We have all experienced varying levels of fear in our lives and survived to talk about them.
When I was in college, I was at a Tower Records store perusing the show tunes section looking for CDs.
All of a sudden I heard something that sounded like someone set off fireworks inside the store. I looked over and witnessed a robbery happening in front of my eyes – with a masked gunman pointing a gun at the cashier and ordering her to empty the cash drawer.
The sound we all heard were the warning shots he fired into the ceiling.
Everyone hit the floor, including myself, and I did my best to hide from view.
Fortunately, the thief got what he wanted and ran out the store and nobody was hurt.
I still count my blessings I survived what could have been a tragedy. It didn't stop me later from continuing to see what was in the show tunes section.
Wondering about near-traumatic experiences people have experienced, K4gl asked strangers on askReddit:
"[Serious] People of Reddit what is scariest thing that happened to you that was not paranormal?"
Almost Kidnapped
"I (F[emale]) was travelling in Egypt with two male friends, all of us 17/18 at the time (1989). We were walking down the street in Alexandria and two men got out of a black car, grabbed me and threw me inside. My friends jumped onto the car and held on while it tried to drive away, then other people started crowding around it and shouting, so they opened the door and shoved me back out and just drove away."
Dog Attack
"I was badly bitten by a dog when I was 10. I lost a lot of blood."
"But I was under my grandmother supervision, and that poor lady panic at the slightest bit of something being maybe not okay. I mean I saw her panick for a bee looking like it might enter the house. Or Because she had heard someone brake hard down the street."
"So when she saw me with half of my upper lip falling-off, and blood everywhere, she screamed and screamed, and screamed, and panicked."
"So, I panicked even more as well, not really because she panicked, I already knew that my grandmother reactions weren't really telling of the situation's gravity, but because I thought I was f'ked because there was no one to help and care for me, now."
"This was the scariest part of it all actually. I mean the bite, and the blood were scary. But thinking that I was on my own with a severe injury, with no idea of what to do, and unable to communicate was downright frightening."
"However, our screams alerted my neighbor who was a very calm man, and kept his head and took care of me, until EMT came in. (I've been told that he did have a panic attack afterward, the poor man)."
– Marawal
Gunpoint
"I got robbed at gunpoint when I was 17. A ghost would have been much nicer."
Exploding Pimple
"I woke up feeling sticky and gross. I thought to myself 'gross, did I drool all over myself while sleeping?' So I go to the bathroom to wash up and look in the mirror. I'm covered from my lower lip to upper chest in blood! I head out of the bathroom toward the kitchen and tell my mother to call a doctor, she nearly faints upon seeing me but I tell her i'm ok and ima wash up."
"I clean myself up and after washing most of it away I see the wound dead center on my neck where a pimple was. It is doing the thing you see in movies where blood squirts out with each heartbeat. A bandaid does the trick for now and they cauterize my neck as a longer solution."
"What I had thought was a pimple was in fact a blood vessel that decided to make a Y branch except the new branch was straight out my neck. A simple surgery fixed it but damn was that scary."
Crying Blood
"Yooo this happened under my eye when I was like 8. Not quite as dramatic or life threatening as yours, but I had a small red dot get slowly bigger under my eye. Went to the doctor and he said it was a blood vessel trying to escape, and would have to be removed. We made an appointment for it to be lasered off (turns out it was too close to my eye for lasers anyway), but before that could happen it just sort of burst one day and it looked like I was crying blood. Pretty traumatising for an 8 yr old. Went to hospital and after they stopped the bleeding, and then they numbed my face and froze it off. I have another one on my ear, but it's been there for years and not caused an issue. Scratched it a few times accidentally and it's not bled, so I'll just let it be."
Rolling SUV
"Dozing off for a split second while driving which led to a panicked overreaction to my tires moving into the gravel on the shoulder of the roadway. My overreaction jerked the SUV back onto the roadway so fast that it turned a 40+ degree angle and then flipped 4.5 times, rolling down the interstate about a quarter of a mile. I was conscious through it all, including the 2 'bounces' of my head against the asphalt. Vehicle came to rest in the ditch and I climbed out in a panic over what just happened."
