Try as hard as we may, we can't always hide our identities. All these apps and websites we visit, we leave a print or an essence. We can come up with creative nom de plumes but once we start to let loose on some details or write in our usual styles, our voices will be recognized. And the internet doesn't have a communication violation.
People will blab...
Redditor u/Elijafir wanted to know about those times we've come to recognize a person whose secrets we know but only from a digital meet-up... what happens in an actual face to face or when you want to tell them but can't, oh the drama.... it was asked.... Have you ever read a story on Reddit and realized you know the person in real life? What happened?Polly?
parrot GIFGiphyOh man the first one of these I get to answer and it's so lame.
I sold a baby parrot I hand raised for work to a girl and later saw her post pictures of him in a parrot subreddit.
I Concur...
I posted snow conditions on popular local trail. Someone commented and said that they are there recently and agreed with my description.
It was my husband whom I did the hike with. Hahaha. We actually know each other's username. We just don't look at first. When I was in China, Reddit was the only western app that wasn't blocked (yet), so that was how we stayed in touch.
We stay out of each other's profiles because we know that we are boring people. Lol.
I think so....
About a month or so ago a guy posted a thing saying his girlfriend believes she is a cat. He went on to explain their relationship and all her quirks and whatnot. The more I read the more it sounded like this girl I had a really complicated relationship with some years ago. Everything matched, even her age.
At one point she said something about wanting to quit her job and live full time as a cat, and I swear to god this girl I knew once said the same thing to me. The girl I knew even used to meow and mew like a cat.
I reached out to OP to see if we lived in the same area, to find out if it was in fact her, because if so i was gonna warn him about the fact that she was very emotional abusive and manipulative, but he never answered. I'm still fairly certain it's her though.
"That was me!"
schitts creek hello GIF by CBCGiphyWe were telling our dog walker about this crazy story from Reddit of a guy who was in the big Boston blizzard that had just happened and ran out of this rare drug used to help with organ transplants, and someone on Reddit helped him by giving him some of their same rare organ transplant drug. And he was like, "That was me!"
you'er safe....
I chanced upon my partner's nephew's account last year. He was in his early teens and really socially awkward, and I always had a soft spot for him. I knew he wasn't popular at school and was dealing with some depression issues, and he wrote about that a bit on here.
I didn't tell anyone about the account because I didn't want him to lose the privacy of this kind of outlet, but I checked it every now and then to make sure he was OK. I've seen young people get quite candid about loneliness and depression on here, and I wanted to know that he was safe, at least.
I Know You
I'm like 95% sure I stumbled across my manager's reddit account a couple months ago. There were numerous points in a post I read that lined up perfectly with things he had been talking about at work for a couple of weeks before hand, and the word use and tone matched his speaking pretty perfectly, not to mention the account name was fitting. It was super weird reading through the post and having this slow realization that it was him. I didn't mention it to him, this kind of knowledge is too powerful.
I Remember Her
I told a story of when I broke my ankle skating and one of the other roller derby girls in my team commented! We used to chat through reddit a bit as I didn't skate anymore but then last year she died suddenly in her sleep. I still have her messages and I feel weird seeing all the comments and stuff she made knowing she's gone now. Just sad.
Hey Sis....
amy poehler dance GIFGiphyMy oldest sister. I asked her if she had a username based off of one of her favorite bands, specified the album her username referenced, she said "DAMN. HOW DID YOU FIND ME?!" Her dog was on the front page of Awwww.
Never really went through her post history, sometimes see her commenting on stuff. She gets an automatic upvote.
The Dancer
In the Houston subreddit someone posted a picture of a belly dancer at a Greek restaurant they went to. I think they were there for their anniversary, and they really enjoyed the restaurant food and entertainment. I looked closely at the picture, turned out I knew the dancer, we had taught at the same charter School about three years before. One of her first graders had been allowed by her mother to get ice cream every day before school at 7 a.m.
Every day she crossed a major thoroughfare in rush hour traffic with her older brother. One day she ran ahead, and was hit by a school bus that couldn't stop in time, and was killed instantly. My friend was devastated beyond belief and ended up leaving education.
Well that's not weird.... I suppose.
Cant Look GIF by Katelyn TarverGiphyThe reverse happened to me.
