As a race, humans are inherently skeptical.
We are loath to believe that there is any interaction with the afterlife or of spirits roaming the earth. But sometimes something happens that is so undeniable that we have no choice but to acknowledge the possibility.
u/RyanBlitzpatrick asked:
[Serious] What's your ghost story?
Here were some of the answers.
Well Dressed
I was around 10 years old and living in San Antonio. I got back to the apartment first after school. About 5 mins of being in the place alone I saw on the reflection of a mirror an older man in a tuxedo was in the kitchen. I flipped out and ran to my room and grabbed a bat. I waited 10ish minutes before coming out. I locked the door when I got home and never heard the door open for someone to leave. I didnt tell anyone about it Fast forward 6 years. I was watching Ghost Hunters with my family and my Mom asked if I remember the old man in the tux. Crazy stuff.
Energy
I'm Cambodian-American, born and raised in America, never been to Cambodia. This takes place in California.
My mom believes in good spirits and getting blessings for good luck and protection by putting out food offerings for them on our dining table. My mom does this for special days and after she's done with her prayers that's when anyone can eat the food. She usually does it in the morning and then by the afternoon that's when food is free for the taking.
So it's a typical afternoon, I was online on my laptop in my room and I got hungry. My room was connected to a small hallway and at the end of the hallway is the living room and the dining table. So I opened my door and stepped out into the hallway and I saw something on top of the table eating. It was hard to make out at first because I'm nearsighted and this thing was kinda transparent. I got closer and stopped halfway through the hallway and I realized.. there was a literal transparent brown monkey on the table. It was making motions as if it was eating some of the fruit offerings. It didn't notice me yet and in my disbelief I got even closer, but when I stopped in my tracks again right at the end of the hallway, it noticed me and got startled. I'm startled, the monkey's startled, and I'm just standing there and not believing my eyes. Very quickly, this transparent monkey just jumps off the table and ambles off hastily towards the exit where the outer door is locked.
That's it, I just stood there staring at the door where it fled and I'm just like... wow I really can't believe what I just saw. In American horror movies and scary stories, there's hardly anything about ghost monkeys. I don't consume that kind of content... and ghost monkey?? Who'd have thunk it.
Anyway later on I told my mom about what I saw and she didn't even blink. I might as well have told her that the sky is blue, I'm her daughter, etc. She really believes in spirits that much and didn't doubt my story at all. Also years later I told one of my coworkers (who is also Cambodian around my age, speaks fluently, and has also been to Cambodia) about my experience. He said that there's a lot of monkeys in Cambodia. I didn't know this at all and have never seen a monkey irl. My mom doesn't talk about monkeys and owns nothing related to monkeys. So that's my story. Neither me nor a ghost monkey expected to be spooked that day lol.
A World Within A Mirror
I stayed at my grandmother's house that my father spent a large amount of time in as a kid. My father drove us there in one go and was understandably tired after a 17-hour drive. We all started to lay down and my father checked in on us before going to bed himself. As he was talking he talking, he stop himself and told us to cover a large mirror "or you will have nightmares". Now, nightmares from a mirror of all things sounded like a little fun to me, but my brothers, who were also sleeping in the same room, ask me to cover it. I did. I asked my Dad about it before he left and he said ghosts use it as an entryway. A week later, I brought it up with my grandmother and she scoffed saying, "oh, this house ain't haunted". I agreed, but told her that the reason I brought it up was because my Dad told me to cover a mirror. My grandmother then changed her expression and said, "OH, the mirror?"
Apparently, that mirror came from her grandmother. She worked as a nurse and took in those who were going to die, but could not pay for care on their last days. So, she made her home into a hospice. Those who stayed in the room with the mirror, saw things. A lovely old lady saw and heard a young lady come into her room and played a harp. She was thankful for the lovely songs, but no person was known nor was a harp owned or heard elsewhere. A young boy found an older boy who played games with him and "really knew his games". Lastly, a terrible woman (refused to use the bathroom and shat in a cooking pot then hid it under her bed and well as argue/issued everyone daily) saw, and this is her words, "The devil" that spat fire at her. (The police were called and she tried to accuse the nurse of trying to kill her with the devil) I also got stories from my mother seeing the same young lady who played the harp (without her harp that time) and my grandfather seeing the "devil" guy. My grandfather described it as a red man with horns that was too tall for the room he was in so he, still standing up straight, bent his neck down to fit. It stared down at him and simply asked, slowly, "WHY. ARE. YOU. HERE?" I kept that mirror covered.
The Light Game
From the time I was about 12-17 years old I lived in what I believe was a haunted house. I've never had experiences like I had in that house since moving out. A few specific memories come to mind. Once I was hanging up laundry in my closet. I heard someone whisper my name in my ear, clear as day. I'd never sprinted out of a room so fast.
Another time my sister and I had friends over and we decided to use a tape recorded to ask questions to the ghosts like they do on those paranormal shows. We played the tape not expecting to hear anything and could hear a very soft voice say "I'm in the closet". We were sitting near a small closet in the basement.
My parents eventually decided to sell the house. We moved into a new place before selling this place. My sister stopped by the house after there had been a couple of showings to turn out the lights in the house. She went to turn off the lights in the basement which had multiple light switches. One was at the far end of the basement away from the stairs. She turned off the light and swears she heard heavy footfalls of someone running towards her. She ran out of the house without turning out the rest of the lights and locked the door. That was the last time either of us went back until we were in the neighborhood and the new owners offered to show us the renovations they made. Nothing happened then but they did ask us if we wanted to babysit their kids. We politely declined.
