Hearing Impaired People Break Down How Mask Policies Have Impacted Their Daily Life
Wearing a mask is a non-negotiable measure that we all need to take in order to stem the spread of the most prolific and deadly pandemic in modern history. It is also a complete and utter pain in the keister.
Let's just consider some of the new discoveries we've all been forced to unveil since regularly mask wearing hit the scene.
First, humidity. Face moistening, inside an outhouse at a music festival air temperature right in your face. And second, the brutal recognition that one's breath is not on par with the aromas of a Yankee candle or some amazing cuisine. It's actually horrible.
And for most of us, that's as far as the difficulties go. The mask is a new discomfort, a mere annoyance.
But for people who are hard of hearing or deaf, the mask is a serious problem. When lip reading and facial expression are primary means of communication, a sudden shield is devastating.
A recent Reddit thread explored the ways mask-wearing has effected the daily lives of that community.
zugtug asked, "Hearing impaired or lip reading people, how have Corona mask policies affected your daily life?"
As Bad As You'd Think
"Its absolutely awful. I have trouble in places with a lot of background noise and have to read lips. My wife helps me out a lot but she can't go with me everywhere."
"It's very frustrating."
-- xnsst
The Sounds of Charlie Brown's Parents
"Stranger: blahblah blah blaaah mmph...you?"
"Me: ....."
"Stranger: blahblah blaaah blaaah..mmph...YOU?"
"Me: ...uhhhhh....yeeeaaaaaa?"
"Stranger: .......you did?"
"Me: running away"
"Don't Be Mad At Me!"
"It's hell. When asking people to speak louder, they usually end up really yelling." -- lismez
"Which doesn't help because their speech is super muffled so it's just blurred together angry noises" -- bozwizard14
"My mom has this gift where she can speak loud enough for you to hear her on the other side of the house (not a small house, but not giant) without sounding like she's crazy mad and without hurting her voice."
"It's my main proof for mom magic." -- DogsBCoolBro
A Good Analysis
"Sign languages without facial expressions it's not as useful as with, and just emphasize them with eyes it's not enough. I'm a sign language interpreter and me, like all my colleagues, always end up with increase the distance and pull down the face mask."
"There's no other way, with the mask up it's as if a part of the grammatical structure of the language is missing and therefore there would still be a flaw in the communication."
-- The_Sherpa
Secondary Ramifications
"I wear hearing aids and even then sometimes it's hard to get people. But I'll usually say that I wear them and they will make an effort to speak up or speak more clearly."
"What sucks a** is hearing aids, masks, and glasses day. My ears are like WTF bruh? Or the damn string gets twisted in my hearing aid and when I pull the mask off it'll take then hearing aid with it. Then I'm like oh f*** these things are not cheap at all."
-- Thatdewd57
Seeing Sound
"I'm not even hearing impaired, and I've noticed how much I rely on reading lips." -- The_Sherpa
"People always ask me why I put my glasses on when they're talking to me. 'You don't need your glasses to hear' and I'd say, sure I do, I can hear better if I can see your lips moving, even if I'm not actually reading your lips." -- chiefgareth
This Man Person Has Seven Jobs
"I'm a bit hard of hearing. I can hear sounds just fine. A mouse farts two blocks away and it wakes me up. Human speech however is hard to discern. A lot of it sounds like a loud mumble."
"I need to see lips move to help me figure out what the hell is being said. I hate to ask people to say it again so I just smile and say 'yep.' "
"I have no idea what all I've 'agreed' to over the years."
Breaching the Wall
"I can't understand anything people are saying to me anymore. I always have to move to the side of the screens that are up at businesses, or lean really close to people talking."
"I know I shouldn't because of social distancing, but I have to or there's no way I know what people are saying."
Months of Ringing
"It's been a nightmare. I can barely chat with my customers and coworkers because of it, and have taken to the polite 'oh okay' sort of noises. I miss talking and feel like I've decayed."
"On top of that, the only mask that works for me is the kind you tie behind your head. Problem is, if something gets too close to my hearing aid, it starts to whistle, and the mask straps constantly trigger that."
"So even when I am trying to talk to someone, or a customer ambushes me with a question, half of what I'll hear is a faint constant drone in my ear."
