People Describe The One Mistake That Completely Altered The Course Of Their Life
There's no way of knowing what's coming for us. With all the preparation and planning, our world can still be turned upside down by a dead battery or a runaway train. Nothing is certain, so it's better to be prepared for things to change than to be prepared for what you think might happen. Otherwise, you might miss out on some amazing opportunities, or not know when to turn away from a bad thing.
Let's hear about that today.
Reddit user, u/abayomi02, wanted to know when everything changed when they asked:
Unknowingly Made The Right Call
When I moved and switched middle schools wayyy back I threw out all my stuff except for my math textbook. When I went to my new school the math class I was in was a little bit behind from where I was and I told them but they didn't believe me. But then I showed my old math textbook to show that I was way ahead of that class. Two of my classes were changed, and in both of my new classes we're a bunch of friends I made. If i threw away that math textbook I wouldn't have any good friends right now.
A Symposium To Remember
When I was finishing a program at City College, the students were asked to volunteer at a symposium, checking badges, handing out programs, you know...free labor. We were told to bring resumes, as there were companies there who might be hiring entry level.
I wasn't going to go. My mom told me to go; my friend (also in the program) said she'd give me a ride. So I went. And I talked with a man at one of the booths who was hiring. He asked for my resume and to set an interview.
I began working there the day after I turned 21 and was there 16 years before I got laid off in the aerospace downturn.
BUT...
I met my husband there. We've been together 33 years.
I would never have met him had I not agreed to go to that symposium.
Actually More Surprised You Remembered The Account Password
I checked an old email account
I was hanging out with a friend one July 4. We didn't have anything to do (too young to drink, too poor for anything else) so we met up with some guy my friend had met at a party. New guy and his friends were nice enough, but loud and goofy. At the end of the night, new guy asked for my mailing address so he could write me a letter. He was headed to a military training where snail mail was the only option. My mailing address was also my home address, and I hadn't really clicked with him, so I gave him an email account that didn't use very often and forgot all about it.
4 months later, I was in a cleaning mood and decided to check this account to clear out spam and whatnot. He had sent an email 2 hours earlier that he was back in town and wanted to grab a coffee.
As you may have guessed, we have been married almost a decade now.
Life Changing In The Weirdest Bad Way
Said "yes" when my now college friends asked if i'm from canada. I'm not. I was just wearing a team canada hockey shirt and I got flustered when they asked. Now they think i'm from Canada, and it's too late to say anything now.
A Lifelong Truth Uncovered
I flunked out of my first school. I imagine if I'd stayed and gotten my degree, my life would have been a lot different. Instead I ended up working for a few years, realizing the value of a degree, and re-starting my life.
It's made me realize that kids shouldn't be forced into college right after high school. Some of them need to work, or travel, or whatever, to figure out for themselves what their path is going to be. 18 is way too young to point a finger at someone and be like "okay now you need to decide the rest of your life."
Everything, And Nothing, Like You Hoped
Went to meet my bio mom. 8 years later, a crippling disorder, brain damage, and some significant trauma later... turns out there was a very good reason I was adopted.
I got to meet my sisters though, and I'm the uncle to a whole herd of nieces and nephews, and I wouldn't trade that for the world. Makes the damage worth it, honestly. The way their faces light up when they see me and how loved I feel with them is something you can't ever replace.
Edit: To clarify, I met her 8 years ago. She didn't abuse me for 8 years - she abused me for two, stalked and harassed me for two more, and has been out of my life for four years or so, since I got a restraining order.
Saved By The Scalpel
My wonderful 2 year old daughter was not planned.
But thanks to her, I decided to have a vasectomy. I had always had one slightly enlarged testicle due to a mountain biking accident 10 years prior.
My urologist had it biopsied because it didn't look right.
Turns out I had had testicular cancer for an impossible to determine period of time. Four rounds of chemo later and I'm perfectly fine. Had I not had my daughter, I would have probably had much worse results years later when it finally made it's presence known via pain and had spread into my body.
So my daughter technically saved my life, which is knowledge I'm sure she'll use on with great glee during her teenage years when I'm trying to punish her.
