
"What is the most wholesome thing you have seen?" –– That was today's burning question from Redditor lyrebird, who definitely gave us the pick-me-up our hearts so desperately needed.
"My mom..."
My mom is a piano teacher and was shopping in a music store. A ~10 y/o kid came in wanting to buy his first musical instrument, particularly a ukulele so the clerk showed him some where the entry level was about $65. He ran back outside to his mom waiting in the car, then came back in and asked "What is the cheapest musical instrument you have?" and the clerk started showing him a $3 kazoo. Overhearing this made my mom sad, so she went over and asked the kid if he really wanted a ukulele and would promise to practice and learn it. Hooked him up with the instrument, a beginner book, picks, etc. When she left the store the kid and his mom both waited to give her a hug.
"When my youngest brother..."
When my youngest brother was about 8 or 9 (he's 12 now), he came home with a "student of the month" paper in his folder. He heard that the school custodian recently had come back from having back surgery, so after lunch he gathered a few of his buddies and they swept the cafeteria to give the custodian a break. He was so humble about it too, he didn't care that he got noticed.
I just remember being so proud and crying a bit because although I knew he is a good nugget, I just didn't expect him to go out of his way at such a young age- and to get his buddies to follow. Makes my heart happy.
"A few years ago..."
A few years ago, I was on my way to catch the bus when a middle-aged woman called me from behind a newspaper stand. She pointed to the bus stop, one block down, where a guy was standing holding something. She said he was her son, who just got out of jail after serving time for dealing drugs, and today was his first day trying to make an honest life. He had baked some traditional pastries himself and was trying to sell it on the bus stop, and she wanted to make sure things went right for him on his first day so he would not feel tempted to go back on selling drugs.
Then she put some money on my hand, asked me if I could buy some pastry and obviously not tell him she was there. At the stop, I saw the guy, probably in his mid-30s, with this little table of pastries. I bought three, we chatted a little bit and one minute later my bus arrived and I left.
It always makes me emotional and warm inside to think how pure a mother's love can be.
At a concert..."
At a concert I saw a buddy walking with his friend who was blind and also somewhat physically disabled. I overheard him telling his blind friend "oh man I was so smashed last night! I couldn't walk or see nothin. Thank god for you and your cane. You were steering us everywhere like a champ I would have been helpless without you!". It was really so heart warming and you could see how much it meant to his friend to be told how he was the helper, not the person being helped. I'm assuming he was being a little hyperbolic, but the amount of joy I saw brought to his friends face from his kind words was so heartwarming.
"I was sitting..."
I was sitting in a bar having a beer after work when this guy comes in and orders some shots. After the first couple, he starts low key crying. A semi-regular old man sitting near him asked what was up, turns out his girlfriend split up with him and he wasn't taking it well. Old man asks to join him for a drink, new guy agrees.
This old man, named Keith, always drank two beers, paid, and left.
Anyways, they sat there and got absolutely hammered drunk. They tried every liquor in the place and really tied one on. Keith was going on and on about how he hasn't let loose since he was stationed on Okinawa. By this point, new guy has completely forgotten about his ex girlfriend. They both made each other's evening.
Next time I saw Keith, I asked him how the night went. He said he hadn't had a hangover like that since Okinawa.
The new guy become a semi regular and joined our little bar family. He eventually hooked up with a new girl, and I believe they're still seeing each other. Unfortunately he moved, so I haven't seen him in like 6 months.
"I have two nieces."
I have two nieces. At little ones birthday her friend gave her two unicorn toys. She immediately looks at big sis with a huge smile " look big sis! This one for you! We can both play!" She was genuinely so excited to play unicorns with her sister and it never even occurred to her that did t didn't need to give one to her. My heart grew three sizes that day.
"Once we wrapped..."
I'm a record producer. On a particular song the client wanted a child's voice to open it, so the bassist's 10 year-old son came and recorded a vocal part.
Once we wrapped, the singer said to the kid: "Musicians get paid." And he handed the kid a £20 note. The bassist then did the same.
A small gesture maybe, but in our world making a living is hard and it was amazing to see professionals showing how it ought to be.
"One Christmas season..."