A Call Back
My Dad's story, not mine. Early 1980's he is working a summer job at Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming). One day he and his friend Mark hiked up to the top of one of the mountains. They set up their tent inside an "Indian Pit", a man-made hole dug out by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. The Indian Pit's were either used as hunting blinds, or spots where young braves came to for their vision quest.
Late in the night my Dad wakes up and has to use the bathroom (#1). He crawled out of the tent, out of the Pit, and went walking a respectable distance away from the tent. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder pull him backwards. My Dad calls out, "Hey Mark, what are you doing?". He turns around, turns on his flashlight, and there is nobody there. He shines the light at his feet, and discovers that his next couple steps would have taken him directly over a steep cliff. He did his business and hurried back to the tent.
The next morning the two friends are waking up and his buddy says to him, "I know this sounds crazy, but I woke up in the middle of the night and I swear to you, there was an Indian man standing outside our tent". Whatever really happened that night, my Dad is alive, he met my Mom in Yellowstone, and here I am writing this story to you today.
The Best Questions To Ask During A Job Interview | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Never Seen That Tech Before
This is my moms story, but she is completely sane and I believe it. My parents went to South Carolina for a wedding. They stayed at some old plantation bed and breakfast spot. She was sleeping when she woke up all of a sudden. She had her cellphone plugged into the wall and was on her nightstand. There was a notification on the phone so it was blinking. The female "ghost" was dressed in a full on old formal dress and she was fixated on the cellphone blinking light and was walking toward it. My mom said "it's ok, it's just a phone". The ghost turned and made eye contact with my mom, then disappeared.
Through The Fog
Years ago two friends and I were camping in fall in a small tent, staggered with two of our heads on one side and one on the other. It was a silent and still night with fog developing in the moist PNW woods.
What sounds like a muffled voice on a cell phone starts coming out from the center of the tent between all our heads. I heard someone keep asking "Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?" My friend asks "Are you hearing that?" At once we all sit up and start shuffling around in the tent looking for the phone. There is no phone in the tent.
I look to my friend on the other side of the tent and ask what they heard. "It sounded like someone saying 'Hello? Can you hear me?'" We all agree this is what we heard, and that the sound was coming from the other side of the tent.
The next morning we find all our cell phones sitting in the car still, and there's no cell reception at the campground. Still sends shivers up my spine.
Walking Through The House
I used to sell HVAC in Michigan, during college. There was this really awesome old dude that called for new high efficiency furnace in his historic home in Depot Town (near Ann Arbor).
As I'm putting together the quote, we get to talking about the home and it's history. He tells me that it was part of the underground railroad and had a tunnel that led down to the train station (only about 500 yards away).
I'll be honest, I was more focused on the sale than all the details he was laying out about the house. But one thing that made my ears perk up was the 'people that lived with him'. He tells me about a few, but the one that stuck out was he said that there was a lady that was so fascinated with electricity that she would turn random lights on at random times.
As I printing out the quote and going over the details and payment options with him, the light behind me turns on. Then the one across the room. Then the one in the kitchen. Then the one in the hallway. I just kinda got quiet and sunk a little in the seat. Then the old dude raised his voice and said something like 'okay, that's enough for today, sweetheart. We can do it again tomorrow.'
To this day, I don't know if the old dude was just having some fun with me or it was real.
Side note: I closed the sale and the install team said there wasn't anything too wonky or out of the norm with his electricity.
Blink Blink
When I was in 5th grade once I forgot to put my school uniform in the laundry basket, so the next day I need it for school it was dirty. I went to have breakfast in my pajamas while I was thinking how to tell my mom I didn't have my uniform clean.
When I came back to my room there was a woman I have never see before, (in her 40s, brown dress, dark hair) ironing my uniform.
I blinked and she was gone. I would have assume I hallucinated the whole thing, but my uniform was there, clean, dried and ironed and ready for me to use.
And it couldn't have been ironed by anyone else because my parents had breakfast with me and my sister was a baby
Glow
This one time when I was little I was laying in bed with my right ear buried in my pillow. I am suddenly jolted awake by this roar that sounded like it was going directly into my right ear. I woke up startled and confused and began scanning my room for anything as my mind was almost full panic mode. When I looked to my right I saw this little boy standing next to me; he was glowing blue but that wasn't the first thing I noticed about him actually. He looked sad and I remember feeling bad for him. After a minute I tried to lean closer to him and even muttered out a faint "hey" but as I did he disappeared. A few days later I told this story to my mother who then informed me that the people who owned the house before us had a son who did when he was five in a car accident. However, it wasn't near the house. I should also note now that our house was renovated since we moved in and a second floor was added. My current theory is that the boy finally found his way back home and realized that his old home was gone. He came to me because I was the new boy of the house.
Real-Life Examples Of People Sabotaging Their Own Happiness
Reddit user _lilyara asked: 'What's the best real life example, you've witnessed, of someone destroying their own happiness?'
So it's not surprising then that many people have sabotaged their situations for something better and realized after the fact that they ruined a good thing.
Curious to hear from regretful strangers online, Redditor _lilyara asked:
"What's the best real-life example, you've witnessed, of someone destroying their own happiness?