Jumping From Job To Job
In 2014 I was a server at a BBQ restaurant and I hated my job. November-January is a slow season for my area and, on top of being unhappy at my job, I was concerned about paying bills. My mom's friend, who worked for a luxury retail store, offered to recommend me for a temp position at his store to earn extra $ when my shifts were cut. I was given the temp job but I was really nervous because I'd never worked retail before. On my first day I drove to work in tears because my anxiety was so severe.
It turns out retail was a great fit for me and I caught on quickly. I thrived in the environment and when the temp assignment ended I was heartbroken. Again, I cried. I knew I wanted to work at the store and so I followed up consistently, asking if any positions are open. I interviewed for a sales position and it was the worst interview of my life. I left there thinking, "I will never be hired at this company".
A few months later they reached and offered me a part time job. I balanced two jobs (worked 7 days a week) and did everything in my power to make sure they KNEW they needed me. I was promoted to sales 2 months later and happily quit the BBQ job via text message.
6 years later I'm still working at the same store. Not only has my hard work earned me a management position, but I am the in-house brand expert, I now speak Mandarin fluently, AND I met the love of my life at this job. Turns out it pays to try something new because you never know what you're missing until you do.
Seems Like It Was Your Destiny
Saved two women, then 5 years later began a career as a bodyguard.
Driving home from church in Baltimore on Father's Day 1988. Saw an apartment complex on fire and felt the need to pull over and make sure Fire Dept was called. This was way before cell phones. After I pulled over, heard a woman screaming for help on third floor balcony. I hopped a fence, climbed up the outside of the building to get to the woman. She and another woman were panicking as the apartment filled with smoke from the fire directly below. I had them stay low on the balcony as I tried to make bedsheets into a rope ladder. Smoke was pouring in from front door and women were older and would not have been able to jump from balcony. All I could do was just stay with the crying women on the balcony until firefighters came. Ultimately got out and 2 months later got an award on TV.
Fast forward to 1994 and did my first bodyguard assignment. As of today, I've done 322 protection assignments. On every one of them, I've made a commitment that I would not let anything happen to my protectee. The night before each one, I took a look back at my life and realized that if something were to happen and I was going to meet my maker, I was at peace knowing I led my life right. 32 years later, I still get a bit anxious watching a building or car fire on TV.
A Friend Of A Friend Of A Love
In December of 2015, I had just gotten out of a 3 year long relationship and was renting a room at a coworkers house while I looked for something more permanent. One Friday night, we had planned on going to a bar with a few others but everyone ended up cancelling last minute including my coworker. It had been awhile since I had been out anywhere so I decided to go by myself.
What I didn't know is that I would end up meeting one of my best friends that night. If I had gone in a group, it's unlikely I would have ventured out of my comfort zone to meet strangers. If I didn't go at all I never would have met her. About 1 1/2 years later, a longtime friend of hers from high school ended up coming to visit from out of state, and that's how I met my fiancé. Life is crazy.
Failing Up
I failed an unfailable class at university because I totally flunk studying. I was so sure it is unfailable I didn't study at all.
I had to re-take the class in which there were group projects. Second time over, I was in a team with this girl.
I married her last summer.
Loving the plot twist haha
Let's Get A Drink
Said yes to going to the pub.
I was on a backpacking trip around Europe. At a hostel in Belfast this Australian guy who was in the same dorm as me asked if anyone wanted to join him for a drink. Me and a New Zealander tagged along. We had an absolutely epic night in what was then still a city under martial law. Next day we all went in different directions but I kept in contact with the Australian.
At some stage, months later, he mentions that I should come and visit him in Australia. About six months later I did. I had a fantastic time, travelled around Australia and liked it so much that I applied for a residency permit.
Thirty years later I'm still here. It's been absolutely great, but none of that would have happened if I didn't say yes to a few beers all the way back in the 80's.
saugoofAn Opportunity To Show What You Can Do
One day my foreman just flat out didn't show up to work. I was vaguely familiar with what had to go on at the site, and who needed to do it, so I just started calling people, and talking to those on site saying I was filling in for him for today...
Fast forward a few months and people are saying they greatly prefer me organizing jobs, and management starts giving me jobs of my own. I start getting great reviews from clients and my jobs are making money. Eventually my old foreman gets fired (not because of me directly, but because of some questionable antics and poor performance).