One Christmas season I saw a young woman (late teens or early 20s) walking through an IKEA picking up things in the huge marketplace area, taking a picture of them, putting them back, and moving on. She was obviously thinking intently about gifts but I was confused- was she making a wish list or something? An employee saw this and asked if they could help her find something. She says "Oh, no thank you. I'm helping my Dad Christmas shop. He works really hard and has very little time, plus when he gets off work his brain is just fried. So every year when I'm on break I go around to a bunch of stores and take pictures of things I think my Mom would really like. Then I'll show them to him at home, we talk about them and he picks some out. Then I go back and get them. It's the least I can do for him, plus it's kinda become our little secret Christmas tradition. Mom has no idea."
"There's a couple..."
There's a couple who look like they have to be in their eighties I see almost every Saturday morning when I go to the mall to run my errands. They walk around together holding hands.
"My last week..."
My last week of high school, our lunch lady gave out small gifts to some of the seniors. Just the kids that took the time to chat with her that she got to know more personally. I received a sketchbook with a sweet good luck note in it. I was always in art club and was going to school for fine arts. So she took the time to get all of us a gift that was specific to US.... this lady saw hundreds of kids a day and still took the effort to get to know us.
"When I was a preschool..."
When I was a preschool teacher, we had one kid who was our certified cheer upper. If someone was crying, she'd get a tissue, walk over, carefully blot their eyes and make them blow their nose. All while saying, 'It's okay, You're okay'. Eventually they'd stop crying, she'd take their hand and they'd go play. She was a lil angel.
"I was playing..."
I was playing with my 6-year-old nephew and pretending to cry really dramatically, and suddenly his 2-year-old brother yells "OH NO!" from the other room, comes running in repeating "oh no!" as he runs, and starts patting my cheeks and dabbing at my eyes with his shirt saying "you okay." Such a sweet kiddo.
"My daughter..."
My daughter is on the spectrum, but she is very loving and likes to give hugs. She just has a sixth sense about her when someone really needs that hug. One of her daycare workers had just found out her cancer had returned. She hadn't told a sole at the school yet. My daughter just walked up to her and said, "I think you need a hug" and gave her one. She still does that to this day. The child is clueless on so much, can't pick up sarcasm at all, but boy she is in tune emotionally to people!
"One of the kids..."
One of the kids in my class was talking to one of our new kids. It came up in conversation that the new kids shoes didn't fit and made his feet hurt. The boys also realized that they wear the same size shoes. The next day the OG kiddo comes in with a pair of Jordans he never wears for the new kid to have and a note from his mom saying it was ok. It was one of the most precious things I've ever seen.
"I was on..."
I was on what I call a rumpled suit flight. One of those flights on a Friday at 6 from NY to DC where most of the flight consists of business people in suits drinking $14 double whiskeys. A fellow rumpled suit sat across the aisle from me next to a mother and her kid. When she could the kid brought down her tray table and a coloring book and started coloring. I didn't hear what was said but at some point the kid handed the rumpled suit a coloring book and they spent the remainder of the flight coloring and chatting. I was kinda like, "I want to color too."
"I was on a flight..."
I was on a flight about a month ago and there was a kid next to me with a bunch of Pokemon cards. This was after sword and shield was announced so I asked him if he was excited for the new game. His eyes lit up immediately and he started geeking out and showing me all his favorite Pokemon. I told him my favorite game was Emerald and he said he never got to play it. I have a GBA emulator on my phone with a rom of it so I let him play it the rest of the flight.
The joy of a child is absolutely beautiful.
"A little boy..."
A little boy at the airport kept trying to climb over a concrete divider that had active traffic on the other side. His mom was loaded with luggage and kept trying to stop him, but didn't have free hands.
My brother in law walked up and said "Hey kid. There's a rule here. You have to keep one foot on the ground at all times. Look around. Everyone has at least one foot on the ground."
The kid kept trying to climb, but with one foot firmly glued to the ground he wasn't in danger anymore. Such a creative and wholesome way to let the kid keep playing while keeping him safe!
"I gifted..."
I gifted a used electric wheelchair to a family who couldn't afford one. The kid, maybe 14 years old, was kinda grumpy looking when he arrived, didn't say much. Once we got him in the chair and he was zooming around he was all smiles; his mother was also super happy. I heard the next day he told his sister to clear off the driveway so he could practice with it, and by the weekend he had gone to a fair.
"When my youngest..."
When my youngest was 2/3 he slept in bed with me. I woke up one night to him not there. I panicked and looked around. He was laying and sleeping cuddled next to my oldest son.