People do crazy things for love.
End Of A Marriage
"Young guy at work; he's in his early to mid 20's, is married with two young kids and a third on the way. This new girl at work has been after him so hard. He was seriously tempted and conflicted. We all tried to talk him out of it; did he really want to throw away his family life for this? Do you really think this new girl is going to stick around once all the drama starts when you guys get caught?"
"He told us all one day that he finally told new girl to leave him alone; he was happy with his wife, and she didn't stand a chance."
"Three weeks later, he was sleeping in his car because he went for new girl after all; got caught, kicked out & served with divorce papers, and new girl ditched him once he got depressed over it."
– ZormkidFrobozz
Skewed Priorities
"A friend of mine quit a job that paid six figures a year because he didn't trust his girlfriend to not cheat on him while he was at work. The kicker here being she was a sex worker when they met."
"He's a great guy but a complete idiot when it comes to women."
– gimpisgawd
Some people go looking for love in all the wrong places.
Chasing Duds
"I have an insecure cousin who would regularly reject guys who were into her and chase guys who weren't interested."
"The more distant and emotionally unavailable the guy was the harder she'd try to win him over."
"The best real life example of 'I don't want to be a part of any club that would have me as a member' I've ever seen."
– _eviehalboro
Divorced And Lonely
"I know a guy who is now in his fifties/sixties who got bored with his wife and kids, cheated on her and divorced her. His wife, who had always supported him because he just couldn’t hold a job down, started a business and became a multimillionaire. She also got remarried to this amazing guy who is a major step up from the husband in every aspect."
"The guy then married this mail-order bride from Indonesia. As soon as the three years she had to stay with him to get permanent residency were over, she left him and married his richer cousin. I sometimes get invited to family events and see him there by himself, broke and with none of his kids or family members wanting to talk to him."
– blue_tongued_skink
Impaired Judgement
"My dad threw out a 15-year marriage with a woman he adored because he got drunk and screwed a random coworker."
"He’s utterly miserable now."
– illustriousocelot_
Bad vices can take over people's lives and realize until too late.
Expensive Addiction
"I know a guy who gambled away $8 million his grandfather left him. He inherited at 21. It was gone by 23."
"He's actually an incredible good guy too. That's what kills me."
– notquiteadequit
"God, what's even the point of gambling at that point? 8 million is enough to do whatever the f'k you want, assuming you don't do anything completely ridiculous."
– TruthOf42
Why You Say "No" To Drugs
"My ex friend Tom, over 10 years ago when we were teenagers he once said to me 'im going to try meth tonight' whilst we were at a bar (Australian) I literally knew nothing about drugs at the time especially meth i just knew it wasnt good, he invited me to join him but i said no because i had a gut feeling it wouldn’t end well for me. Since that day he went in and out of prison, lost all of his friends including me and completely changed as a person. Whilst walking with my wife and daughter a few months back i saw him walking his dog, he had obviously cleaned himself up, but it was like 2 strangers walking past each other. I took one silver lining out of this. It made me learn a lot about drugs all together and it showed me a different life i could have lead if i said yes all those years ago."
"Always say no to meth, it will ruin your life and take everything."
"EDIT: I forgot to add, tom had it all, a living gf, a great job etc"
– novicemma2
Not everything you strive for is exactly how you think it is.
Taking The Path With The Most Resistance
"My sister was offered an incredible well paying job doing something she's great at."
"She decided it would be too easy and opted for a far more challenging job, in a far less appealing setting, with an a**hole of a boss she was hoping to impress."
"She's f'king miserable now."
"I honestly don't get why she does this sort of shite to herself."
– callmevicious
After The Mid-Life Crisis
"A good friend I worked with for years was married to a great dude, super nice and everyone loved him, just a great guy all around. They had a couple middle school aged kids too. I think she was going through a mid-life crisis type thing but anywho, she reconnected with her old high school boyfriend on fb and they started having an affair. She ended up telling her husband about it and left him for the other guy, her husband was great about it, wanted her to be happy, great at co-parenting and didn't want to make anything harder on the kids, etc."
"The old HS boyfriend was toxic as hell, I met him a few times and he was an absolute d*ck. They fought constantly, every other week they were breaking up, kicking each other out(of her condo) or he'd just go missing for days at a time and she'd be a wreck wondering where he was; which was usually a couple hours away at the beach on a drug bender with his friends(he's in his late 40s btw)."
"She said she got bored with her life with her husband and wasn't attracted to him anymore, but I think she just went off the deep end and wanted something that wasn't there anymore; that feeling and excitement of young puppy love, but that's not what she got."
"I think some people just need drama in their life, I felt like she threw away a happy life just because she missed the drama."
Complacency is seen as an undesirable state of living. Boredom can make people feel uninspired.
And while setting goals and improving situations by becoming more active is admirable, people should also take the time to examine what is exactly lacking in their lives that make them feel as if they're stuck.
The examples above are just some reminders that making hasty decisions are not necessarily the best solutions.
Basically, check yourself before you wreck yourself.
It's never beneficial to anyone to jump to judgment.
Especially if it's based on one simple action.
It's entirely likely that you might have caught that individual on a bad day, having a bad moment, or just experiencing a rare lapse of judgment.
Leading them to behave in a way that is not at all indicative of who they really are.