Now I'm enjoying a significantly better paying and more fulfilling job. What started as a job to make a bit of money while I figured out what I want to do has turned into something with serious career potential.
P0ster_NutbagFor Better..
Forgot hamburger buns.
Dad died, depressed, was without a job for over a year. Applied at a few different places and heard nothing back. Went to a bbq at a friends house and stopped at the store first. We got everything we needed, went out to the car, started packing up and realized we forgot hamburger buns.
I go back in the store, am walking down the frozen foods aisle and run into an old coworker, who happened to now be a manager at one of the places I applied at, months ago. Chatted it up with him for a little bit, and 3 days later, I get a call out of the blue to come in for an interview at his company he worked at.
Ive been with the company 18 years, last month, all because of that chance encounter in the frozen food aisle, all because I forgot hamburger buns.
...Or Worse
Accepted a painkiller at a party.
Started as a every other weekend thing. Then it was every weekend. Then it was hard days at work. Then it was daily before work. Then it was multiple times a day at work. I'd be snorting lines off my desk, in a call center.
Then money was getting insanely tight and my dealer was like "Dude just start doing heroin it's way cheaper" and I remember laughing in his face like you f-cking idiot that'll be the day.
Then a little while later money became non-existent AND I found out your could snort heroin. Problem Solved!
And then a few handful of years later I found myself homeless in Skid Row, DTLA. Going from a loving, supportive family with amazing AMAZING friends, near six figure job, everything going super great... to passing out in piles of garbage and having teeth fall out.
I only got out thanks to suboxone but I'm so glad it exists. Moved out of the homeless shelter September 2019. Starting life over in your mid-30s is pretty sh-tty but it's doable. My life is simple as f-ck now and I have literally zero friends but that's still an upgrade from where I was a short time ago.
F-ck heroin.
I guess it really is a "not even once" substance for a lot of people. Good for you and good luck going forward.
Thanks man. Thing have definitely been so much better the last 2 years. My family tried so hard to help me and eventually gave up.. I missed my baby sister's wedding which if you know our family is like mindblowing.
I went from that to being invited to move in with family if I needed. I didn't take them up on their offer but it's insane how much things can change over time. I was lucky though.
How People Would React If They Randomly Saw Their Ex On The Street
Reddit user rageondad asked: 'You see your first ex on the street, what do you do?'
We all find ourselves having an unexpected run-in with someone we know on the street every now and then.
In some cases, it's a pleasant surprise and plans are immediately made to catch up.
In other cases, you dig out the first excuse you can to keep on moving, as this particular individual was not someone you hoped would re-enter your life.
Then, of course, there are the times you run into an ex.
Whether you ended things amicably or acrimoniously, it's always going to be an awkward encounter.
Just how awkward it will be, however, depends on your reaction.
Redditor rageondad was curious to hear how people would react if they unexpectedly saw their ex on the street, leading them to ask:
"You see your first ex on the street, what do you do?"
Nothing But Happy Memories...
"1st ex: say hi, nice conversation."
"All good."
"2nd ex: hide from her again, like I did that one time at the gas station."- jfg1435
Who?
"Ignore him because he’s not worth saying hi to."
"And I wouldn’t care about him at all."- Big-Elevator2491
One Way To Handle It...
"Start taking a sh*t on the side walk immediately."- ceiling_fanzz
Excuse Me What GIF by BounceGiphyNo Harm, No Foul
"Say hi."- hot-breadfruit_poop
"And ask how they are doing."
"I'm a curious creature, what can I say?"- Lamacorn
Nothing But Excitement
"Give each other a huge hug."
"We're going to see each other next week for the first time in 25 years."
"It'll be good."
"We've remained friends this whole time, so we're both looking forward to it."- riceme0112358
"Say hi, give him a hug, ask him what he's doing in town."- m00nf1r3
Couple Love GIF by PantayaGiphyOuch!
"Didn't you die?" -Reddit
"Wonder who dug her up."- 8urfiat
"Walk On By..."
"Just keep walking."- MythicalMicrowave
Walking By Moe Szyslak GIF by Football AustraliaGiphyEven If It Means J-Walking
"Cross the street."- no_days_grace
Avoiding Your Ex In Five D's...
"Dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge."- catinatank·
The Passage Of Time
"I would wish her well if I recognized her."
"It’s been over 20 years since I’ve seen her."
"It’s not like we parted on bad terms or anything."- Fangsong_37
Lana Parrilla GIF by Paramount+GiphyGo For The Jugular
"You've sure gotten old."- drpepper1992
About Face
"Run."- saus_blu
Remain Amicable
"Have a chat."
"We are still friends."- Mentalfloss1
Meg Ryan Comedy GIF by Coolidge Corner TheatreGiphyOf course, the worst element of surprise is having no idea how we might react.
Try as we might to plan just what we'd do should we ever run into an ex, we can't possibly know what will actually happen should that moment arrive.
Though, hopefully it won't ever lead to defecating on the street.
Aww, Thanks: People Reveal Which Compliments Will Stay With Them Forever
When you're not particularly having a good day, the smallest compliment goes a long way.
All it takes is for someone to acknowledge your new hairstyle or say something nice about your outfit for the day that can be the biggest mood booster.
It doesn't have to be a big overture or a dramatic declaration, but it's nice to be noticed, isn't it?
Curious to hear examples of how someone made their day, Redditor Bacibaby asked:
"What is a compliment you will remember till you die?"
Some people are affable but aren't aware of how much they're appreciated for it.
A Bright Light In The World
"Someone once told me: 'It's so easy introducing you to people, you make everyone feel like you're their best friend."'
"Have held onto that for over ten years, still helps to remember when I'm not at my best."
– DashFromtheGash
Genuinely Popular
"I feel this. Last year I ran into some people I graduated high school with. A few of them were super popular during that time. One of them said 'Dude, everyone loved you in high school. I don't think there was anyone else that was able to be such good friends with so many different people and be in so many different cliques.' "
"It felt like such a genuine statement. They didn't have to say that. I've thought about it almost every day since because, to my recollection, high school was rough on me."
– sonofab*tchXmustXpay
Highly Respected
"Jeez, years ago I was at a party sometime after I graduated high school. There was a kid there who I had had a few classes with throughout the years and I always spoke to him casually like I would with anyone, but we weren't close friends or anything. He had clearly been drinking a bit because he was pretty animated and talkative and this kid usually kept to himself. Quiet is an understatement."
"He approached me and said 'Toh, I have never told you this, but I have always thought highly of you. Back in middle school there were kids making fun of the janitor and you told them all off. You told them he was working hard and there is nothing funny or to be looked down upon about taking pride in your work, no matter what you do.'"
"It almost made me tear up. I had no recollection of this moment he was talking about, but I knew I must have done it because my words in that memory of his were my father's. My parents both always hammered it into me to be a person of dignity, integrity and character. Middle school was a really tough time for me. I was bullied relentlessly. Knowing that there was someone out there who admired me during that time healed a part of little me."
– TopangaTohToh
It may be vain but getting noticed in the looks department is not such a bad thing.
Women Loving Other Women
"I was in my early 20s and I went out on the town with some girlfriends. I wore an outfit that was way out of my comfort zone. It was a black short skirt (I always wear pants) that flared out with a matching top. It showed a bit of midriff and I was self conscious."
"Before we even got into the bar, we ran into a couple of girls we didn’t know outside. I remember the one girl did a double take and just started freaking out. She went on and on and told me how gorgeous I looked and how amazing my outfit was. She had obviously been drinking, but it didn’t matter. She changed my whole night around and I suddenly felt like the hottest girl on the planet. I still remember her voice when I’m trying to pump myself up in the morning."
"I love women who love women."
– littlepinch7
Being Noticed
"Nothing feels better than when a pretty/well-dressed woman compliments you or your outfit 🥲 Every single time a gorgeous girl has called me 'pretty' or complimented me lives rent-free in my head."
– tigerribs
Train Station Affirmation
"After a concert I was on my way home with the train. I also wore an outfit out of my comfort zone, but I challenged myself. At the train station I walked passed to girl(who was drunk) and one said to the other 'omg did you se how beautiful she was?!' There was only me and them. She made my day."
