Top Stories

Nostalgic People Tell Stories Of The One Stranger They’ll Never Forget

Nostalgic People Tell Stories Of The One Stranger They’ll Never Forget

Nostalgic People Tell Stories Of The One Stranger They’ll Never Forget

[rebelmouse-image 18353195 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

_Life is an abundance of utter chaos. People fly in and out every other second. Many times we recognize the profound differences they make; like saving our lives when we're choking on meat or turning out to be our significant other. But 90% of the time we'll never know the people who float in and out of out lives. And that 90% can change it within the blink of an eye. _

_Redditor ___The_FunkyPigeon_askedpeople to share stories of the one stranger they'll never forget.

WHAT HAPPENS IN TAHOE.

A boy I met 30 years ago in Tahoe.

SOMETIMES LANGUAGE HAS NO BARRIERS.

[rebelmouse-image 18353196 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Whenever I go to the airport, I think about that one girl I met when I was like 4, in Miami. She spoke Spanish and back then I only spoke French. Yet we managed to become bffs in a matter of minutes. She was so damn generous with all her toys and she drew me a picture as a parting gift. She was so nice. I wonder who she's become.

LOST IN THE CROWD.

[rebelmouse-image 18353197 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

When I was a very nervous 14 year old I saw a short blonde girl with a lip ring wearing an Atticus t-shirt at a local carnival. I thought she was beautiful, but when I attempted to approach her I lost her in the crowd. Whenever someone mentioned a carnival I thought of this girl, even during and after some serious relationships (note to self: no matter how close you and your s/o are, don't bring up this girl).

Now, I worked at a burger restaurant about a mile from the carnival site from when I was 16 until I was 18. When I was 17 I swear to god this same girl came in. I felt like a nervous 14 year old again. I wanted to approach, but she was eating with her mom and dad and I wasn't their server. They left when I was in the kitchen. It was a sad day.

THUMBS UP FRIEND!

[rebelmouse-image 18353198 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

There used to be a cheap, but tasty Shawarma place opened very close to where I lived back in uni. I used to visit there almost daily, every day, for a sandwich.

The shawarma guy was an old Turk that didn't speak any English. I had to do gestures to describe what I wanted on my sandwich. After a while tho, he'd recognize me. I'd nod, he'd nod, and he would know what I wanted. This went on for 5 years. We've established a strong relationship of sign language that, as far as I know, isn't recognized anywhere else.

The last day I visited was right when I graduated. I visited there, graduation hat on the table. He gestures to it, I smile and nod twice...and he grinned. The biggest grin I've seen a stranger show me. He was so happy for me. He gave me a thumbs up. I gave one back.

I went back home, many miles away, but I still think about that "friend".

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST ABOUT LISTENING.

[rebelmouse-image 18353199 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

When I was 15 years old I had some pretty dark thoughts. I was really lonely, had no friends, no idea of what I wanted to do after high school, I never felt so lost in my entire life. Depression was a new thing for me so I had no clue of how to deal with it in a healthy way, so I did what every depressed teenager does: I acted out. A lot. My grades were garbage, I started drinking, fighting all the time with my family. Then one day I was at school sitting by myself, listening to some music and minding my own business when this new teacher sat next to me and asked how I was doing.

I told him to shut up, he said "ok, I will, if you tell me how you're doing". He was so calm and kind that I felt bad for treating him that way, so I apologized and we started talking. For some reason I told him everything that was going on and he just sat there listening to me. Barely said anything, just listened. When I was done venting, he just said something along the lines "problems come and go, sometimes they feel like the end of the world, but you have to put up a fight cause that's how you become stronger for the next problem. It's okay to feel sad and angry, but eventually you have to stand up for yourself." I don't remember the exact words cause that was six or seven years ago, but in that moment, I decided not to harm myself. I never saw that teacher again, maybe he got fired or something, I really don't know. But since that day I've been punching depression in the face almost everyday. Life isn't the best right now, but I know it gets better eventually and it's worth the struggle =] And I'll always be thankful to that man.

LOVE IS IN THE EYES.