Even so, we still often find ourselves passing judgment on people, including total strangers.
Making assumptions, for better or worse, on the sort of person they are based on their public behavior.
Redditor FawnTi was curious to hear the things people witness which instantly results in their making judgments on total strangers, leading them to ask:"What can a stranger do in public that will immediately make you judge them?"
If They Leave A Mess In Public, What Must Their Home Be Like?
"Throw trash on the ground."- crumpana
"A guy was walking in for an interview with my boss and just yeeted trash between the parked cars."
"We're a small company so we clean ourselves."
"After he left i let her know and that was that."
"How lazy."
"That would only translate to work."- seapancaketouchr
"Drop litter."
"Not pick up their dog's sh*t."- Kyadagum_Dulgadee
"Those people who throw bagged-up dog sh*t into shrubbery are the ultimate evolution of this."- LibertyPrimeIsRight
Sometimes We Use Our Better Judgement
"An act of kindness - especially one that doesn’t benefit that person."
"OP didn’t say it had to be negative."- Rettorica
news mic GIFGiphyShared Speace
"Saw a person unloading their groceries just push their cart into the next parking space and drive off."
"The next parking space was occupied by someone who was there, about to back out, who now had to deal with the cart behind them."
"All the judgment."- Arafell9162
No Reason Indoor Voices Can't Also Be Used Outdoors
"Scream at their partner."- FazeFrostbyte
"Screaming at someone whos just doing their job honestly."- notah0ee
The Epitome Of Selfless
"If they pick up litter I think they're a good person."- Quiverjones
"I pick up litter but I'm always convinced people think I'm weird for it, so thank you for this."- PootleBrain
GiphyGood Manners Need To Be Taught
"Watch a video on full blast, without headphones where it is very clearly inappropriate."
"Or scream at their kids, in front of a bunch of strangers."
"I think it’s absolutely humiliating for a child and it is very telling of how they are to the child all the time."- melancholia__
Just Plain Gross.
"Not washing their hands after using the bathroom."- Nateddog21
"When I was at the dentist's office and I heard a toilet flush in a solitary bathroom, and my DENTIST walked out immediately after, I quit seeing them."- zulimi317
Especially After The Last Three Years...
"Mouth open no cover sneeze."- averagejill
"I loathe those people."- eyekunt
"During peak Covid, my coworker and I witnessed someone pull their mask down, sneeze, and then put the mask back on."
"At a pharmacy."- IDreamofLoki
Baby Eww GIF by America's Funniest Home VideosGiphyWe All Have Them, But Do We All Use Them Correctly?
"Their cellphone etiquette."
"Bad or good, I will watch and judge accordingly."- BulkyHurry
"For me it's being on your phone while driving.'
"Instant rage."
"Full disclosure: was t-boned by one of those a**holes."- okwellactually
Um...
"Defecate in the middle of the street."- Prussian_Empire_23
"Saw someone do that in San Francisco once."
"I was riding the bus and looked out the window and he was just dropping one on the sidewalk with his a** towards the street."
"Then on the next stop a homeless man started cussing out the bus driver because he wouldn't let him ride the bus for free."- Dry-Breakfast-2742
Who's Really The One Who Goes Viral?
"Take out their phone to film while someone is in a bad situation, instead of trying to help / call for help."- Pioumi
Picture Recording GIF by BLoafXGiphyOr In General...
"Being cruel to their pets."- OlyaBrnk
"Or wildlife."- kittytoes21
"Or saying something like 'it’s just a pet'.”
"B*tch this little dog is family and I would die to protect her."- Synner40
There Are Limits To "Making Yourself At Home."
"Be loud, Be rude to wait staff, let their kids run amok."- Emergency_Flounder58
"Rudeness to wait staff says a lot."- zta1978Not Everyone Needs To Be Included...
"Speaker phone call."- Nolan
"I’ve been noticing kids these days having FaceTime calls, but not looking at the screen!"
"What the f*ck is the point of that?"
"I think I’m officially old AND cranky."- Drewbox
Frustrated Customer Service GIF by Ryn DeanGiphyOne's public behavior isn't always indicative of what they're like in private.
Even so, we've all been taught the basic dos and don'ts of how to behave in public.
Making it hard not to judge those who seem to willfully ignore them.
Nothing will get you in more hot water with your boss than coming up with a lame excuse as to why you didn't show up for work.
Especially if that excuse doesn't even turn out to be true.
Of course, life can be unpredictable, and sometimes what you're telling your boss might very well be nothing but the truth.
You just might need some evidence to back it up.
However, there are some excuses that might be one hundred percent foolproof for getting out of work without any resistance from your boss or colleagues.
No matter who you are, or who you work for.
"What’s an excuse to get out of work that no one can get mad at?"
Any Excuse Is Better Than None
"As a manager as long as you let me know that you aren’t going to be able to work then we’re good."
"If you just don’t show up that’s a different story."- LF_redit
If You Say So Ok GIF by The GrinchGiphySay It, Don't Spray It...
"I got sprayed by a skunk."
"I tried to go to work after showering with Dawn dish soap but my boss told me to go home."
"So I’d say getting sprayed by a skunk."- Sunshine95454
Ultimately, Not A Pleasant Experience For Anyone...
"I worked construction, and two separate instances on two different crews, someone said they sh*t their pants."
"Nobody questioned it and they left."