About two years ago I was diagnosed with pre-cancerous cells in my cervix, which simply put translates to I didn't have cancer yet but was going to if it wasn't handled. Thank God they found it early. I posted on reddit for a while during the whole ordeal because I wanted to reach out to others who had gone through the same thing and learn more about the procedures, etc.
Anyway, one day a friend came over and randomly asked me about it. Immediately I was confused because I hadn't told anyone about it other than my mom and SO. He kind of laughed, kind of apologized, and said he had found my reddit and read my posts about the whole thing. Like, even my replies to comments and stuff. Lots of honest and detailed things.
I mean, it wasn't a huge deal, but it was a little awkward at the time.
Shroomed...
I was browsing the sub for my city and saw an interesting post, I looked at the username and recognized it as an ex-coworker because the username is the same one they use on Instagram. Out of curiosity I looked to see what else they have posted and found out that they are really into taking shrooms. Never would have guessed it. This person was so straight laced and by the book when we worked together, I was really surprised!
Downsized...
weight loss fitness GIFGiphyI came across someone I knew from high school. We weren't friends or anything, but he was a nice enough guy. Him and his wife had lost something like 100 lbs. combined. I was happy for him.
Ups and Down
Yeah I saw someone I knew on r/RoastMe and it was so awkward. I started stalking their profile only to find that they posted various memes on depression and how even though they were extremely depressed they were also very determined and wanted to live. It was a mixture of inspiring and depressing since their posts were all over the place.
Get Out
I was the opposite, I posted about my (now ex) husband and he found it. I talked about his abuse and my fears about leaving with the children, I talked about him gaslighting me and being physically abusive. He called my very Catholic dad to tell him I was considering divorce (which was advised to me by redditors and my friends) and my dad called me and told me to make the marriage work (meanwhile my dad had divorced my mom when I was 4).
I said forget this and left his butt. Best thing I ever did and regret 0% of it. Met now husband on Reddit and am happier than ever.
Leave that fool and find your true happiness (even if it means being alone).
"where's his arms"
Saw a screenshot of this tweet and in the photo was this guy I recognized as a customer from the arcade I used to work at. He has no arms (this is relevant) and was decked out in sonic clothes i think his t-shirt said something like sonic for women's rights maybe? Everyone I worked with knew him he was really nice and amazing at playing guitar hero with his feet. All the comments were saying "where's his arms" and making fun of the sonic outfit. Made me sad cuz he's so nice.
"hey, that was me"
mindy kaling GIFGiphyIn my town a toddler escaped from his day care and was wandering down the middle of a busy road. He was found by a local worker, after hearing multiple people honking as they drove around the kid.
I posted to my town subreddit asking what the hell was wrong with our town that no one stopped. I got a beer with another dad and he brought up the story he read in reddit, which I had posted.
I said "hey, that was me" but the conversation just kept going. I don't think he heard.
Idiot Profile
Yeah some idiot that I was seeing briefly years ago kept mentioning reddit and certain subs so I started browsing because it sounded interesting. Came across a post that was undoubtedly him, had his car in it and wording only he'd use. I was just about to text him "found your reddit profile!" when I clicked on his username just to find a post complaining about my leg hair and saying that I don't shut up quickly enough when he interrupts me. I shut up real quick when he never heard from me again.
Are We Open?
Im only on reddit because my ex kept telling me to go on it. I was on the relationship advice page and someone had posted about being in an open relationship with (my age f) and (her age f) saying that he'd dumped one because this girl stopped wanting the open relationship and all he could think about was wanting her back, the other girl being boring and missing his now ex. Well I'm his now ex and I split with him because I found out he had another girlfriend in another city.
The Nutty One
I recently discovered an ex's reddit (we dated in 2004) and it was interesting to see his comments and posts but eventually they just stopped. Then a few months later I learned he had died. Life is short.
edit: https://www.reddit.com/user/BigGayMusic
He was a nut in 2004 - only got nuttier with time. He did a lot for me and I wish I could tell him that!
The Wholesome One
lost and found flirt GIF by Lost & Found Music StudiosGiphySoon after a wedding where I was in the wedding party (and knew the wife waaaay better than I knew the husband), I found the husband on reddit.
He was so wholesome.
I knew I liked him (and that they were a good match) but that was just an extra layer of being happy for the wife for finding someone like that to be in her life.