[rebelmouse-image 18353200 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I was walking out of a store with my son who wasn't more than a couple months old. An older woman was walking behind me, and she said, "look at the way he looks at you! He loves you so much!" I don't know why that meant so much to me, but I think of her and those kind words often.

JUST KEEP BREATHING!

[rebelmouse-image 18346701 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I called a suicide hotline one time about three years ago when I was seriously considering doing it. I was sixteen and crying alone and the woman was so kind and calmed me down. She asked me how I was gonna do it and when I told her I was going to take loads of pills she told me quite frankly that it wouldn't work, and I would just really damage my liver. She spoke to me for ages. She reminded me that I still a whole life that I could make as exciting as possible if I wanted it. I realized I did really want it.

She told me if I called back within the next two hours she would still be there and she would be waiting for my call. My family came back home and I got distracted and never got the chance to call her back and tell her I was okay. I hope I didn't worry her and that she's alright. I wish I could tell her that I'm still alive and doing great. She honestly saved my life and pulled me back from the darkest hour ever. I think about her around this time of year a lot.

ANGELS ARE ALWAYS WATCHING.

[rebelmouse-image 18978781 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

My best friend died from cancer when I was 19. I had just started an internship in Boston at the time and had to fly back home to Illinois to attend the funeral. While at the airport waiting to board my flight, I was on the phone with someone. I don't remember who it was as I had to make so many phone calls during that period of time to friends and family to inform people of what happened. After I hung up the phone a woman, probably in her mid 30's, who had been sitting near me came over and said she had overheard me on the phone. This didn't surprise me, as basically every phone call I had to make had me nearly in tears (if not actually in tears). She went on to say that she couldn't even imagine going through something like that at 19, and how maturely I was handling it.

I thanked her, and went back to making phone calls. The next time I looked around, which couldn't have been more than a few minutes later, she was gone. It has always stuck with me, and I will never forget it. Just those small words of kindness meant so much to me at that moment.

ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE DOC.

[rebelmouse-image 18978782 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I was a total screw up in high school. Almost got expelled, eventually dropped out, ended up with a GED. In my 20s I finally decided to do something with my life and went to community college. Did well, but didn't take it seriously enough. Applied to graduate school for a career that would boost me out of the poverty I grew up in. Got accepted by a program before I finished the pre-requisites for that program. I was supposed to complete the last few pre-requisites in spring quarter and start grad school three weeks later in summer.

First day of spring quarter I was too busy hooking up with this woman and forgot to pay my tuition, so the computer system automatically booted me from all my courses. I was able to salvage all of them except one advanced microbiology course because they always have a wait list and immediately filled up. I was literally screwing myself out of grad school and a better life. I had my first and only panic attack in the counselor's office when she wouldn't give me an override and said I had to plead my case to the professor, who I'd never met.

I went to talk to the professor, a crusty retired veterinarian who glowered at me as I told him how I'd gotten into graduate school and would literally be kicked out before I even started if I didn't complete his course that quarter. He stared at me for a while and said, "you ever going to f--- up that bad over something so important again?" I said, "not this badly." He smiled and gave me an override, I went to grad school and got my doctorate. I make a comfortable living, have a kid that I never worry about providing for or feeding. And I have never screwed up that badly again. All thanks to Doc.

IN THE LONELY HOUR.

[rebelmouse-image 18978784 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I met a woman my age in an elevator in my 20s. She asked how old I was, and commented that we were the same age, and that while I was an MD, all she had done in her life was get married and have kids. I was coming off call after some 36 hours in the hospital, in my intern year, lonely, miserable, and exhausted. I just looked at her and thought about how strange it was that we both wanted what the other had.

IT GETS BETTER

[rebelmouse-image 18978785 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

This dude came up to me in public and said "it will get better, I promise" when I was at my absolute lowest and couldn't talk about it with anyone. No one else around me noticed how depressed I was but this random stranger saw it.

GARY THE BABY BOOMER IS A HERO!

[rebelmouse-image 18978786 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Last year I went out to eat with a couple of my friends and they were standing outside of my car when I parked. As soon as I opened the door they started making conversation with me, so I got distracted and left my keys in the car. My friends and I got to work on trying to somehow open the door. We were struggling with a hanger until an old man came up to us and asked if he could try. He bent up the hanger in a way that my friends and I hadn't even thought of, and within like 5 minutes he managed to get the door open with a little of my help. I still remember him telling me "Tell your parents that a baby boomer named Gary helped you out." Thanks old man :)

REDDIT BRINGS US TOGETHER.