– MinellaRibert
Noticed By An Older Generation
"A lovely elderly lady stopped mid sentence to say 'you have got the kindest eyes.' "
– F'kMe-F'kYou
"Old ladies are the best."
– OP
"Their honesty is only matched by that of a small child."
"In between those, things get kinda weird."
– F'kMe-F'kYou
Things get a little surprising.
In The Heat Of The Moment
"When I was like 19 I had an ex who had a history of abuse. We were arguing about something (I can't remember what about) but we were both shouting at each other. Then suddenly she broke down crying and started hugging me."
"Very confused I let the moment pass until she could speak and the compliment she paid me was 'Even when you're angry at me, I'm not scared of you.' "
– KingDebone
Owning The Big Legs
"I'm tall, heavy, and plain, and have been lucky enough to avoid getting catcalled for most of my life. But one time when I was in my 20s, biking to work in DC, this little old man on a street corner did a double take as I went by, pounding away at the pedals. 'Mighty big leeeeeeeeggggs!' he hollered, whether in appreciation or astonishment I couldn't tell."
"Now whether I'm struggling to get the bike up a hill, or just feeling down on my body, I'll say to myself 'mighty big leeeeeeeeggggs!' and feel that little extra boost. They are mighty big legs, and I am grateful both to and for them!"
– ReadTheIron
Father Knows Best
"I don't know if it counts but my dad once said 'i don't say it enough, but i'm really proud of you'."
"Which was the only time he ever said it, but it meant a lot."
– justregularoleme
The next time you internally think someone you know is looking particularly good on any given day or demonstrated something you were impressed by, you should tell them how you feel.
We often have these inner monologues that we casually dismiss because we can't be bothered, which is silly because it doesn't take much effort to verbalize them.
If it's positive, we should give voice to our thoughts.
Who knows? A compliment that you think is nothing can really brighten a person's day when they're otherwise feeling very glum, and you'd be responsible for making them feel extra special and seen.
Breaking up is hard to do.
In fact, it's one of life's hardest things.
It sucks when love is over.
But the story is always interesting.
And there is always more than one side to the tale.
When couples retell the fall of their fairytale there is always different aspects and details mentioned.
Everyone has their own view.
And it's always best to hear both.
Or is it?
Redditor U_PassButter wanted to hear several sides of a break-up story, so they asked:
"Let your Ex tell the story; why did your relationship end?"
I don't want to know what embellishments my exes would say.
I was perfect.
Just Stop
Cardi B Applause GIF by Recording Academy / GRAMMYsGiphy"He needs to stop being so possessive and controlling. If I wanna f**k my coworker after a shift and take him back to the house and have you catch us. I fully expect you to be okay with all of it."
Initial-Attorney-578
The Privilege
“Well, the real problem was that that a**hole, aknightwhosaysnope, didn’t trust me. If he had trusted me, he never would have looked at my phone and uncovered the affair I’ve been having with one of his best friends, and I could continue to f**k that dude while allowing aknightwhosaysnope the privilege of paying my bills. What a d**k.”
aknightwhosaysnope
In April
“'I changed my phone password because I felt like it. If you need to use it I’ll open it for you.'”
"Cut to April she’s living in NY with her new boyfriend and I’m being served divorce papers. They had been dating for 6 months while we were married."
"The pandemic definitely changed some people, some for the better, but not all."
PissyMillennial
On a Saturday...
"I deliberately picked a fight just like I do every Saturday, to force him to apologize and treat me like a princess for the rest of the weekend. But this time, when I suggested that he didn't love me and we should just break up, he actually had the nerve to agree! I couldn't believe it - that line had always worked in the past to at least get roses and a gift."
"He's such an a**hole - I even refused to leave for a while, giving him the chance to apologize to me and take it back, but he was so stubborn and just flat-out refused!"
"Even when I kept calling his phone over and over from my car, insisting that we spend one last night together, he wouldn't let me back inside his place. I still can't believe that. He owed it to me to at least hold me one more time. I even told him that, and he was still a stubborn jacka** about it."
The_Law_of_Pizza
Why can't people just go to therapy?
Find yourself in trouble.
That's where you're heading.