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As children, when we saw grown-ups behave in certain ways, we more than likely promised ourselves we would never be like them.
That we would never lose our temper at minor things, groan over the slightest ache in our bodies, or choose work over fun.
However, when adulthood creeps up on us, certain things about the person you become you have little to no control over.
As a result, you might find yourself screaming at children for being too noisy or going to bed at 9:15 instead of seeing a midnight screening of your favorite movie and realizing that you have become the very thing you've been trying to avoid your entire life.
Redditor UglyLikeCaillou was curious to hear what type of person the Reddit community ended up becoming, despite vowing they wouldn't, leading them to ask:
"What type of person did you swear to never turn into growing up, but did anyway?"
Letting It Out Can Ease The Pain...
"The one that makes noises when I get up off the floor."- tutohooto
The Wise Know The Vital Importance Of Being Silly
"I swore I’d never stop being goofy."
"That I’d always try to find the positive and wouldn’t give up hope."
"But then life happened."
"It’s hard staying an emotionally sensitive and caring person when so many people are just plain mean."- Lucky_Garbage5537
It's Possible, Even In A Room Full Of People...
"I never thought I would grow up to be so lonely, but here I am."- oldbaldgrumpy
Sad Season 2 GIF by FriendsGiphyTemper Temper...
"An angry person."
"Life and people are just too much all the time."-Jumpy-Air-3385
Some Call It Frugal, Others Call It Cheap....
"The kind that put something back cause the store brand was 20 cents cheaper."- penndelnj
A Far Too Common Occurrence
"I never thought I'd live paycheck to paycheck by my age."
"I thought I'd be on my way to being financially independent by now, in fact."
"It's always been my goal, I was willing to work so hard from such a young age and never scared to make sacrifices but unfortunately my people-reader is skewed and all I ever really got was taken advantage of."
"It's not too late, I'm smarter now and I'll get there."- FriendCountZero
2 Chainz Pockets GIF by MOST EXPENSIVESTGiphyWorking Hard For The Money...
"A corporate slave."- lapdanze
"My dad was an engineer and I vowed to never be like him in any way."
"Growing up, I always said over my dead body would i become a corporate slave chained to a desk."
"Guess who is a desk jockey engineer now."- Lame_usernames_left
Watch Your Mouth!
"If my child self met my adult self, he’d tell me that I shouldn’t say so many bad words."- BarthRevan
The Apple Doesn't Fall Very Far From The Tree...
"My dad."- PolarBearChuck
"The most relatable one, nobody wants to become their parents, it’s horrible (unless you have good parents)."- Fine-Macaroon-3202
season 2 episode 6 GIFGiphyThe Comfort Of Your Own Home...
"A homebody."
"In my early 20’s I would never miss an opportunity to go out on Thurs, Friday, or Sat night and couldn’t understand why my parents would ‘waste’ a perfectly good weekend night, just to stay home."
"Now I get it. MAN, do I get it."
Derogatory Term, Or Term Of Endearment?
"I remember learning what a nerd was and thinking 'thank God I'm not a nerd' as I went home from school to play Pokemon Emerald and talk on Pokemon message boards about the upcoming Diamond and Pearl games."- hectoByte
Early To Bed, Early To Rise
"The dad that gets up at 4:30 am to exercise, and is ready for bed by 9 pm."- GreyPilgrim1973
Work Out Pain GIF by I Want You Back MovieGiphyBeauty Comes In All Sizes...
"Overweight."
"Not super big, but not skinny anymore."- hoosierhiver
One Can Indeed Be The Loneliest Number...
"Crotchety, single old lady."
"I'm only sometimes crotchety, but I'm almost fifty and still single!"- GimmeUrNachos
Love What You Do! If You Can...
"An office drone."
"Redditing as we speak to avoid looking at yet another ghastly eyesore of a spreadsheet.'
"Why have we done this to ourselves as a civilization?"- onemanmelee
Still Waiting Office Tv GIF by The OfficeGiphyGrowing up can be scary, hence why we always promise ourselves we won't turn out a certain way.
Even so, some things about the type of person we grow up to be are completely out of our control.
And rather than bemoan our current situation, it's always best to embrace it and enjoy the precious time we have on Earth with our family and friends.
And maybe cut our parents a little slack for the behavior we judged them so harshly on as children...