[rebelmouse-image 18978787 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

We were similarly aged, and played Diablo 1 waaaaaay back in the day. Always a blast to talk to, and we kept up for the longest time on ICQ. She was just a really genuine, fun person. And then, as internet folk do, she moved on and we never talked again._

It'd be cool to see how she's doing, but I've made peace with the fact that I'll never hear from her again.

THE BABY WHISPERER

[rebelmouse-image 18978788 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I used to work checkout at a grocery store. One day, this woman comes up to my line with her baby sitting in the top part of the cart. The woman was calm, at ease, carefree. But she had an aura that she was a genuinely good person. Her baby starts screaming at the top of its lungs. Most parents I know would reach to their kid and pick them up to calm them down, yell, get embarrassed, all that. But this woman, without it being a big deal, just looked at her kid with the kindest face, and without words comforted her child. And her kid stopped crying instantly. And I think about how one person could so simply listen and communicate back love in such a meaningful way, I sometimes think about her and how to be someone like that.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK.

[rebelmouse-image 18978789 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

The dude who mugged me. I've moved countries since then, but I still get the feeling he's lurking around nearby whenever I go for a walk.

FRIENDS KEEP FRIENDS WARM.

[rebelmouse-image 18978790 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I must have been around 10 years old and was skiing with my parents. The temperature dropped, and my toes were killing me, so we went into a cafeteria located midway up the mountain. My mom took off my boots and was trying to warm up my frozen toes with her hands. A random stranger walked by, took pity on me, reached into his jacket, and handed me two boot warmers. Since then, I've always carried extra boot warmers in case I see a miserable kid on the mountain. Still hoping to pay it forward one day.

ANIMALS FIRST, ALWAYS.

[rebelmouse-image 18978791 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

When I was a young child my dog got sick. We took her to the vet. She had a problem with her leg. To help her the vet had to move her leg and it put her in a significant amount of pain. Seeing my dog in pain made me cry so one of my parents took me out of the room. The receptionist saw me crying, gave me a lollipop and comforted me. Thanks receptionist lady for making young me feel less traumatized.

FROM THE MOUTHS OF BABES.

[rebelmouse-image 18352758 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I was once at the Museum of Play in Rochester, and they have a set of giant foam lego type blocks for building structures. This little boy no older than 4 or 5 was sitting all alone, holding a block like a rifle and halfheartedly pointing it around him. I lead a pretty lonely childhood, so i ran over and picked up a block and had a mock shootout with the little guy, complete with a scarface style bullet barrage death on my end, I've never felt more fulfilled than when he ran over to his dad and shouted "I got him!" I cant wait to have kids of my own.

NEVER FORGET OUR VETERANS.

[rebelmouse-image 18978792 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

When I was in the Navy, stationed in San Diego, I got rolled out in town for about $160...all the money I had. Hitched a ride toward the base and caught a ride with this old guy who let me crash at his place overnight until he could take me back to the base before muster. I'm sure he's dead by now but he kept me out of a lot of trouble.

HOW DID WE LIVE BEFORE TECHNOLOGY TOOK OVER?

[rebelmouse-image 18346382 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Meet a pretty girl from France in a tiny village in Romania as I was traveling. Got her contacts but lost the note at the train station. This was before the age of smartphones.

YOU CAN'T SAVE EVERY LIFE, BUT YOU CAN TRY.

[rebelmouse-image 18978793 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I don't know if this counts as a stranger but.... I'm a nursing student and while on placement in a psychiatric facility i was responsible for this 18 year old guy who had tried to kill himself. I ended up spending quite a bit of time with him, chatting about anything from Rick and Morty to his deeper issues. I was due to leave the ward after working with him for 3 days. I think of him most weeks.

H/T : REDDIT

People Share The Weirdest Facts They Know

Reddit user Former_Ladder9969 asked: 'What is a weird fact you know for some reason?'