Footsteps
"When I was in college, I had gone to a classmate's apartment for a group study session. The area was crowded with cars parked along the curve. Took me awhile to find parking and it was about two blocks away. By the time I left to go home, it was around 1am. As I was walking back to my car, I heard footsteps behind me. I looked back and saw someone in a big coat and wearing a hat. It was dark, so I couldn't see their face. I got a little creeped out, so I quickened my pace. Again, I heard their pace quicken as well. I began to feel scared, but I didn't want to convey that to him, so I just kept walking and occasionally would look back and see him about 10 feet behind, following. As I approached my car, I took out my keys and got ready to unlock just the driver door, instead of using the remote. I quickly got in and locked the door. And he stood right in front of the passenger door just looking at me. I turned the car on and right when I was about to leave, he waved, but in a very slow, creepy way."
Wrong Daughter
"When my husband and I lived at our old apartment, I would have the window cracked open during the summer because of how hot it was. Well one morning I woke up to my husband next to me covering me in the blankets. I was nude and didn't want blankets because of the heat."
"I heard a voice of a man I didn't recognize say 'Sorry. Sorry.' I was startled but without my glasses I couldn't see very well. I was terrified seeing the blurry figure of a man halfway in through our window. Like he would have made it all the way in if he turned towards us. My husband told him to shut up and get the f'k out or he'd get his gun. (We don't have one.) He left saying go back to sleep. Husband called the cops. It wasn't the first or last time we were bothered by that same man."
"For background: That man was abusive. His Daughter ran from home and he thought I was her because he never got a good look at my face. He tried calling the cops on my husband a few times for kidnapping. He would pound on our door and threaten my husband with knives saying that his Daughter needed to come home. He kept trying to get to me when my husband left for work."
"I still have issues over it. I work from home and even though we moved I'm still scared of loud knocking and sounds by the windows."
Alive To Tell The Story
"May 10th,2019. I was turning into the end of my street when a dump truck rear ended me pushing me head on into oncoming traffic where I hit another car. The dump driver was texting and never hit his brakes. He was going 60mph. Technically I was dead. A cop was 2 cars back. He pulled me from the wreckage and performed CPR, reviving me. I was medivact away. I remained in a coma for 42 days where I expired twice more. I awoke to be a parapleg."
Druids?
This one is a two for one. Out camping in black forest in germany with a friend. 16 or something at the time. We decided to set up our tents not to far from a castle somewhere on a hilltop. Mind you that area is pretty busy and not at all remote. But if you want to go camping/hiking in europe your options are limited. That day was rainy so we did not see that many people along the trails. After we put up our tents we went to check the castle. After about 10 min alot of people all dressed up in medieval outfits started showing up and looked at us funny. (Either because we did not belong or the smell of weed made em angry idk)
The entire evening we could see this orange hue come from the ruins prob from the campfires. But suddenly they start banging drums and howling like wolves. A bit later we hear people run through the forest left and right but could not see them. Def thought it was some weird cult. Later the same night when things seemed to have settled we hear footsteps. As they get closer they get faster and faster. I turn of our light cause im scared and hoping they would not see us. Suddenly something rushes past the tent and starts screaming like a pig. Turned out to be a hog that charged our tent but missed or something and ended up in our campfire embers. Sleepless night that one.
Sideways Flight
"737 I was on encountered a coincidence of air currents and jet wash from a plane ahead of us on approach. We were fairly close to the ground and the plane turned f*cking SIDEWAYS. One wing pointed at the ground, the other at the sky."
"Happily the pilot recovered and we were fine. But for a moment I had calmly accepted that this was how I was going to die."
– refreshing_usernameRather A B*tch Than Dead
"A group of guys approached me and my friend late at night at a fast food place, insisting we give them a ride to the nearby college and insisting they weren't going to try anything. Mind you, these grown men approached two obviously teenage girls at probably ten at night, and was adamant that we give them a ride. They proceeded to call us cold hearted b*tches when we ( more like I, as my friend just sat there) told them absolutely not. The college wasn't really that far away, maybe a ten minute walk, and it was the middle of summer. Friend disappeared once she ordered her food and I went to go get my fountain drink. The bigger of the dudes got up in my face once again and began hammering me for gas money. Again, told him no over and over. I was almost in tears. He proceeded to cuss me out some more before him and his group of guys left."
"I don't know if they had any ill intentions but as two petite teenage girls late at night, the dudes definitely gave me a weird vibe. Especially when they insisted they weren't going to try anything. My friend told me she felt bad in case they actually needed help but I told her I'd rather be seen as a cold hearted b*tch, then end up missing or dead."