-- jenamac
Be Aware!
"My girlfriend is hearing impaired and this is something she really struggles with. I'm usually interpret for her and answer questions for her when possible."
"Thanks for asking the question, I think a lot of people wouldn't even think about this, so it's nice to get it out there so people can be more understanding of our hard of hearing friends."
-- AllForNicky
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Ridiculous Ways Straight Guys Have Tried To Hit On Lesbians
"Reddit user AdOk3759 asked: 'Lesbians of Reddit, what’s the most ridiculous thing a straight guy told you to talk you into having sex with them?'"
Men and women and talking and flirting.
What a disaster that can be.
It's especially tricky when men flirt with women who are into women.
It sounds like a lot of gents can't take that obvious hint.
How this is STILL an issue in 2023 is beyond us all.
But here we are.
Gentlemen, please sit and read the following.
And then read it again.
Then share with your friends and male family.
A deleted Redditor wanted to hear about the ways straight men couldn't take a hint, so they asked:
"Lesbians of Reddit, what’s the most ridiculous thing a straight guy told you to talk you into having sex with them?"
How Patriotic
"I had a guy try to entice me with his weed. He literally pulled out the American flag bong with the grinder that looked like ammunition. Honestly left me kinda speechless."
xSwishyy
A Transplant
"Didn't go as far as sex but was definitely the most ridiculous thing a straight guy has said to me so far. I was trying to check out at the store when the 60-something y/o cashier started flirting with me, asking if I had a boyfriend, etc. When he asked why I didn't I told him I'm a lesbian and he said 'I actually have a female kidney from my transplant a couple years ago so we wouldn't have a problem together.'"
BestiesWithBaphomet
Me Too!
"The opposite - a very drunk man approached me on a station platform and asked me out. I awkwardly replied, 'Sorry, I’m gay.' He said, 'You like women??' and I nodded, bracing for homophobia… but instead he just excitedly exclaimed 'ME TOO!!!' and shook my hand. Then he left me alone. It was an extremely funny and non-threatening interaction and I think fondly of him from time to time."
orangepigeon
Let's Dance
"My brother was absolutely refusing to take no for an answer when asking [my friend] to prom. I think my brother asked my friend to prom like 5 times before they just started ignoring him. I also told off my brother cause my friend is open about being a lesbian and told him that they were a lesbian. Something about not having a lesbian somehow makes guys angry because they can't take no for an answer."
pumpkinthighs
Can men really be this off?
Oh the Drama
Feeling It Drama Club GIF by NickelodeonGiphy"He said that I had no idea what it's like to be the single straight guy who tries to find (sex) love. And it's cruel for me to not give him even a chance to be romantic with me. And I don't have a good reason to say no because he is good-looking and earns more money than I do lol."
Original-Pineapple18
DIBS
"This guy was one of my closer friends at the time, and SOLIDLY friend-zoned. We’d established countless times over the last year that we weren’t into each other, I was lesbian, and that even if I weren’t he wouldn’t go for me, yada yada. We’d talked about things that I would NOT have discussed if I knew he would ever be into me."
"Well lo and behold, one day I realize I’m questioning whether I’m bisexual or not due to a mutual friend. I bring it up to him in a state of real vulnerability, cuz I thought I’d had everything figured out before this, but wanted my friend’s input on if it was a good idea to bring it up to hot-dude directly."
"This grown-a** man told me HE HAD DIBS. D I B S."
Kazooasaurus
Preferences
"Not a lesbian, but I’m bi with a pretty strong preference for women. Probably THE most common response from guys when I say I’m not interested in 'Really? I dunno, you don’t look like you date girls.' I never know how to respond. Do they expect me to suddenly realize I’m NOT into women? Do they think questioning my preferences is endearing or sexy??"
Individual_Ad_7523
So Sexy
Ryan Reynolds GIF by CBCGiphy"Always the standard idea of they think their penis is magical and can 'turn' me. Uh, no. Also, have had more than a few guys say 'You're too attractive' to be a lesbian. They actually think it's a compliment. Oof."
Goody2Shuuz
Listen to someone's boundaries when they tell you, gentleman!
It's really that simple.
Does anyone have any similar stories? Let us know in the comments below.