Man explaining weird theory
Photo by Usman Yousaf on Unsplash

We've all heard some things that sound too good to be true, but we've also certainly heard some things that were too weird to be true.

But as strange as they might sound, from weird scientific facts to things that people have done to animals that actually exist outside of a distant, mystical realm, there are some things that are simply, stranger than fiction.

Curious about others' takes, Redditor Former_Ladder9969 asked:

"What is a weird fact you know for some reason?"

The Draw of the Deck

"The King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache."

- MR_dizzaster

"He's also sticking a sword in his head."

- Uwumeshu

"He was shaving and missed."

- puneralissimo

Random Facts About Strangers

"Diddy, the music artist, doesn’t like the way towels feel on his skin. So instead of drying off like a normal person after a shower, he walks around his house to air dry instead."

"Why do I know this?"

"Because for some reason, this was a fact given during an old show on VH1 called 'Pop Up Videos,' where they would play a music video with random facts being shown throughout. I have zero idea why of all the vital things I should have stored in my memory, this was one that stuck after all these years."

- dabking24

Spacial Awareness

"Australia is wider than the moon."

- MrSatanachia

"I can't decide if I'm more amazed that the moon is actually way smaller than I imagined, or that Australia is way bigger than I imagined."

- 5Beans6

"This is my confusion, lol (laughing out loud)."

- TheTinyHandsofTRex

That's Commitment

"Crabs have a muscle that enables them to release their claw if they have to."

- Norwegianxrp

"It took me an incredibly long time to realize this means like… fully release it, like remove it from their body. I thought it just meant release the grip they have."

- wowowaoa

Mystical Representation

"The national animal of Scotland is a Unicorn."

- Batmans-dragon80

"Yes, that’s true. Mainly because we have so many of them roaming wild in the glens. Chasing the Haggi and avoiding Nessie."

- Bri1311

Education through Music

"Because of a song that used to constantly play on the radio I have it pretty well memorized that there are 86,400 seconds in the average day."

- Vanilla_Neko

"Because of a song on the radio, I learned that the minimum expectation for displays of love can be measured in 500 miles."

- Slight_Bodybuilder25

Where the Grass is Greener... and Newer

"There were no grasses on the earth when dinosaurs were here."

- Snowfl4ke85

"During the Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous, the higher flora was dominated by cycads, ginkgoes, conifers, and ferns. Other groups of plants included extinct seed plants with fern-like foliage. The exact origins of flowering plants are uncertain, although evidence suggests that they are not closely related to any group of modern non-flowering plants."

"Flowering plants underwent rapid radiation beginning around the middle of the Cretaceous period, and makeup around 90% of living plant species today. With the spread of these plants came the decline of previously dominant groups such as conifers. During the Cretaceous, ferns would also begin to diversify."

"The oldest known fossils of grasses are from the Early Cretaceous, with the family having diversified into modern groups by the end of the Cretaceous. The oldest large flowering trees are known from the Late Cretaceous, with the trunk having a preserved diameter of one-point-eight meters and an estimated height of 50 meters."

- UnexpectedDinoLesson

Weird Way to Say Hello

"Manatees control their buoyancy by farting. Toot toot, floaty sea cow."

- Plane-Vacation-1228

"Wait, so those bubbles you see on the water surface that signify their presence are...?"

- DismalDude77

Goals for Building the Longest Train...

"There's no maximum length to a train, you just add another engine."

- TrueGritt90

"That tracks."

- Snedro

The Smallest Philosopher

"That dead ants produce a pheromone that alerts the other ants that they need to move them to the ant graveyard."

"If a drop of this pheromone is placed on a live ant, it will take itself to the graveyard and stay there until the pheromone dissipates."

- Jessi_L_1324

"The ant: Am I dead?"

- Professional_Stay748

"That ant would make a great philosopher."

- skatalite2020

High-Risk Flights

"Some military helicopters on aircraft carriers are made of magnesium and should they catch fire, it's literally impossible to put them out as the magnesium will take the oxygen from the water and use that to keep burning."

"So the only thing that can be done is to push them overboard and even as they sink they will continue to burn until the magnesium is completely burned up."