Not Loyal
Its Over GIFGiphy"It was long distance, I avoided all girls as she said, stayed loyal, yet one day I felt she was down, asked what's worrying you? She told me she kissed her BFF and cheated on me, a day later she ended it."
lunar_pilot
Try
"I didn't try hard enough because I couldn't handle the pressure and stress of raising 4 children all under 9 years old, a full-time job, a part-time job, all household maintenance and upkeep, and an alcoholic partner who contributed nothing to the family or the household and drank his entire paycheck every week."
Feral_Attitude
Nothing Happened
"For some reason, he didn't like that I was cuddling with my best friend on the couch. He got it into his head that I was cheating on him (or close to doing it) and decided to end the relationship. Nothing ever happened with my friend, nor did I want it to. The fact that I immediately moved with him to another country was just a coincidence."
Tiny-Device-1127
10 Years Later
"My ex (34 F) after our ten-year marriage ended: 'He was a lovely partner, most of the time. But, his depression got a hold and he just quit enjoying anything at all, including time with me. He hated himself. I couldn't put myself through it anymore'...
"Thankfully, I've (34 M) done a ton of work and found a sense of peace, and I finally love myself. It's been a couple of years now, so, the hurt has (mostly) worn off. We have to co-parent anyway, but, I've found a new friend in my ex. She really did always care about me, even if we struggled to communicate this to each other, while we were together."
nickatnite511
Sins
New Girl Facepalm GIF by HULUGiphy"Apparently being committed to one person while dating is obsessive and to care about them even a little bit after the fact is an unforgivable sin."
TooYoungToBeThisOld1
Dating will be the death of everyone.
And apparently, so will love.
Things Poor People Loved Until The Rich Ruined Them For Everyone
They say money can't buy happiness, but it seems it can make a lot of other people miserable.
Whether it's the housing crisis or the high cost of living, people are pointing at the 1% to accuse them of ruining things for the 99% in a multitude of ways.
Reddit user degreeofvariation asked:
"What was loved by poor people until rich people ruined it?"
Accommodations
"Living in warehouses in the industrial, rundown side of town."
"historic brick warehouse gets torn down"
"Coming soon: Lofts"
~ SpecialpOps
"Yes! They tore down all the real lofts to build condos they call lofts."
~ StrainAcceptable
"Living in arty neighborhoods."
~ hinterstoisser
"This is what I was looking for. Creative poor people have been investing in poor neighborhoods forever."
"They use their talent to make it a cool place they enjoy living in. The rich say 'Hey, I want to be cool, let's buy this'."
"And then they price the poor out of the haven they created and turn it into a stale, crowded, overpriced place."
~ TwiceBaked57
"Dude what I find so frustrating about this is that when they move in, the corporations move in with them."
"Next thing you know, the cute cafe you liked so much is an apple store; the good thrift shop down the street got eaten up by a new whole foods; and the entire neighborhood has lost its soul."
~ Hollz23
"One of my favorite record stores just got evicted because their landlord sold the building to a bank that wants to be in the arts district."
~ Imakereallyshittyart
"Which will lead it to no longer being an 'arts' district."
~ Quacker_please
"Quiet out of the way country cabins sitting by lakes."
"Now they are over priced Airbnbs."
~ amyaurora
"I'd even say Airbnbs themselves. They started as a potentially cheap alternative to hotels run by people who have extra space they aren't doing anything with."
"Now people build guest houses specifically for Airbnb and treat It like a full on rental."
~ Jarf_17
"Van life and tiny house living."
~ Cooper_brain
"I live in my sh*tty van after almost being evicted from my apartment."
"Every once in a while I'll meet a rich couple with $100,000 van conversions and they ask me 'what's your build like??'."
"I'm like, there's a mattress and not much else. Can be truly offensive at times."
~ Tangelo_12
Shopping
"Etsy."
~ tattooedroller
"There are SO many accounts for cheap mass produced crap that you could get on a bunch of other websites as well."
"No, I come to Etsy for homemade stuff and support artistic individuals."
~ Physical-Primary-256
"I no longer use Etsy because of how terrible the platform has become (for buyers as well as sellers)."