"I do believe they did sh*t their pants tho so you have to commit."- allornothing26
"'I sh*t my pants'."
"Absolutely, 100%, understand."
"See you tomorrow."- Abadatha
year january GIFGiphyApparently Anything Regarding The Rear End...
“'Butthole is bleeding I can’t make it in'.”
"Not a single person will want to ask questions."
"You’re welcome."- Psychologystudent28
Oddly Impressive In This Day And Age... (Assuming It's True...)
"I called in to work and said I had scurvy."
"A couple hours later an FTD florist delivered a bonzi lemon tree from my boss."- HawkMisfit
Not So Much The What, But The When...
"The excuse doesn't matter it's the frequency."
'You need to be excused a couple of times a year?"
'No big deal."
'You're out every other week?"
'That's an issue."- Im_probably_naked
Netflix Seriously GIF by Stranger ThingsGiphyOr Better Yet, To A Hosptial!
"Me: hey I think I need to head home."
"Boss: Why’s that?
"Me: I think I broke my arm."
"I’m standing in front of my bosses desk with my arm turned completely backwards from the elbow down, was in total shock."- ssandhanitizer
Good Thing They Remembered To Call...
"Last time I called into work, it was a quick call."
“'Can’t make it in. Hit my head. Blood everywhere. Ambulance is on the way'.”
"That one worked pretty well."- bioVOLTAGE
Speechless Isn't Always Good...
"Guy at work phoned in to tell our boss he couldn’t make it in because he didn’t have no clean socks."
"Boss was speechless."- Tankclark1
Nbc GIF by The VoiceGiphyIf Only For Plumbing Issues...
"Diarrhea?"- menki_22
"I used to have a sh*tty office job."
"I once had severe diarrhea and my boss tried to get me to work from the bathroom, at the office."- adventurousorca
In a Post Pandemic World...
“'I’m sick'.”
"You don’t need more detail than that."- too_sexy_for_reddit
"Where I'm at Covid is still a mandatory out until a negative test."-azorianmilk
Test Virus GIF by Magician EdzusGiphyYou Can't Make This Stuff Up...
"Worked on a construction crew at one time with this one colorful character that just couldn't get out of bed and to work on time, but could do the work of two when he was on the job."
"He always had the most entertaining excuses for missing work that no one could be mad at him."
"'Ran over a rabbit and had to return home to put it in the freezer'." "
"'Scored some weed that was so good I forgot what day it was'."
"And the coup de grace...'Woke up with my face in my girlfriend's armpit and was afraid to open my eyes'."- eron6000ad
Family First
"Something wrong with your kid."
"I've honestly thought about making up a kid just so I have an airtight excuse to cut out as often as my parent coworkers do."- Yak-F**ker-5000
In truth, pretty much any excuse could probably work
What's more important, is an air-tight alibi...
Bobby Darin had a life full of triumphs and mysteries. From his humble beginnings and bone-shaking family secrets to his meteoric rise as a singer and actor, it was one wild—and tragically short—ride.
1. He Was A Weak Child
Bobby Darin was born Walden Robert Cassotto on May 14, 1936—but his innocence left him far too soon. When he was just eight years old, doctors diagnosed Darin was diagnosed with multiple bouts rheumatic fever, which seriously damaged his heart. The medics painted a grim picture, predicting a short life expectancy for the young boy. It had other consequences, too.
2. His Family Spoiled Him
Because of Darin's precarious health, his family absolutely doted on the boy. They called him "the King" amongst each other, and pampered him within an inch of his life. This was a very bad idea. Before long, Darin grew self-absorbed and selfish.
His own sister admitted, "I’m not saying that he should not have been protected…I’m saying we should have also made him into a human being, and we didn’t do it". But the dye was already in the wool.
3. He Was An Academic Genius Too
With the sense that the grim reaper was always at his door, along with his family's unfailing adoration of him, Darin soon developed a burning ambition to make something of himself. He was a very clever student, outperforming most of his peers...but this had a downside. The other students ruthlessly teased him—and had a shocking effect on him.
4. His Behavior Was Not Charming
During his teen years, Darin developed a somewhat disturbing persona. At that time, he didn’t realize that he was becoming very arrogant, but as time passed, he came to terms with his problem. He said that his bright peers used to tease him and make him feel insecure. That’s why he gravitated towards a career that made him feel better—drama school.
Still, he had one more thing to do before starting out.
5. He Changed His Name
Fitxer:Bobby Darin 1959.JPG - Viquipèdia, l'enciclopèdia lliureca.m.wikipedia.orgBobby Darin was well-prepared for drama school and his lifelong dream of being a musician. There was only one minor issue—his name. The way Darin picked his last name was very random. When he saw a malfunctioning sign at a Chinese restaurant saying “Darin Duck” instead of “Mandarin Duck," he felt inspired—I guess.
Some people claim that he picked it out of a telephone book and that the restaurant story was a lie. Indeed, there is no proof for either story. Either way, he was ready to kickstart a career.
6. His Breakthrough Was Amazing
Unfortunately, life didn’t quite go as Darin planned—at least for a while. One recording after the other, he failed and failed. Still, he was resilient and curious—and in 1958, he recorded a song titled “Splish Splash” hoping to have his big break. Finally, he made it—the song sold more than a million copies in the blink of an eye. In fact, it was only the beginning.