- Strange_Stage1311

The First Scapegoat

"Some tribes of ancient people used to tie up a goat, whisper their sins to it, then allow it to 'accidentally' escape so it would carry their sins away and thus resolve them of guilt."

"It was, literally, their 'escape goat,' and that's where the term 'scapegoat' comes from."

- TheAbyssGazesAlso

The Power of Percentages

"Percentages can be reversed."

"For example, five percent of ten is ten percent of five."

- Routine_Leading_4757

"43 years and I'm only learning this now."

- TheMechTech80

Wordy Phobias

"The fear of long words is called 'hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.'

- Illustrious_Hawk_734

"Also, the fear of palindromes is called 'aibohphobia,' which just goes to show that the people who name phobias are a**holes."

- PhoenixMason13

"The question is, who even has a fear of palindromes?"

- ConduckKing

"Eve, Bob, and Hannah."

- Lostarchitorture

Not only are these facts unexpected, but it's wild to think that some of them are true.

But the simple, plain truth is that the truth is always all that simple. It can be weird and hard to believe, and yet, there it is.

Person holding up magnet of Florida
Done By Alex/Unsplash

In all deference to the people of Florida, the Sunshine State is not known for being the ideal place to live.

Aside from being a major tourist destination and an escape from the cold weather months in other parts of the country, the retirement refuge is reputable as being problematic and the butt of a joke for a number of reasons.

But the real kicker is the frequency at which many Florida residents make headlines for unhinged behavior earning them the label of "Florida Man," prompting the rest of the U.S. to shake their heads and remark, "Only in Florida."

Curious to hear about other parts of the world that have a similar reputation, Redditor Ltimbombo asked:

"What is the 'Florida' of Europe?"

These are almost, but not quite, Florida.

The "Crazy Sh*t" Stereotype

"In what sense? Spain's Costa del Sol ticks the 'entitled retiree destination' box but the 'people inexplicably doing crazy sh*t' stereotype firmly belongs to Russia."

– epeeist

Deutscheland

"Adam Carolla used to have a segment on his radio show called 'Florida or Germany' where he would read newspaper articles of strange crimes and callers would guess if it took place in Florida or Germany. I thought it was entertaining."

– CurvySmokeShow

It's A Zoo Out There

"As a Florida Man who has found an Alligator in my backyard before (no joke, this is serious) I’d definitely have to say Russia."

– anon

"I’ve had 2 pythons show up in the yard of the house I grew up in, years before it was widely known how invasive they were."

"Never got a gator though."

– Sss00099

Talking Geography

"In that the Ural mountains are the technical dividing line between Europe and Asia, I'll have to go with Western Russia. In particular, you could overlay Florida on top of the part of Russia that spans from Voronezh to Saratov and then down to Volgograd."

– themistergraves

Gotta love some o' the Brits.

Im-Posh-ters

"When I was in Barcelona this past June I had the opportunity to witness a young, trashy British couple act as though they were posh. It was then that I realized that the British are the Floridians of Europe."

– mattswa

"Ohhh trashy Brits are on another level, you have to see it to believe it lol."

– YetiPie

Defined By TV Shows

"I was in Dublin last summer, met some Brits from Leeds and they literally asked the Irish guy I was hanging out with if they had the same queen. Then when it came up I was american one of the women shrieked and said 'Young Sheldon’s me favorite tv show' and Jesus Christ I couldn’t help but laugh"

– BureaucraticHotboi

Admittedly Floridian

"Florida is kinda stupid for stupid’s sake. Here in the UK we tell ourselves we are civilised, refined, smart and in control while still doing equally stupid stuff."

– npri0r

Making Up For Size

"Blackpool, England. Admittedly it's on a smaller scale but what it lacks in size, it makes it up in STD rates, welfare distribution and average tooth count."

– DavosLostFingers

"Fun fact! Blackpool is the only city in the uk with the same average lifespan as the US!"

– TinyChairty4151

Feels Like Home

"I went on holiday to Britain, driving the whole island. Some seagulls nicked my chips and my pastie in Blackpool while some guy vomited into a trash can next to me. Same exact thing happened to me in Miami (swap the pastie for a taco). So ya this checks out."

– sothatsathingnow

Meanwhile, over in the Mediterranean...