"So we go..."
When I was, like, 11, Dad was driving us to a gathering at my grandma's.
There was a woman pulled over on the side of the road. Dad asked if they needed help. She said she'd run out of gas. Dad told her he would get some.
So we go into a gas station. Dad explains the situation to the cashier and is prepared to buy a can of gas. There's this other customer that looks like a biker - big dude with tattoos and piercings - who tells Dad he has gas at his house and tells us to get in our cars and follow him.
His wife and young son were in the front yard. Turned out this was his sister's house; the guy had fled a hurricane with his family. Nevertheless he insisted on giving us the gas for free.
Have you ever heard of a certain job that people call a career and thought... "PEOPLE PAY YOU FOR THAT?!?!"
All hard, honest work is good work.
And then there is just trash work.
And I don't mean garbage collection, that is honest work.
I don't know how some people live with themselves.
Redditor MrTuxedo1 wanted to discuss the careers they don't believe people should chase. They asked:
"What job do you have no respect for?"
Ticket scalpers. How do you the audacity to say that's a job?
Actual burglars have more empathy.
Disrespectful
"There are debt collectors who call relatives of the deceased to pay off their debts when they are not legally obligated to."
Top_Gun_2021
Shady. Shady.
"Australian Real Estate Agents. Laws don't seem to apply to them. Just as dodgy in sales and rentals alike. Never seen anything like it overseas."
snave_
"I'm in the US, it can vary state by state but my state is pretty strict on realtor laws. Some states require attorney review and there are definitely penalties for being reported for shady sh*t. It does require consumer reporting though."
ilostmytaco
Etransfer
"Where I live, tax info was leaked and now scammers are targeting low income individuals/families (people earning under 30,000 per year) with etransfer scams. I got one the other day that was an etransfer warning that 240$ 'a family member sent me' was about to expire."
SnowyInuk
"That’s disgusting. The scammers know what they’re doing, they know the harm they cause people and yet they don’t care."
surelysandwitch
Should be illegal...
"MLM managers. Not the low level idiots that get suckered into it, they suck too for trying to bring new people into that sh*tshow, but the people who create them know exactly what they are doing and are pretty much the only ones who profit off of it. Should be illegal. Pyramid schemes are illegal. None of them ever get the just desserts except occasionally by vigilantes I assume."
Wereno
I hate debt collectors. Yeah, you calling me one hundred times a week is going to miraculously make money appear.
Animals
"Paparazzi."
VictorBlimpmuscle
"I met Jack Gleeson (King Joffrey from Game of Thrones) at a bus stop in Dublin. Really nice guy but he said he quit acting due to people being nasty online and constant hounding from paparrazi. He's happier now but it sucks that he was pushed away from a career he was quite good at."
goobi94
Scumbags
"The pastors at mega churches whom ask their followers for money for private jets. Absolute scum to abuse others faith for your own greed."
ichancho
"Brian Tamaki is a greedy freaking pig, he takes advantage of so many people who are already struggling. Every time he’s in the local news (which btw is often) I get more and more pissed off at him and his wife. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Tamaki "
surelysandwitch
it’s a thing???
“'Dating Expert.' Sadly it’s a thing. It’s basically a self appointed title that requires no training or qualifications. What’s worse, is that I have a female friend who uses one. It’s very much a blind leading the blind situation."
Mean_Manufacturer_61
"Most of the self proclaimed “dating coaches” I know are women in their late 30s or early 40s who have never been married or had a longer relationship."
ipozgaj
EVIL
"Poachers. Especially big game poachers who purposefully hunt nearly extinct animals from species they know they are on the brink."
"I know there are poachers that come from rural villages who are trying to just put food on the table, which has my sympathy but poachers who come from money and hunt down animals minding their business in most shelters or restricted areas just to put a head on their wall as a trophy are absolutely heinous."
GetterdoneObiwan
I See It All
"Psychic Mediums. Specifically those who prey on the grieving."
JamesDeadite
"I've always found it interesting how many magicians go after people like this. I think it's because they know what it takes to trick people for the art. The slight of hand and mentalism. And they abhor people who use these tactics for such sh*tty purposes."
34HoldOn
I want so bad to believe in psychics and mediums. What say we on that topic?
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The nose is constantly being attacked by odors of the world.