What Happened In A Forest In Germany
"This one is a two for one. Out camping in black forest in germany with a friend. 16 or something at the time. We decided to set up our tents not to far from a castle somewhere on a hilltop. Mind you that area is pretty busy and not at all remote. But if you want to go camping/hiking in europe your options are limited. That day was rainy so we did not see that many people along the trails. After we put up our tents we went to check the castle. After about 10 min alot of people all dressed up in medieval outfits started showing up and looked at us funny. (Either because we did not belong or the smell of weed made em angry idk)
The entire evening we could see this orange hue come from the ruins prob from the campfires. But suddenly they start banging drums and howling like wolves. A bit later we hear people run through the forest left and right but could not see them. Def thought it was some weird cult. Later the same night when things seemed to have settled we hear footsteps. As they get closer they get faster and faster. I turn of our light cause im scared and hoping they would not see us. Suddenly something rushes past the tent and starts screaming like a pig. Turned out to be a hog that charged our tent but missed or something and ended up in our campfire embers. Sleepless night that one."
– Serukka
There is nothing people hate more than when a major turning point in their favorite TV show is spoiled for them.
Friends were undoubtedly lost over the fate of Derek Shepherd on Grey's Anatomy, fights broke out over who killed Omar Little on The Wire, and the identity of "A" on Pretty Little Liars.
The anger of these devoted viewers becomes more and more ironic with each passing year, as they eagerly rewatch these shows on a semi-regular basis.
Despite knowing every possible twist, turn, surprise kiss, or unexpected death.
This time, however, they don't care, as the mark of a good show is one that creates a world we just want to reenter over and over again.
Perhaps the lack of any possible "spoilers" only increases our enjoyment.
"What show will you never get tired of rewatching?"
"A Dimension Not Only Of Sight And Sound, But Also Of Mind..."
"Twilight Zone."- whaler76
We All Need A Good Laugh...
"Whose Line Is It Anyway."- 4everlurk
The Brits Got It Right
"'Taskmaster'."
"UK, which shouldn't need to be said, but it does."- findingthescore
Who Knew Vampires Could Be So Funny!
"What We Do in the Shadows."- zizismuq
Definitely The Crowd You Want To Be A Part of...
"IT Crowd."- zzzonked666
Reflecting On Our Past...
"Band of Brothers."- mrandmrsm
And King Of Our Hearts
"King of the Hill."- 661Lee93
The Truth Is Indeed Out There...
"X files."- Big-Pool
There's A Middle Child In All Of Us
"Malcolm in the Middle."- midoes
Live Long And Prosper!
"Star Trek: The Next Generation."- SAR81
With all the streaming services now available, not to mention promising new network shows, there are countless new series for us to enjoy.
However, sometimes committing to a new series and risking disappointment just seems less appetizing than re-watching a show we know and love.
Maybe returning to a place "where everybody knows our name", or watching Lost enough times to finally figure out if [SPOILER ALERT] the ending makes any sense...
Roughly 12 percent of the world's population is left handed.
Studies have shown that being in this distinct minority comes with a number of advantages.
Indeed, four the last seven Presidents of the United States were all left-handed,
And considering Phil Mickelson, Rafael Nadal and Oscar De La Hoya are all left-handed as well, it seems lefties are at an advantage on the field or in the court or arena.
Though, if you were to speak to a left-handed person about their experience, they'll more than likely bemoan all the disadvantages of being a lefty.
Of which, there are admittedly several.
"What is the worst thing about being left-handed?"
Take Your Pick...But Mainly Scissors...
"The smudging is annoying."
"The right-handed desks suck."
"But it’s scissors, man."
"F*cking scissors."- Icy_Mortgage6654
Sucks The Joy Out Of Morning Coffee
"All the cute designs on mugs are only visible for right handed people."- jdon93
Baking Complications
"Measuring cup labels are on the other side when I use my left hand."- maninthemoonpie
Great British Baking Show GIF by PBSGiphyGood Penmanship Is Futile
"Fountain pens, and pencils."
"F*cking hate smudges."- deanfranz12
"When you write, you have to put your whole arm on the paper because you are actively pushing it."
"Whereas right handed people just have to apply a little force not to pull the paper."- iStealP
To Assume Makes An A** Out Of You And Me...
"When someone tries to teach you how to play guitar, line up a pool cue, shoot a bow and arrow, and they can’t because you’re left-handed."- aeowyn7
Dougie Payne Guitar GIF by TravisGiphyAt Least Some Progress Has Been Made...
