidal Tendencies as their backline tech and have had an incredible career so far."
Acquiesce95
No Regrets
"My current job was a throwaway application I submitted purely for interview practice. It was one of two listings I saw at once, one was quite detailed and looked really good, and the other one was a handful of vague bullet points that seemed interesting enough. The one I was hoping for never replied, the other one offered me more than the maximum salary on the ad. No regrets."
PM_me_ur_navel_girl
Forever
Smooch Love GIF by molehillGiphy"I decided to have my first ever one-night stand."
"We've been together for 12 years!"
CrabbiestAsp
"So you still haven't had a one-night stand!"
NickyDeeM
Ah, the curse of the one-night stand gone wrong.
Love is all around.