As a society, we have made this general correlation that spending more means receiving a higher-quality item.
But sometimes we need to remember that affordable purchases are totally worth our time, and sometimes those purchases prove to be the true game-changers.
Redditor degenerateunicorn asked:
"What inexpensive purchase improved your life greatly?"
Long Charging Cables
"For once and for all, it's a ten-foot charging cable for your phone!"
- usuperavenger
"Not just one... but one for each room you regularly charge your phone. A 10-footer in the bedroom and a 10-footer in the loungeroom, changed my life."
- lhsofthebellcurve
Good Earplugs
"Earplugs. Just pop those in your ears and shut the world out."
- lapsangsouchogn
"I bought some to help me sleep and oh. my. god. I sat on this brilliant idea for seven years. I feel so ashamed of myself."
- DidDunMegasploded
A Library Card
"Does a library card count?"
- Lookimawave
"I'd say so! There's just so much you can do at local libraries! Especially in the bigger cities. The things they have to lend out are really interesting and definitely not just books!"
- appleparkfive
"I hardly ever even go into the physical library, but the card gives me access to e-books, audiobooks, and movies via Libby, Hoopla, Overdrive, and Canopy. Although the physical library does have neat resources like 3D printers, laser cutters, a recording studio, etc."
- Lookimawave
An Electric Toothbrush
"Electric toothbrush!"
- imvital
"Does it make a big difference? Lifelong manual toothbrush user, but I've been considering converting if it's worth it."
- ILoveLamp_1995
"A few years back I needed to get a new toothbrush and the cheapest in the store was a battery-powered electric. I thought why not and tried it out."
"My next dentist visit showed a marked improvement with just that cheap, crappy brush."
"I bought an Oral-B electric brush (with bluetooth!) right there in the dentist's office. Since then, my dentist checkups have just been a bit of scraping, with very little if any bleeding. Definitely worth it."
- nabrok
A Jogging Phone Holder
"A shoulder holster for my phone when I started to run again. It was the running that changed my life obviously, but having my phone within Bluetooth range for music made it achievable. Cost me all of seven dollars."
- EveryonesADose
More Pillows
"I got myself a third pillow last year. I don't know what it is about it but definitely has made sleeping better."
- potatosalade26
A Roomba or Equivalent
"Not necessarily cheap, but a Roomba. Now I HAVE to keep my place clean and decluttered so it can work. No more piles of laundry and whatnots."
- Pale-Dust2239
"There are cheaper ones out there and if you decide to give them a go 100% pay for the extended warranty."
"I got a Eufy which we love but have had it replaced twice in three years for free. Next time it dies we’ll be out of warranty so hopefully I can get enough cash together for a Roomba."
- MissingVanSushi
A Swiss Army Knife
"I got it as a gift but a basic Swiss Army knife. It fits in my pocket, and gives me a crappy screwdriver, bottle opener, tweezers, etc., in a pinch. It also doesn’t freak people out like other pocket knives."
- Mrofcourse
A Meat Thermometer
"A meat thermometer takes the guesswork and worry out of internal temps."
- 9umopapisdn
"Oh my god, do you have a Meater? My husband says it’s the best gift I’ve ever given him. It’s a meat thermometer that connects to your phone."
- degenerateunicorn
A Bidet
"A bidet."
- art8127
"Yes! It costs thirty dollars, and even a doofus like me was able to 'install' it in under 10 minutes."
- poppy-sparklehorse
A Sleep Mask
"A proper sleep mask."
"They're not too expensive. I wrap it around one of those microwavable bean bags shortly before bed and it becomes a warm mask for falling asleep. Super comfortable."
- zomboromcom
"I agree, mine was a great purchase. Not only does it help me sleep in later, but putting it on has now become the signal to my body that it's time to sleep."
- sedimentary-1
Glass Lens Cloth
"Glasses cleaner cloth. Such a little soft piece of cloth saves me from the frustration of constant smears, smudges, possible scratches, and ruining the anti-glare layer on my glasses. I hate looking out of dirty glasses."
- agbmom
A Bicycle
"I bought a second-hand bike for $60 back in the autumn of 2020. I took to cycling, and because of that, I lost 35lbs (but put 20 back on), it renewed my sex life with my husband and I feel healthier. It’s very calming (it’s a multi-use trail, so no vehicles and it’s flat and maintained)."