Going through one day without having to hold my breath during a certain point, is a miracle.
Of course, I'm a New Yorker, so I maybe exaggerating for people in the countryside.
What's funnier is odors that are pleasant, that shouldn't be.
Have you ever looked and something and thought... "yuck."
But then you smelled it and it was like... "oh lovely,"
Redditor HappQueue wanted to know what aromas are arousing to the senses that may come as a surprise to many. They asked:
"What smells good but shouldn't?"
For some odd reason I love the things burning. Anything, food, pots, pans. You name it. Weird.
Blow
"Matches/candles on a birthday cake. I remember lighting matches as a kid purely to blow them out and inhale that sweet match-y smell."
semispooked
"guilty good"
"I work at a Chemical plant. We make a highly acidic product that is dark blue, viscus, highly corrosive, and smells exactly like Fruit Loops. It is incredibly disturbing."
Turin082
"Organic chemistry has many 'guilty good' smells. Thiophosgene (sulfur derivative of a chemical weapon used extensively in WW1) apparently smells like meat. Phosgene is used to make polycarbonate, thiophosgene is used to make some sulfur-containing molecules which eventually end up in therapeutic drugs."
HammerTh_1701
I can't huff it...
"Paint, specifically house paint. I love the smell. But anytime I hear that anyone is painting a room or their house, I volunteer. I just love sitting on the floor in a room that's been freshly painted, closing my eyes and just inhaling that slightly chemically, slightly creamy aroma."
Neowza
A Hint of French...
"A fish and chips shop burnt down as couple blocks from work a few years ago. The whole neighborhood smelled amazing for days. Just the slight hint of French fries. Nothing overpowering. It was so awesome. Until I found out someone was trapped in the fire and died."
stevey_frac
Drag
"Race fuel. Instantly puts me in a good mood as it reminds me of going to the drag races with my dad when I was young."
garfnodie
Fuel and matches get me too. And they sort of go together. Interesting.
Just like the Movie...
"The water from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Mmm, bromine."
Stalkerslovemy
"This is one of my favorite scents of all time, and Disney is very aware that people enjoy it. Evidently it’s a lot harder to recreate than just adding bromine to water."
cash4panties
"black widow".
"There's a chicken wing restaurant near my house that has a challenge sauce called "black widow." The owner claims it to be around 500,000 scovilles. A few years back some buddies and I decided to try them, the sauce was a dark molasses color and smelled almost like a BBQ sauce, no hint of the danger that lurked at all. We each grabbed one wing and it went terribly. I don't know how something so spicy could smell so innocent."
Final-Chapter
Endless Weekend
"Hotel/rented rooms whenever you go on vacation. There's this particular smell that just says 'you are on vacation,' especially on a beach/swimming trips/out-of-the-town vacays."
Yummy_Llama
"Bath and Body Works has a plug-in scent called Endless Weekend that replicates that scent (to my humble nose)."
Exxcentrica
"oh no..."
"Someone you are attracted to's body odors. Anyone else who is slightly unhygienic smells repulsive."
Mini_gunslinger
"I remember back in high school a girl leaned over, sniffed me, told me that I smelled really good, and asked me what cologne I was wearing. I asked if she was joking, and she's like, no, you smell really good. When I told her I had just gotten done with gym class, she gets a small 'oh no...' look on her face and turns away. I think we both had a revelation that day."
user deleted
That Smell
"The smell inflatable things give off. I have no idea how to describe it, but it’s… nostalgic? to me."
crestfxllen
I do love the smell of plastics and inflatables. Ahh....
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At one point in time, we've misplaced things that we've considered priceless possessions.
It's hard to imagine how to go on without the lost object–whatever it may be–but over time, it becomes a distant memory and we move on.
That is until we magically find ourselves presented with this opportunity proposed by Redditor mikehotel288, who asked:
"You find yourself in a room with everything you’ve ever lost in your life. What do you look for first?"
There are necessities people cannot do without.
No More Dry Lips Ever Again
"Gonna be a lot of chapstick in that room."
– camefromxbox
There are things that bring us comfort and are irreplaceable.
Safety Blanket
"My baby blanket. It became tattered over the years—to the point where I couldn’t reasonably wash it anymore—so I had to throw it away a little while back."
"I have heavily regretted that decision. I was really attached to it (hence it being in tatters), but I really wish that I kept what was left of it instead of throwing it away. Just knowing that I’d still have it would be a huge comfort to me."