Cretins

"It’s probably Greece and specifically Crete. People like to go there for vacation, it’s hot and all the people own guns and are conservative religious madlads."

– SpaceAgeIsLate

Italiano

"Italy, it's hot, full of tourist, and has a history of going facist."

– weedtrek

"And it's the wang of Europe."

– swash_mcbuckle

Looks like every Floridians are not alone in their tainted reputation thanks to the number of people who had to ruin everything.

But one thing seems certain.

It's doesn't seem to be about what's in the water Floridians drink.

There are several things in this life we know to be rare, resulting in millions of people seeking them out, or taking the opportunity to enjoy them.

These include seeing a solar or lunar eclipse, vintage bottles of wine, the first issue of a comic book, or being upgraded to first class without warning.

Sometimes, however, we take for granted certain things we just assume are part of daily life which are, in fact, quite rare.

Be it an uninterrupted night's sleep, a life-threatening illness, or a old recording on our DVR (or, for that matter a VHS!), some things we think can be enjoyed or could happen to anyone might be much harder to come by than we think.

Redditor f*ckandfrolic was curious to learn all about the seemingly everyday things that are, in fact, anything but common, leading them to ask:

"What is far more rare than people realize?"

Or, Perhaps, The Vaccines Are What Made It Rare?

"Tetanus."

"We get vaccines for it, but it's actually a bit harder to get than you may believe."- pheat0n

Meow

"Solid brown fur cats, apparently it’s some kind of recessive gene in them."- TheJadedSF

"We have a male tortoiseshell cat."

"Cat people tend to know they’re quite rare but others probably don’t."- Tacoma__Crow

In Love Cat GIFGiphy

You Never Know Who Your Friends Really Are...

"People who remain friends with you once you leave school."- GrockleKaug

"Good, honest friends who don’t have ulterior motives."

"The ones that genuinely enjoy your company and friendship."

"Hold onto them!"- ZealousidealWealth88

Think Carefully About The Last Time You Saw One...

"Blimps."

"I live in northeast Ohio near the Goodyear hangar."

"We see them all the time."

"I had to pull up a list, that northeast Ohio has 3 out of 4 operating Goodyear blimps named Wingfoot 1 2 and 3."

"Only maybe 12 are operating anywhere in the world, with a total of 25 existing at all."

"But we see them all the time at Wingfoot lake disc golf course."- Worried_Place_917·

good year zeppelin GIF by DiggGiphy

Making Others Green With Envy?

"Green eyes make up just two percent of the global population."- New-Tomorrow-4309

Not A Routine Occurrence

"Northern lights."

"The amount of people I’ve heard say: 'We’ve come all this way, what time do they come on?' Is staggering."- The_Town_of_Canada

Amen!

"Bit of peace and f*cking quiet."- Winoforevr1

Taking A Long, Hard Look At Ourselves...

"Humility and an understanding that we’re sometimes the victim and sometimes the perpetrator."

"No one is ever just one or the other."- Fitandfriendlydude

Money Talks

"Being a multi-millionaire."

"Lots of people faking it out here."- tab_completion

Some Might Say Thinking In General...

"Critical thinking skills."- hstarbird11

Thinking Think GIF by Rodney DangerfieldGiphy

Sobering Reality

"Clean water."

'My son and I have been discussing this lately."

"He is a chemical engineer and works exclusively with water."

"Many of the studies he has been published on also have to do with clean water and forever chemicals."

"Water is a huge issue that is becoming bigger everyday and normal people are forgetting about it."

"Flint Michigan is in year 9!"- No-Fishing5325

Rare, Or A Myth?

"A stable, loving, peaceful domestic life."- reginapinsley

In Dreams, Maybe...

"Absolute silence and being in a place where no man-made light exists."- whiskey_formymen

black and white dark GIFGiphy

Perhaps we can all rest a little easier knowing that some things that keep us up at night worrying are actually not a big deal in the slightest.

Or, next time we see and experience something truly beautiful, we might want to stop and truly take it in.

For all we know, we just experienced something that was truly once in a lifetime.


Two young boys are having a pillow fight
Photo by Allen Taylor

Parents are meant to teach offspring how to survive in this world.