"My grandad was left-handed."
"He went to a catholic school, this was in the 1930s/early 1940s UK, and the nuns would tie his left hand behind him and hit him until he wrote with his right hand."
"They said that it was a ‘sign of the devil’ if someone was left-handed."
"So cruel."- miz_moon
Might As Well Be Dying...
"Hearing the following words:"
"'Ohhh you're left handed!'"
"It becomes grating after the 1000th time of hearing it."- redbutterfly_78
In All Seriousness, It's Worse Than You Think...
"Left handed people aren't taught how to write as lefties, they are taught as if they are right handed."
"Pens tips are designed for right handed people, especially ballpoint and fountain pens."
"But even others work less efficiently for lefties."
"This is because we have to push the pen across the page, whereas they are pulling it."
"This causes frequent breaks in pencil tips, catching of nibs, and this ink/graphite will be rubbed against the lefties' hands, often ruining their writing."
"In addition, this pushing motion means there is pressure going into the hand of the lefty, trying to push the pen into their grip."
"As a result, they have to squeeze tightly."
"This reduces control of the pen, leading to bad handwriting and pain after even short periods."
"I know doing exams was awful for the lefties."
"Handwriting is for right handed people."
"Pretty obvious, you are taught a way to move your hand to get the shapes of letters, but lefties aren't taught the opposite."
"They are just left to figure it out, but these kids don't know what they are doing wrong."
"A lack of equipment for lefties, whether it is left handed scissors or desks or sharpeners."
"It may seem trivial, but these little things can make a leftie feel weird or like their can't figure out even the tiny little things that everyone else is getting so quickly."
"The effects:"
"This is a cause of lefties craning their wrists round so that they don't smudge and get a better pulling motion."
"As well as craning wrists, some may lean round, or massively rotate their page just so it isn't in the way, but no one taught them these solutions."
"Bad handwriting."
"Lack of confidence, which affects schoolwork and how the kid see his/herself."
"It may be the kid simply can't do what their classmates can do, despite trying his/her hardest."
"Uncomfortable positions causing pain in the neck, back and wrist."
"There are some, very small, organizations that have developed ways to properly teach left handed children how to sit and write comfortably."
"It usually involves angling the page slightly, but clockwise, whereas most lefties angle it anti-clockwise."
"I'd gladly volunteer my time to teach left-handed kids how to write."- untakenu
Left-handed people have to take the good and the bad much more than right-handed people.
However, considering Mark Twain, Albert Einstein and Ruth Bader Ginsburg were all left-handed, it seems that it's easy to make the most of the disadvantage.
There is little more comforting than lounging on the sofa, and binging your favorite sitcoms.
What ultimately makes sitcoms so comforting, in addition to the clever writing and improbably affordable apartments, are the characters.
Why Friends continues to gain a new legion of fans, even nearly 20 years after its finale, is the fact that those watching often want Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Joey and especially Phoebe to actually be their friends.
Or wish their own friends' dynamic was more like that iconic sextet.
Indeed, people would be much less hesitant to show up for work if they knew The Office's Jim or Pam would be waiting for them, or think that their school days might have been more pleasurable if taught by Abbot Elementary's Janine Teagues.
Characters who are so lovable, it almost breaks our hearts that they aren't real.
"Who is the best sitcom character of all time?"
The Dad We All Wish We Had
"Hal from 'Malcolm in the Middle'."- TerriblyAverage1
malcolm in the middle ifc GIFGiphySomeone Get That Lady a Vodka Rocks... Or A Piece Of Toast...
"Lucille Bluth."
"She stole every scene she was in, which is both a testament to how well the character was written and Jessica Walter’s performance."- PobBrobert
"It's Always Sunny" When They're Around.
"Charlie Kelly!"- SuperDuperCatman
"Frank Reynolds."- Pumpkin-tits-NYC
it's always sunny sunnyfxx GIF by It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaGiphy"But He Already Did Something Today"...
"Titus Andromedon from 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'."- cherry_blsm00
Especially When He Makes A "huge mistake"...
"Gob Bluth."- BrushGoodDar
Threatening Our Grasp On Reality
"Creed."
"Proof that less is more."
“'Somebody making soup?'”- AussieDuckMan
creed bratton television GIFGiphyThe Boss Of Our Dreams
"Captain Holt"- Cabbiecar1001
If Only For His Hair!