– Uearie
Sentimental Heirloom
"The pendant my dad had made for me with my grandmother’s engagement diamond. It was 2 carats. It disappeared from a Las Vegas hotel room 20 years ago. It was hidden deep in a suitcase where it would not have been easy to find. It was just GONE. Cops didn’t do anything. Didn’t even come to take my statement. Cleaning lady said she thought she saw an elderly man enter my room. The guy I was with was not sympathetic in the least. Entire situation was f**ked. I’m still so upset about it."
– MaritimeDisaster
Lone Shark
"My plastic shark toy I lost when I was 10. Ain't no f'king way it just VANISHED."
– Guilty_As_Charged__
Not everything lost is tangible.
Tick Tock
"The time I wasted."
– shinyfennec
It Holds Value
"My private key with 6 BTC in it."
– Significant_Mirror19
"I didn't lose one, but I'll check my room for yours just in case."
– Smodphan
Finding Purpose
"The reason I walked into the room."
– Lloyd_lyle
Lost Opportunity
"That one girl i spoke to on omegle lol"
– h-amishh
If only we get to reunite with those we've lost.
The Loved Family Member
"My grandpa."
– Splatty_boi_420
Grieving Parent
"My daughter. She’ll be in my brother’s arms. So I’ll find both things I care to look for."
– SeeTheFence
Missing Mom
"My mom. She died of cancer in 2017. She never got to meet my daughter. I miss the hell out of her and wish she was still part of my family’s life."
– X-Arkturis-X
The Animals That Come Into Our Lives
"My pets that have passed: especially my horse, Blue. It's been 4 years, but it feels like just yesterday."
– Baciandrio
While many of these scenarios are unlikely, the thread gave people an opportunity to reflect on the things that made a strong impression on their lives.
Sometimes, the memories of the things we've lost–whether they are random objects or sources of love–is all we have.
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What's worse than returning home from a night out or a workday and discovering your home was broken into? Being home when the break-in happens.
Home invasions are a common trope portrayed in horror films like The Strangers and Funny Games, and they're absolutely terrifying because they are based on real-life incidents.
Redditor silentagent47 asked strangers to consider this horrifying hypothetical.
"You have 5 minutes to prepare before a guy breaks into your house with the intention to kill you. You can not exit your house. What is your strategy to survive?"
The hunter becomes the hunted, inspired by TV and movies.
Duplicating A Scene
"There was an episode of Burn Notice where Michael puts aerosol cans in the microwave with kitchen utensils and hits popcorn button. I really want to know if this works or not."
– JohnSterlingSanchez
Epic Burglar Trap
"Speed-watch Home Alone."
– pluribusduim
It's about the choice of weapon.
Jump Scare
"I get the vacuum cleaner ready in a certain room, I turn it on as hes about to enter to create a distraction, then I jump out when he's inspecting the noise and bonk the f'ker on the head with the piece of 2 inch steel tube I keep as a weapon."
– BustedBastard
Beware of Dog
"Unleash the Hounds"
– myassonreddit
Make A Weapon
"Duct tape a bunch of knives to the end of one of those tall lamps to make a spear of blinding and then proceed to go sicko mode."
– DubTheeBustocles
Preparing For A Thwack
"Turn shower on, for some reason I have a shovel behind my wardrobe?? So grab that. Wait for him to check shower, whack with shovel. Boom."
– hypersp00p
It's Just A Game
"Corner camp with a shotgun."
– Arrow3619
A Warm Welcome
"Hairspray and a lighter to his face."
– WorkingClassSheep
The effectiveness of these tactics are questionable, but points for creativity are warranted.
Stand Still
"Put a lamp shade on my head and stand in the corner of the room."
– Cannabis_Sir
Make It Erotic
"I turn on all the lights, take off all my clothes, rub butter all over myself, and start a fake conversation on the phone. As soon as he breaks in I say into the phone: 'I’ve gotta go, my next appointment is finally here…”
– FrankieTheAlchemist
Forget The Stairs
"Go to the LIVING ROOM."
– on-oath-never-again
Removing The Element Of Fun
"Draw an X on my forehead and grab a beer."
– Candycoatedmuffin3
And that's why I would opt for living in a commune or apartment complex.
People who own houses are just asking for forced entry.
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