They're meant to guide us on how to be a good member of society.

But either some parents fail, or too many adults don't get the message.

And all that can lead to a mighty dysfunctional adult.

Redditor spirallinggg wanted to hear about the ways we can decipher if others have bad parenting, so they asked:

"What immediately tells you that a person wasn't raised right?"

Basic human decency is a sign of a good upbringing.

Garbage

"They throw trash out a car window."

shershae

"I live on a busy road and I’m so sick of people throwing their trash in front of my house. Some guy tosses out a tall boy beer nearly every workday. I can’t wait to move. Also- so many cigarette butts! We live in a high fire hazard area so I’m worried one of these days they’ll start a fire. I try to go pick up litter twice a month."

Pinkmongoose

Random Aisles

"People who dump refrigerated grocery products on random aisles."

glockops

"I work in a grocery store. The best one I saw was someone who ordered a hot pizza from our pizza station, which is made-to-order. Then abandoned it in the cooler with the refrigerated take-and-bake pizzas we have."

"I get finding stuff from our service case abandoned, it's already cold and our prices are much higher than some people think (the last abandoned item I found was a $20 container of our fresh fruit salad [which comes in pre-cut]), but the pizza station has set menu prices, they should have known what they were getting into before they ordered."

weedtrek

Be Responsible

"Lack of personal accountability. they can never admit wrongdoing on their part. it's always someone else's fault."

Sona-kin

I always told my kids that a mistake doesn't define who you are... but what you do AFTER the mistake DOES. We're human. We're gonna screw up throughout our lives. It's unavoidable. What we can control, however, is choosing to apologize, fix the situation, make amends, etc."

nakedwithoutmyhoodie

Rude

Mean Girls Gossip GIF by Paramount MoviesGiphy

"When they talk badly about someone who hasn’t done anything wrong behind their back."

flowerzforthedead

THIS. I've seen coworkers talking behind the backs of new employees and drawing conclusions about every aspect of their lives. Like, you've seen that person for three days, you MF.

Cold-Load-4388

If you can't say it to their face, then don't say it.

Why do people have to crap talk?

Check Please

Escalate Customer Service GIF by FILMRISEGiphy

"Being super rude to people in any service profession. There is a time and place for actual, appropriate complaints but I see people constantly abuse service staff for no damn reason. Hell, even using 'please' and 'thank you' seems beyond some people. Bums me out."

CaptainLawyerDude

Others

"Lack of consideration for others."

NewVAinvestor1

"A lot of people do not fundamentally understand other people exist. They understand things exist. They understand those things should be referred to as people. But they do not understand those things have an entire existence and experience all their own exactly like them."

Sh3lls

No!

"When they can't take no for an answer."

NerdyPlaneResident

"I'm going to step up and admit to being guilty of this. For the longest time, I had it in my head that persistence pays off. Some of that was pop culture, some of that was tenacity in other areas of my life being rewarded, and then applying that to interpersonal relationships. Older and wiser me, though is more along the lines of learning to let go. It's still a struggle though, working against that original conditioning."

SergeantPsycho

Professions

"When someone looks down at others based on what they do. That just clearly shows that they've learned the same thing from their caregivers."

Leekayleigh_

"Oh yes. My husband took on a second job doing pizza deliveries. A few people laughed at him doing that at his age. They don't laugh when he explains his main job is simple and, deliveries are just driving blasting tunes and adds $900 a month after tax to our income. Then they see all the travel. Usually shuts them up."

CurvePuzzleheaded361

Offensive

For Real Wow GIF by DeStormGiphy

"Zero manners."'

Fuzzteam7

"I took a guy to a family beach condo because he says he never goes to the beach. Let him tag along with our group. Never said thank you one time. I dropped him back off at his house, and I said can you at least say thanks, he was so offended I asked or was trying to force a thank you."

berrey7

"BUT"

"When someone apologizes, and then adds a but onto it. For example, my boss held a meeting among the kitchen staff where he apologized for his attitude, and then added 'But you guys need to understand that I'm a no-bulls**t kind of person.' No sir, that's not how apologies work."

GimmickInfringement1

I hate a BUT.

Either you mean what you offer or don't say it.