7. He Met Someone
From teenagers bopping to the infectious beat to parents smiling at the boyish charm emanating from their radios, Darin's breakthrough had arrived. He wanted to keep pace, so he began collaborating with other newcomers to get inspired and hopefully sell more hits. Life gave him what he wanted, but it also steered him into the company of someone special.
Her name was Connie Francis, a then up-and-coming singer—and she was going to rock Darin's world.
8. He Found His Partner
Francis and Darin were meant to write songs together and try to shine in this dog-eat-dog world. At that time, both of them were famous, but not superstars. Together, though, they had a supernova effect. They started spending every minute together, and as you can guess, their artistic match quickly turned into a romantic flame.
9. He Wooed Her Good
Although it wasn’t love at first sight for Darin, Francis noted that Darin was the love of her life. She didn’t care about anything when it came to Darin. In fact, she once found Darin in bed with two sketchy women, but that scandalous encounter didn't make her bat a single eyelash. Still, their bizarre relationship was about to get even weirder.
One day, after one of Francis’ performances, Darin came up with a wild idea.
10. He Wanted To Elope
File:Connie Francis.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgBobby Darin—who had a very prince-like upbringing—was used to getting what he wanted, and he wanted to marry Connie Francis. After her show ended, he said that they should elope and get married. Why? Because he knew there was no way Francis’ controlling father would agree to this.
The only person he needed to convince was Francis, but he forgot one important detail.
11. His Future Father-In-Law Hated Him
Francis’ father despised Darin and he did everything in his power to end this relationship, yet this wasn’t the main problem. The problem was that Francis was a daddy’s girl—and when one day, Francis’ father physically threatened Darin and chased him out of a building, Francis knew that it was either her father or Darin. She called it quits and hurt Darin deeply.
He was sad—but soon realized that he had bigger fish to fry.
12. He Had Extravagant Dreams
Darin wanted to be larger than life. He spent countless hours in the recording studio, obsessing over every note and lyric, striving for a flawless performance. His attention to detail was legendary because he wanted to be legendary. As he put it, “I want to be a legend by the time I'm 25”.
Nevertheless, he knew that he had to expand his horizons if he wanted to be one of the greats.
13. He Had Trouble Memorizing A Song
In 1956, Darin seemed to expand his horizons and made his TV debut. It was a memorable moment for him because it represented the fast-paced environment of TV for him. He scored an appearance on The Dorsey Brothers’ Stage Show and the team expected him to perform “Rock Island Line”.
Darin didn’t know the lyrics and he basically had no time to learn them, so he had to write them on his palms and tried to catch a glimpse of them while performing. This marked the beginning of his multifaceted career—and made him even more arrogant.
14. He Lost A Friend
Darin had a reputation for being a little bit snobby, and it was about to cost him a dear friend. He felt, acted, and lived like a legend, yet some of his old friends didn’t like his attitude. One of them was another legendary musician Sammy Davis Jr who had been friends with Darin for a while.
Fed up with his attitude, Davis told Darin, “Let me know when you stop being a legend so we can be friends again,” and walked out of his life. But not everyone felt as strongly as Davis.
15. He Had A Mentor
File:George Burns 1961.JPG - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgEven though some of Darin’s friends shared the same feelings as Davis, others felt very differently. For example, George Burns—who gave Darin his first chance to perform—knew that, beyond his sometimes disturbing bravado, Bobby Darin had a heart of gold. At first, Darin considered Burns as his mentor, but it turned into a more intimate relationship fast.
16. He Had A Father/Son Rapport With Him
Since Darin lost many friends due to his “hard to get along with” personality, he began spending more time with Burns. As time passed by, Burns began thinking of Darin as more of a son. Due to their strong friendship, when Burns' life took a dark and painful turn, Darin was the first one to lend a helping hand.
17. He Took Care Of His Friend
In 1964, Burns lost someone very close to his heart—his wife—and he was significantly depressed. That was when Darin stepped in. Burns said that “When Gracie died, Bobby slept in my bedroom with me for three or four nights”. Not only did Darin take care of Burns, but he also spoke with him and gave him some friendly advice. The advice he gave to Burns changed his life.
18. He Saved Him
Darin noticed that Burns would sometimes cry all night and not sleep at all. The worried musician had to leave at some point, but he wanted Burns to get better before he did. He then suggested Burns sleep in Gracie’s bed so that he’d feel better. This advice changed Burns’ life because he finally started getting some shut-eye, and moreover, learned to move on.
Darin was a miracle worker when it came to solving other people’s issues—even though his own problems were downright alarming.
19. He Began Acting
Multi-talented entertainer Darin was not content with confining himself to a single facet of the entertainment industry. After his TV debut, he then ventured into acting, eager to showcase his talent on the big screen—and he was good at it.
He scored a huge project called Come September—a movie where he shared the lead with the iconic Sandra Dee, an innocent girl-next-door type of actress who became a household name before Darin. Little did he know, he was in for the ride of his life.
20. His Co-Star Was Lovely
File:Sandra Dee 1959.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgWhen Darin began filming and met his co-star, he was charmed by Dee. According to their son’s recollection, “He was standing on the shore wearing a yellow suit, and she was in a boat just pulling in to dock,” and then he shouted, “Will you marry me?” to which she replied, “Not today”.
According to Darin, it was a mutual attraction, but Dee told a very different story.