"I have some wonderful folks I talk to every time I go out and dogs I get to give treats to. I go out any morning I can Spring/Summer/Autumn for between 90 minutes to two hours, as long as it isn’t raining or too windy… I’ll even go out when it’s below 0°C. I’m early retired, so I have plenty of time."
- NickNNS
A Wet Pallet for Painting
"My homemade wet pallet. Leftover scrap container, some sponge, parchment paper, and a little water, and boom. Perfectly thinned acrylic paint and blending surface. It was a game changer for me as an artist."
- Adubya76
A Backscratcher
"A one-dollar backscratcher!"
- LazyHighGoals
"I keep a backscratcher on my nightstand, and now I don’t know how I lived without it."
- wholewheatscythe
Each of these purchases are items that we could not only see purchasing ourselves, but we can totally understand how these were life-changing for these Redditors, despite the price of the purchases. Sometimes the most life-changing things have the smallest price tags!
Getting a job may be difficult, but believe it or not, it's allegedly harder to get fired from jobs.
Employees have to seriously be incapable of doing the job they were hired for, or they must be so miserable after realizing the job description was not what they signed up for that they deliberately jeopardize their position just to be shown the door.
Strangers online were happy to provide examples of terminated coworkers when Redditor Business_Reporter420 asked:
"What’s the fastest way you’ve ever seen a new coworker get fired?"
The couple times deserve the benefit of a doubt.
And then there are the other times after that...
Losing Track Of Time
"6 hours. Call center job. She showed up to orientation on day 1 about an hour late. Hey stuff happens. Then we go on a 15 min break. She goes out to take a phone call, comes back in after about 45 min. We go to lunch, it's 30 minutes. She comes back over an hour later. We go on afternoon break, when the 15 min break is up, one of the trainers gets up and steps out in the hall and closes the door behind him. We hear her arrive and argue with him about 20 minutes after that. He comes back in and gets the stuff she left at her desk and we never see her again."
– misoranomegami
A String Of Unfortunate Events
"First day, her grandmother died. Understandable. Second day, her car broke down. Bad luck. Third day she had no electricity and couldn’t blow dry her hair. She was told not to bother coming in at all."
– exitzero
The Employee On Her Own Schedule
"There are a lot of these people. What do they think is going to happen, like they'll come in to work eventually, everyone will understand, and they'll be a great employee... tomorrow though. Today they're hungover."
"I fired a girl like this... she acted gobsmacked 'wow, gosh, really? This is kinda crazy, i've never been fired before.'"
"She showed up for about 50% of her scheduled days for like 2 straight weeks. Did she really think that was how jobs work?"
– Steinmetal4
Downfall Of Mass Hiring
"Worked for startups the past couple of years before I recently took a new gig but we had to hire about 100 people in the span of 2 weeks which I told my boss was a bad idea but the CEO insisted"
"Hired a young lady, she had a spotty resume but was very cheerful and friendly in the interview and my boss's instructions were if they are nice and friendly 'pass them on to me.'"
"we oversaw the customer service relations for this company."
"On her first day she came in 15 minutes late, got into an argument with a customer on her first training call and took the mic and farted into it as loud as I've ever heard a human being fart"
"We paid her for the full day."
"Best hire ever."
– _Nolofinwe_
Some people were never a fit for the job.
Fear Gets In The Way
"I was working as a stable boy, and I was showing the new girl around the stables. As I introduced her to the horses, she was very apprehensive to come near them, refusing to even step into the stall (she signed on to help care for the horses.)"
"Later that day, she admitted that the horses terrified her, so the boss let her go."
– AlternativeFilm8886
The Sibling Discount
"In high school I worked at a clothing store as a cashier. Guy next to me has his sister come through with a huge pile of merchandise."
"He scans one item that was on clearance for like $2 over and over again for everything she had, which was likely hundreds of dollars."
"Didn’t realize the manager was standing right behind him."
“Go clock out and give me your name tag, you’re gone.”
"He didn’t argue or anything, just put his head down and walked off."
"The manager jumps on the register to clear the transaction out and the sister takes out her card, 'This is gonna be a credit.'”