"If you still want to use Etsy, always do a reverse image search on the product you are considering, and also look on Aliexpress, Alibaba, Amazong, and Ebay to see if you can find the same item there."
"Most of the time you can. And for less money too."
"Etsy is still coasting on the 'handmade' reputation but most of the listings that I've seen in the past 5+ years are for cheap factory-made stuff."
~ almalauha
"Going to the farmers market."
~ M-Squared804
"I went to a farmer's market where only one vendor was selling fruits and vegetables. There were three boutique honey stands."
~ randompedestrian382
"That's what our markets are turning into as well. It's gone from local farmers and affordable produce to artisanal creations for the elite."
~ KeepOnRising19
"Ebay. It used to be so useful to get all kinds of cheap or unique things."
"Then more and more big commercial sellers joined the club and eventually ebay itself forgot about what and who made their platform a success in the first place."
~ onesmilematters
"It was a treasure trove. I remember just searching for random things I had as a kid. Imported music. Some nights I would just sort and see what was selling for a penny within the next 10mins or so."
"My sister and I were still in high school in '98 and we would just browse for HOURS as if we were walking around a store. But that rating was so important. We took great pride in that and showed the same respect to others."
"Now I am constantly upset and disappointed by the entire process."
~ idontwantanamern
"Thrift shopping."
"I'm not "✨ thrifting✨ I'm f'kin broke."
~ Elduroto
"Sometimes I feel like it's cheaper to buy clothes at Target or Walmart brand new than it is to buy from a thrift store."
~ Urchintexasyellow
"I blame the thrift stores for the shift. They literally pay nothing for their inventory, and pay barely over minimum wage in most places."
"Several times I’ve gone to thrift stores and seen items at or above what they cost brand new from the original retailer. Damn grift stores."
~ mrRabblerouser
Charities
"Food banks. My local food bank put out a news article basically saying that rich people need to stop using the food bank as a 'life hack' to lower their grocery bills."
~ ConfidantlyCorrect
"There were stories in the UK throughout the pandemic about it: those that needed it were having to walk to the Food Bank to get what they needed, but there was also people turning up in BMW's, Range Rovers. etc..."
~ Scotsgit73
"OMG. That's so evil. Some people really have no conscience."
~ BettyBoopWallflower
"I used to volunteer at a soup kitchen at a church, and it was kinda well known as having great food because the whole kitchen staff were actually a team of chefs from a nearby well known restaurant."
"They volunteered at the soup kitchen so they used it as like experience for some of their newer chefs etc...."
"Soon word got out that the food was good and you started seeing expensive cars pop up in the parking lot every now and then till they started coming more and more till one day like....80-100 rich people came and like basically ate so much that we ran out of food and had to let almost 50 homeless people go without food to starve that day."
"These rich people were literally coming to a SOUP KITCHEN for a free meal they don't need and literally preventing homeless people who, some of them this is their only meal in like 2 days, from getting food."
"AND WE TOLD THEM."
"We told them like we have a limited amount of food, we want to prioritize the homeless and those who don't have food security."
"Next week, the rich people would ignore us and bring even more of their friends."
"Plus it's not even like we got more donations once the rich people started coming either. F'k em."
~ ezodochi
Counterculture
"Counterculture-based festivals."
"Burning Man was on my bucket list until rich f'ks started showing up with bodyguards and started establishing private zones."
~ hgaben90
"Counterculture as a whole seems to be getting gentrified."
"In the Netherlands there are a lot of places you can go to that have a 'counterculture aesthetic', or more specifically 'squat aesthetic' but have exorbitant prices."
"Squatting used to be huge and multiple venues in the Netherlands (like Paradiso and Melkweg) have their humble beginnings as a squat. Ruigoord, a village close by Amsterdam that got squatted 50 years ago, also completely lost it's soul and is filled with yuppies."
"Counter culture is being gentrified, sanitised and sold back to people at exorbitant prices as something 'new, weird and hip'."
~ whazzar
Transportation
"Pickup trucks. They used to be much cheaper."
~ NCBadAsp
"They're luxury commuter vehicles for guys who think a $90,000 truck that will never see a dirt road is a smart move."
~ HauntedCemetery
Is there an affordable item you once loved that got expensive once it got popular?
Share it in the comments.