21. His Co-Star Didn’t Reciprocate
According to Dee, Darin was nowhere near charming. In fact, she thought he was very arrogant. As Dee put it, "I didn’t want anything to do with him”. She was also very clear with her “I’m not interested” attitude, but Darin was not willing to give up. After all, he'd gotten everything he ever wanted in his life up until this point. So he pressed harder.
22. He Had Finesse, Sort Of
Darin orchestrated numerous gestures and silly jokes to charm his way into Dee’s life. Some of them were very silly, such as chanting “Sandra Dee has a flea," while others were pretty clever. He wooed Dee’s mother and turned her into his wingman, asking her to convince Dee to go on a date with him. It was a good plan, and surprisingly, it worked.
23. He Fell In Love With Her
Darin finally scored a date with Dee—the hard part was over. He planned a carriage ride with her, and their first date was a total game-changer. It was clear that Darin was falling in love with her dangerously fast, but the shocking part was that Dee began to have feelings too.
At the end of the date, Darin’s honesty and sincerity won Dee’s heart.
24. He Got The Girl
In no time, the two became lovebirds, flirting and laughing all over the set. By December 1960, the two wanted to get married. Dee later recalled what happened, saying “I do remember my thoughts that first morning when I woke up in bed with my husband, I thought I had never felt so safe in my life as I felt with Bobby”.
But sadly, this heady honeymoon phase was the only silver lining of their doomed marriage.
25. He Had A Real Son
File:Bobby Darin Betsy Hale Wagon Train 1964.JPG - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgIt was time for Darin to play the role of a real dad in life instead of a pretend one in a story. On December 16, 1961, his beautiful bride gave him an amazing son named Dodd Mitchell Darin. They were a family of three, but sadly, little Dodd just missed the happy family train. He had two very problematic parents.
26. Marriage Wasn’t What He Expected
In the Dee and Darin household, the good times were officially over—yet, Darin didn’t even realize it. He was still living the party life and expecting his wife to join in too. Their son later recalled that Darin expected Dee to be ready and steady for every occasion and every party with “the boys” whether it was at a show or at a casino.
Understandably, this frustrated Dee to no end.
27. His Wife Was Unhappy
Dee began complaining because Darin began treating her as a trophy wife rather than a partner and a friend. She was sick of sitting through shows and then waiting for Darin to come home after he went partying with “the guys”. She recalled, “I had no life, and we had no life together”.
Dee began feeling claustrophobic, so she picked up a filthy habit.
28. They Were Deteriorating
Darin and Dee's messy marriage had stupefying consequences. They were not only harming their lives as a married couple but their professionalism as well. How? Well, they did everything in their power to mess with each other—and once every while, they crossed the line—because in Dee’s words, they were “bored”.
29. They Acted Childish
While Darin emotionally manipulated Dee and often reduced her to tears, Dee eased her pain with a bottle every night. Wanting to retaliate, she would often find silly ways to criticize Darin’s looks.
Dee would demoralize Darin and tell him his toupee was crooked before he appeared on shows to “stir things up”. Darin, once he was done making Dee cry, tapped into his paranoid side and made everything even worse.
30. He Had Conspiracy Theories About His Wife
File:Sandra Dee & Bobby Darin, Photoplay March 1961.jpg ...commons.wikimedia.orgDarin often obsessed over Dee’s relationships with her coworkers. Since they had fallen in love on set, what was to stop her from having an affair with another one of her co-stars? Therefore, when Dee began the production of her new movie Tammy and the Doctor, Darin began acting overly suspicious every time Dee spent some time with her co-star Peter Fonda.
31. He Wanted Out
In 1963, Darin could no longer shake off the feeling that his wife was having an affair. He acted up and told her he wanted a divorce, telling Dee the nonsensical reason behind this decision. Dee was both furious and disappointed. She repeatedly denied the claims, eventually convincing Darin to rethink his accusations.
Sadly, this didn’t magically solve their problems.
32. He Was Still Jealous
After almost breaking up with his wife, Darin felt like he needed to make an effort, and so did Dee. He committed all his time to being a good father and an easy-going husband, but there was one big issue: his jealousy. He was unreasonable and paranoid.
On one occasion, he lost his mind over the fact that Dee talked to Warren Beatty at a party. He was silent about it—but behind closed doors, it was a different story.
33. He Made A Decision
Darin didn’t know what to do or how to fix his jealousy problem, so he took the easy way out. Still, he wasn’t bold enough to face Dee, so he went behind her back. In a jaw-dropping act, he had his psychiatrist tell Dee that he wanted out. In the blink of an eye, they separated for good...and then began the hardest year of his life: 1968.
34. He Made A New Friend
1968 started off as a very busy year for Darin—he became more politically active and worked on Robert F Kennedy’s presidential campaign. Beyond the working relationship, Kennedy and Darin developed a very close friendship. Darin considered Kennedy his hero, and one of the main reasons he got more involved in politics.
Soon after, Kennedy became the main reason for his grief.
35. He Suffered A Loss
File:Robert F. Kennedy 1964.jpeg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgDarin felt strongly about Kennedy—but he almost witnessed his demise. He was traveling with Kennedy and he even made it to the politician's final destination—California. Darin stayed at the Ambassador Hotel and was one of the last people who ever saw him before a horrendous assassination ripped Kennedy out of his life.