"Manager says 'Not for $2 it’s not, get out of here.'”
"The sister actually tried to complete the purchase like nothing had happened lol"
– Plantayne
Gamer On The Clock
"A guy at my work was caught playing World of Warcraft for hours each day. Boss called him in and told him that was wholly unacceptable and he had to stop immediately or he'd be canned."
"Less than an hour later, IT calls the same boss and says the guy is back in his office playing again. He was let go that day."
– jpiro
Rule Breaker
"Worked in a sales call center about 10 years ago, real braindead work. New guy starts on a Monday morning, after he gets trained up on the basics (which takes about an hour), he gets assigned a desk and sets off to work."
"30 minutes later, it looks like little puffs of steam are rising up from his computer monitor. Turns out he was vaping on one of those disposable ecigarettes, the kind that sort of tried to look like real cigarettes. He gets told by the boss that we can't vape indoors, and if he wants to, he'll have to go outside to do it on a break."
"About 30 minutes later again, the same thing happens. He gets caught again, and is told in no uncertain terms that if he wants to keep his job, he'll stop vaping at his desk."
"An hour later, he gets caught hiding under his desk vaping, and is promptly fired, all before lunch time. Dude could have just gone outside."
– Mr_Itch
First And Final Delivery
"Day 1, delivering pizzas. I was the trainer."
"Dude wasn't familiar with the town at all (this was before GPS was a thing)."
"Second delivery, he gets in the car, and proceeds to floor it in the parking lot, showing off all 80 horsepower for the 30 feet before slamming on the brakes to turn onto the main street, nearly hitting a customer and her young child."
"I say whoah, slow down in the Parking lot, you almost hit that kid."
"'F'k em' was his response."
"That was his last delivery, lasted all of about 90 minutes."
– talontd92tsi
The easiest way for a worker to get off the payroll is for them to actually quit.
Misunderstanding Of A Job Position
"I used to work night audit/front desk at a motel adjacent to major highways. It was a super chill job, I loved my boss, and it was cool by me."
"But God, trying to hire and train someone to take over my hours - once for maternity leave, and then when I was moving away - was a nightmare. One lady claimed to be computer literate, and then tried to use the mouse to physically touch the correct spot on the monitor when I asked her to click on a field. Another got extremely confused when I mentioned that sleeping with a guest was completely out of bounds. A guy got arrested (and fired of course) for selling drugs to someone out the night window. It was just an absolute sh*t show."
"Before I moved, I gave my boss a 2-month notice, because I knew hiring and training was gonna be a nightmare. About a week before my final shift, we finally got someone in place. She was more than a bit strange and could certainly have used a spot of mental health care, but hey, I can't throw stones. She showed up, grasped the basics of the job, etc. About a week after I left, I learned that she had quit because she didn't realize that night audit was a purely overnight job."
"Idk."
– 50EffingCabbages
The Newbie's Assigned Task
"He didn’t get fired, he quit. But this dude was a first day hire as a bagger at a grocery store. Some dude blew up the entire bathroom with diarrhea. Walls, doors, sink, mirror, everywhere. They asked new dude to go clean it. He clocked out and never came back. He’s a hero."
– mrmastomas
I briefly worked for an entertainment company as a dancer with a friend of mine who was unfortunately let go during the rehearsal process.
He was unable to keep up with the demanding rehearsal schedule and couldn't retain the mass amount of choreography we were being taught in a short amount of time.
Poor guy wasn't even a slacker. As a matter of fact, he far exceeded my dancing capabilities and was hard-working, but he let himself get in the way and couldn't handle the pressure.
But by letting him go, the production company took a hit because teaching a new-hire everything from the beginning slowed us down more than the time it would've taken to help my friend memorize the choreography.
Sigh...
Some people remain best friends with the same friends they made in preschool, or earlier.
Other friendships fade away, as people move on with their lives and lose touch.
But even if these people don't see each other as often as they once did, they would still likely consider themselves "friends", and would be happy should their paths ever cross again.
There are some friendships, however, which do not stand the test of time.
What's more, in some extreme cases, these friendships ended because of a very pointed decision by one or more people.
What some might even consider a "breakup."