Redditor BlastEffects wanted to hear about money choices that have gone south for people, so they asked:
"What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made financially?"
I love movies.
I spent way too much on videotapes.
I never saw DVDs coming, let alone streaming.
Onward
Season 10 Hug GIF by FriendsGiphy"Consumed copious amounts of drugs and alcohol for most of my adult life. 11 years sober though."
b_a_b_a_r
"I came here to say something similar to this. Addiction is the most expensive and life-altering thing I've ever encountered - both financially and emotionally. I too have more than a few 24 hours put together now. Life is better. Happy for you!!"
ajmaccc
Decisions. Decisions.
"I've just generally been too reckless with money in my life. I haven't ever really made any single huge financial mistakes, I've just made a large number of smaller impulsive money decisions that have led to me having very little saved. Currently working on it, though, and I am doing better."
slinkocat
My Parent's Did It
"Bought a timeshare. We ended up just not paying the maintenance fees until they repossessed it."
Glittercorn111
"My parents have had theirs for about 30 years. I've gotten bogged down in these timeshare arguments before because Reddit can't believe some people have had good experiences. I think the key is that 30 or 40 years ago they weren't quite as scammy. Certainly never an 'investment,' but you weren't actively getting conned. Plus, it's a lot easier to deal with once it's actually paid off. Most people never get that far."
"My parent's contract locked in all these lower rates and has all the guaranteed perks the new ones haven't offered in years. The company is desperate to get them onto the new contract. They've offered all kinds of extra free weeks and upgrades, but my parents won't do it because that new system is basically worthless."
Madmax2356
Not a Hoarder
"I’m in therapy now and it’s getting better, but I was dealing with my trauma and depression by buying things with money I didn’t have, just to have something to constantly look forward to every day in the mail. You have to order a lot, constantly, to achieve that. And I’m not a hoarder, so I’ll buy something and when I realize it has nowhere to go and I don’t use it for a year, it ends up donated or in the trash."
propernice
I Don't
Car Breaking Up GIF by megan motownGiphy"Not immediately divorcing my ex-wife when I caught her cheating."
vikrambedi
"Marriage was my greatest mistake. I can't even afford to finalize the divorce."
myheartbeats4hotdogs
Debt
Student Loans Corona GIF by INTO ACTIONGiphy"Student loans for a career path I’m not even doing anymore."
armchairdaisy
"Don’t beat yourself up. 73% of people don’t use the degree they went to school for. Most degrees are just all companies want for you to prove you can take crap and follow directions."
Strong-Solution-7492
At a Loss
"Bought horses. Sold horses at a loss."
Patient5199
"Same, buying horses (am currently on horse #2 and 3) was probably the worst financial decision I ever made. At this point, over the last 12 years, the amount I spent on them is easily the equivalent of a down payment on a pretty decent house or a few years of earlier retirement."
"But it is also one of the most satisfying decisions I made on an emotional level. Could not imagine living without them."
NewWorldCamelid
Really regret that...
"Initially, I was thinking 'Going to college,' but as I reflected a little more I realized going to college wasn't the worst financial decision I've made -- it was all the stupid choices I made in college, instead of studying."
AestheticCopacetic
"I'm right there with you."
"I was never a good student and only went to college because I was 'supposed' to. I wanted to go to a beauty school or design school. Wasted my years barely scraping by, and had a C- average. Now I'm 51 and regret not going for my dreams and since I was in school, why didn't I take my education more seriously? Really regret that."
Overlandtraveler
Hindsight
"Filing bankruptcy when I didn’t owe that much. I was young and overwhelmed and thought I couldn’t pay it off, but in hindsight, I see I could have. Ruined credit for 10 years. Couldn’t even get a phone in my own name. Had to get prepaid, which was expensive as f**k. Couldn’t get an apartment. Couldn’t get a car."
manykeets
"I feel this. It set me back and was a constant issue with everything for a while. It took a few years before I could get back to normalcy."
ticketspleasethanks
Ahoy Not!
friend sinking GIFGiphy"Bought a sailboat. Enough said."
flawedwithvice
"A colleague who sailed told me I could get the same experience, by sitting on my knees in a cold shower, crying and tearing up $100 bills... He did keep his sailboat a couple of more years though."
Norseman84
Boats just never did it for me.
A floating house is an unnecessary extra house, and bill.