"Maurice Moss, 'IT Crowd'."- SalsaYogurt
One Only Hopes Our Future Will Involve Him
"Bender B. Rodriguez."
"Remember that scene in Kill Bill where Bill says Clark Kent is Superman's impression of humans?"
"Clark had to act like all the other humans in order to blend into human society."
"Now apply that logic to Bender."
"He was made by humans to be able to function and relate to people in a human world."
"The humans made him in their own image and he's the most self-centered, amoral, insecure, emotional train wreck on Earth."
"He is what we secretly fear about our own nature."- blakethegr8
swag futurama GIFGiphyOne could say it's their questionable grasp of reality that makes sitcoms so enjoyable.
If Will Truman were a real-life New York attorney, there's no way he would have been chronically single for seven years.
Far-fetched as some of their premises may be, however, our favorite sitcom characters can almost be viewed as the friends who never disappoint us.
As they're always guaranteed to make us laugh and put a smile on our faces.
Even when they break our hearts.
Seriously, how could Nathan do that to Ted Lasso?!?!?!
Home makeover television is a favorite genre of programming among many TV viewers.
DIY and home improvement shows such as those that are on HGTV inspire homeowners or house flippers to come up with brilliant ideas to dramatically alter their homes.
But not everyone has the means to make their vision come to fruition. But, hey, we can all dream.
Speaking of which, Redditor Butterflies_Books asked strangers online to channel their desires into a hypothetical and asked:
"If you had enough money to build your dream house, what's a strange room/feature you'd include?"
These Redditors want more than an aesthetic change. They want a lifestyle change.
Purrrfect Plans
"Cat walks. Between rooms. For my cat."
– ThinkMouse3
Wet Theater
"An indoor swimming pool in the underground floor with a synced screen on all four sides and normal + underwater sound system. I love swimming. I love watching movies and series."
– Meins447
Bringing The Outdoors Indoors
"I want a freshwater pond in a central location inside the house."
– DoctorSneak
Liquid Dreamz
"An indoor swimming pool - with a lazy river. I LOVE swimming but I f'king hate public pools. I have a recurring dream where I have a house with a lazy river in it. I love those dreams."
– [deleted]
It gets really specific.
Siesta All The Time
"I want an outdoor area dedicated to taco night. It’s gonna have a meat smoker, and a tequila bar, and pepper plants, and a huge grill and an awesome speaker system and it will be fiesta themed and amazing!"
– DreyaNova
Middle-Earth Food Storage
"I want a hobbit pantry."
"Earthy, timber-stone decor that is climate controlled to be a perfect storage area for wheels of cheese, sausage links and beer."
– Shangiskhan
Aquarium Study
"It's not that strange, but I think an irrationally large number of decisions in my life have been motivated by the desire to eventually have a study with high ceilings and floor to ceiling bookshelves so I can have one of those ladder things that sits against the shelf and have it be justified."
"I would add an octopus tank but I think they live like two years tops and having to bury a pet biennelly seems depressing."
"Edit: people keep suggesting I eat the octopuses."
"I'm not going to eat my pets."
"As a former fish monger, please do not eat seafood that has died of old age. Not gonna taste good."
– Nrussg
Again, we can dream.
No More Solicitors
"A moat. No one has a moat anymore. Do you not want to talk to people? Pull up the draw bridge!!!! And in the winter you have your own personal skating rink!!"
– Hardlynotpoor
Tropical Oasis
"I really want one of those natural bathrooms, that looks like you just walked into a jungle, everything is stone and steam and plants and sounds of a water fall."
"Or one of those open stair cases where the back wall is completely glass and there’s a leafy garden under the stairs."
"Basically just a tropical oasis for plants."
– YEEyourlastHAW
Bringing Nature In
"I saw a cool house online yesterday that had an indoor greenhouse and I am here for that."
– [deleted]
Calgon Take Me Away
"Absolutely a secret beautiful bathroom just for me. I don’t know what it is but I just really value bathroom time and the luxury of getting washed and relaxing and getting ready in a big beautiful marble bathroom. But nobody else can use it. Like the secret bathroom in B99."
– cats_rule_on_mars
I've always dreamed of owning a house that has an interior Japanese tranquility garden. As in, rock garden.
There's nothing to maintain and all you have to do is gaze out into the contained courtyard and meditate.
It would be the perfect space from where peaceful energy would flow. The house's heart.
What's your dream home addition?