"Have you ever 'broken up' with a friend? Why, and what was the aftermath?"
Not The People They Once Were
"I stopped hanging out with all my friends because they all changed."
"They were nothing like how they were when I met them."
"I looked at them as my brothers but they've become what we all swore to never become and dragged me into it."
"Nothing but doing drugs, selling drugs, robbing people."
"I just decided to walk away before I became exactly like them and moved on with my life."
"I wish they could be how they once were but I know that isn't gonna happen."- SuddenCheesecake3273
Lack Of Reciprocity
"Yeah I realized my 'Treat others the way you want to be treated' approach was one-sided."
"I helped someone through some real rough patches, and when I went through some dark times they were nowhere to be seen."- fuifui_bradbrad
"Pretty much all of my high school friends and some other friends I met through work or mutual friends."
"I kept feeling like it was a 'one way' friendship."
"I would be the one texting them to hang out but I would never get texts from them to hang out."- GoldenGod48
Unervalued
"I recently cut off my childhood best friend because he views me as an ATM."
"I don't care about money."
"If I can help someone out, I will with 0 hesitation, but I refuse to be taken advantage of."
"My breaking point was when he was finalizing his wedding party and told me that I was a backup groomsmen in case anyone cancels."
"We've known each other since we were 10 years old and have always kept contact even when he moved away, but I'm not important enough to be one of the first people considered to be there."
"During that same conversation, he said that he'd still expect me to attend and hinted at wanting a cash gift from me."
"We haven't spoken in a couple of months, and I hope that trend continues for the foreseeable future."- morganfreenomorph
No Room For Negativity
"Had a buddy in school who was a really nice guy but the absolute most negative person ever."
"Everything was bad and awful, never ever stopped complaining."
"Walked into the library - too cold, walked outside, too hot, standing in the atrium - windows 15 feet up were dusty, lights inside were too blue but the wooden desks made things too yellow."
"Never stopped."
"School was stressful enough and eventually I changed my study group and location so I want around him and I just felt a whole lot better and light and happy."
"Sometimes you have to be selfish and say that if things/people aren’t making your life better, cut them out."- Dr_D-R-E
Manipulative Influence
"Man I'd called my brother since we were 5 (we're 28 now)."
"He was one of the cool kids and stayed my friend (the socially awkward weird kid)."
"Joined the marines after school, came home, and met a girl who had a kid."
"We drifted apart here and there from 21-25 but still kept contact and hung out once in a blue moon."
"I asked him to be my best man."
"He obviously said yes."
"His S/O didn't like me."
"At the time, I didn't know why."
"My wedding starts to near, i text him telling him we REAAALLLY need to go get fitted for tuxes, get a text a day or so later essentially saying he was out because of xyz."
"This was very out of character for him."
"Time passes."
"My wife and I celebrated our 1st anniversary."
"I'm outside doing stuff in the driveway, a guy that i don't even recognize walks up."
"It's him."
"We talk for a minute, and he starts breaking down, grabbing him, and we go inside."
"We talked for a while. In short he was at a mental breaking point, constantly manipulated by his now fiancé, wont let him get a job because 'she needed him at home to help her anxiety'."
"I offered him an out, gave him a place to stay as long as he needed and gave him a vehicle to drive in the mean time."
"Offered to get him a job with a good friend of mine."
"He stayed with me for a couple of days, his SO shut his debit card off, shut his phone service off, etc."
"But she would turn his phone back on to torment him."
"He came and went from my place a couple of times over those next couple of months."
"But he was stuck in an abusive relationship."
"He kept going back to his abuser."
"Telling me shed claim I did all sorts of stuff."
"Then i came home, and he and his stuff were gone."
"I texted him a day or two later, just saying, 'You good buddy?'"
"Got a text back saying how 'he couldn't hang out with me anymore and didn't like how we talked about SO when we were together, and how awful it was that we would ever do that'."
"This was written by his SO without a shred of doubt."
"The last thing I texted him was 'I don't know if i believe all that based on our conversations, but like I've said 100 times, I just want you happy and healthy if thats what it takes, then thats what it takes, you know where I'm at if you need anything, love ya dude'."
"If you're out there brother, if you read this, I miss the f*ck out of you."
"I worry about you regularly."