36. He Didn't Leave His Side
Darin threw himself into recording new types of music while trying to shake off the trauma of losing Bobby Kennedy. He was so shaken by Kennedy’s death that, reportedly, when the coffin was above ground, awaiting burial, Darin stayed with Kennedy’s body all night.
But this wasn't the only event that turned Darin's life upside down.
37. His Heart Couldn't Take It
Even though he worked tirelessly to live with it, Darin’s heart was very fragile—and he'd had a frail constitution since childhood. As time passed, his heart got weaker and weaker—but his divorce was the last nail in the coffin. By the 1970s, Darin's health was not doing well. He felt alone and miserable, so he went crawling back to Dee.
38. His Ex-Wife Still Loved Him
In the 1970s, his ex-wife saw him getting sicker by the day—and despite their turbulent past, she couldn’t leave him alone like that. According to Dee, “He would come to the door with his vitamins and say, 'I have nowhere to go'". She knew she had a soft spot for Darin, so every time she would let him in and as she put it, “things would start again”.
However, it wasn't long before Darin began knocking on someone else’s door.
39. There Was Another Woman
In 1970, Darin found love for the second time—this time, she went by the name of Andrea Yeager. Unlike Dee, she wasn’t a world-class actress, but a humble secretary. Even Darin’s friends said that “You couldn't have a more stand-up person around you. She didn’t want anything from Bobby,” and Darin fell head over heels in love with her.
40. He Underwent Surgery
File:Bobby Darin Abby Dalton Hennessey 1959.JPG - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgAfter a year filled with medicine and dire side effects, Darin's doctors finally told him that his heart needed surgery. In January 1971, he underwent an artificial valve implant—a painful surgery with a long recovery period. When he opened his eyes, he began the next chapter of his life: trying to heal his broken heart.
41. Love Healed Him
According to one of Darin’s friends, Yeager was “willing to confront the grim reality of his illness and help him in any way she could” and it was working. Darin began performing again, and Yeager was there whenever he felt bad. Reportedly, Darin was often administered oxygen during or after he performed, but he kept performing, and Yeager kept helping him.
Yeager's devotion was undeniable and it influenced Darin to give love another shot.
42. She Became His Wife
After three years of living together, Darin and Yeager decided to turn it up a notch. In the summer of 1973, the two made their wedding vows and became husband and wife—they were already committed to each other in sickness and in health. However, Darin’s sickness tested their limits.
If Darin thought he'd found his "happily ever after," he was so wrong.
43. They Fell Apart
Only four months later, Darin’s worsening health worsened his relationship. He was living in desperation and the woman he once loved had reached the end of her rope. In October 1973, the fairytale romance came to an end and they divorced.
Only 37 years old, Darin was a divorced man for the second time—but fate had another horrible twist in store for him.
44. His Last Visit Was Unexpected
The same year, Darin made a mistake that led to serious consequences. When he had a dental appointment in 1973, he failed to take his antibiotics—which protected his heart. This caused an overwhelming systemic infection and weakened his heart to very dangerous levels. Due to sepsis, he ended up in the hospital.
Sadly, this was the beginning of the end.
45. He Never Woke Up
File:Bobby Darin 1972.JPG - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgOn December 11, 1973, Darin scheduled another hazardous heart surgery at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles. A surgical team worked for six hours straight to repair his heart for the second time. Sadly, this second operation time wasn’t as successful as the one he'd had in 1971. Bobby Darin never woke up. Only 37 years old, the musician passed away in the recovery room.
46. They Made A Movie About Him
Darin’s early death shook some people, while his action-filled life inspired others to share his story. Director Barry Levinson was in the latter group. In 1997, he began working on a film that intended to tell Darin's crazy life story—but like most of Darin’s dreams, it remained unfinished. However, someone else had their eye on the singer's legacy.
Kevin Spacey took over the project along with the help of Darin’s son, Dodd. The result? A biopic called Beyond theSea.
47. His Legacy Was Gone
It seemed like tragedy followed Darin wherever he went, even after his death. In 2008, The New York Times reported that in the Universal Studios fire, Darin’s work—among hundreds of other artists—was destroyed. Based on what we know of him, it was probably best that Darin was not alive to witness this tragedy.
48. They Made A Musical Too
Dodd Darin got involved in a musical project to commemorate his father. The musical—called Dream Lover: The Bobby Darin Musical—aimed to delve deeper into Darin’s problematic relationship with his mother and grandmother. However, Dodd had something heartbreaking to say about the casting of David Campbell in the lead role.
49. His Son Knew He Was The Right Fit
Dodd noted that “You have to have lived something like that to understand it and [Campbell] has, and I think he can relate to my dad, he can relate to the pain”. Campbell must have been a perfect fit to play Darin because the musical received very positive reviews.
After it premiered in 2016, the production got best musical and best male lead nominations. More importantly, it gave Darin and his human side the recognition he deserved.
50. He Learned His Family's Secret
File:Bobby Darin Petula Clark 1967.JPG - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.orgThe same year Darin lost Kennedy, he learned something jaw-dropping about his own past. He discovered his family's wildest secret. See, his mother Nina was just 17 years old when she had him, and to cover up her teen pregnancy she passed him off as her younger brother. Instead, Darin grew up believing his grandmother was his mother.
Nina finally confessed this, sending Darin into a tailspin. However, there was another question on the tip of his tongue.