"Stop by, please."
"F*ck you Kaitlyn, i wish nothing but the worst for you."
"You're a shrewd cold woman and do not deserve the man or the perfect life you plaster on social media."- Theebalz106
Who Was Bringing Who Down?
"Had a buddy who was hanging out with some guys at coffee shops and they'd discuss philosophy, poetry and current events (we were in our late 20s)."
'At any rate one day he gets a call from one of the guys and my buddy asks me to go with him and we'll grab a bite afterwards."
"So we walk in and the guy is seated in a chair facing the couch."
"I jokingly asked if this was an intervention."
"Guy proceeded to tell my friend that they could no longer be friends because he needs people who will elevate him."
"In the midst of this very snarky monologue my friend looks at me and smiles awkwardly and was like 'you hungry?'"
"We stand up and leave."
"My friend is a now a c-suite employee and that guy who 'broke up' with him is still working a min wage job, been married several times and is barely holding his life together."
"Was just so...random."
"I can still remember the room and what we were wearing and the look on my friend's face when he realized what was happening and we left."- Ok-Bus1716
Friend, Not Servant
"My dear friend dumped me because I couldn’t do her anymore favors."
"She pushed off my visit a couple of times so I just quit trying."
"I almost lost my job because I had to pick up her daughter from school."
"I told her I couldn’t do it anymore."
"Kind of relieved because I was tired of always doing favors."- GingerJanMarie
Sadly Inevitable
"I got into a fight (over text) with a friend whom I had been walking on eggshells around for years."
"Unfortunately my best was involved because she was a part of the group message."
"My best friend didn’t talk to me for months."
"It broke my heart."
"The other friend as soon as I cussed her out and blocked her I felt a weight lift from my shoulders."
"My best friend eventually started talking to me again."
"So a happy ending."- Lazy_Enthusiasm25
"Best friends from elementary school through college (my college not hers)."
"Found out in college that she was lying about things to take advantage of me financially."
"My grandparents had left me some money that should have paid for my entire college including living expenses."
"Instead I worked through college and lived with my parents and also took out student loans."
"For instance I paid her rent for an entire year before she got evicted anyway because she was blowing the money I gave her on random stuff."
"While I was helping her clear her stuff out before they changed the locks I overheard her parents comment about how they had been paying her rent this entire time too."
"Or once she came to borrow money from me at work saying she bounced a check at her job and she was going to fired unless she paid it back."
"I got off work to a message from another mutual friend saying that they had gone to the movies and seen something we'd planned to watch together then clothes shopping but we could go see something else that weekend."
"She never did cover the bounced check and did lose her job and get a warrant out for her arrest."
"It wasn't just me it was everybody she did this to."
"Like at one point, she lived with her mom who was supporting her 3 siblings, and took the mom's car overnight and used an entire tank of gas to drive to another town to go clubbing, and the mother had to beg a neighbor for enough gas money to get to work."
"She also dropped out of college the first week of the first semester but never formally withdrew so her parents were still on the hook for the entire semester of fees, and she had a 0 GPA."
"I finally told her that I wouldn't give her any more money or pay for her when we went places."
"If she wanted to be friends, she needed to pull her own weight."
"Shortly before the fallout, I'd introduced her to my cousin who was bemoaning his religious gf's unwillingness to 'put out'."
"Within 2 weeks she slept with my cousin then told him she was pregnant and he needed to do the right thing and marry her."
"Once he told his parents they were engaged she told him that she lost the pregnancy but he couldn't call off the engagement without telling his super religious parents that the whole thing was because of a pregnancy scare."
"They did end up getting married."
"She talked him into enlisting in the military since she had previously commented about how unfair it is military wives don't have to work, that supporting their husbands is their only job."
"They've had 3 kids she does nothing for, her mother moved in to take care of them for her and his parents supplement his income so they can afford housing."
"She hasn't held a steady job since they've been together."
"So I've been avoiding him and her both for 15 years and get all the drama second hand from our mutual cousins (and his sister) who all hate her!"- misoranomegami
A friend is someone who is always there for you, and who you'll always be there for in return.
Any friend, however, who only brings you down is not a friend at all.
And sometimes, the only way to forgive and move on, is to let go.