People Share The Worst Things That Have Happened To Them That Actually Made Life Better
Sometimes, the worst moments in your life can actually be setting the stage for something just a little bit magical. Take it from me - losing my eyeball lead to a really cool job, a stint in a band, and the best romantic relationship I've ever been in.
It took time, obviously. It's not like I was rolled out of the surgical suite and life just handed me a gift basket of awesomeness as a consolation prize. But I can say with 100% certainty that losing the eye started the whole "ball" (yeah, eyeball puns are a thing now) rolling.
Reddit user DirtySyko asked:
What's something horrible that happened to you that ended up making your life better?
It turns out I'm not the only one who can pinpoint their positive life turns on one seemingly-negative moment. Check out all of these other people who, much like me and Queen Bey, made lemonade when life handed them lemons.
Go Home. Start Over.
Within a span of a couple months, the girl I thought I was going to marry left me for my friend, my sister was diagnosed with a life changing disease, my 11 year old cousin was diagnosed with Stage 2 brain cancer and my father walked out on his family.
Instead of self medicating and being depressed, my hardest decision in my life was calling my mom to tell her I was leaving college to come home to help get my situation better and help her with her own battles. And now, I'm the healthiest I've been mentally and physically and my family (excluding my father) is trending towards the right direction.
- GoEERs18
The Lost Scholarship
I lost a full ride scholarship and had to drop out of college. Afterwards, while working at a grocery store, I met my wife. Then she helped put me through school to get my masters degree.
Now she is finishing up her degree and when she gets a job I'll work from home and be a stay at home dad for our daughter.
Looking back now, it was a blessing. But it certainly didn't feel that way at the time. That was the darkest year of my life, and I owe a lot to the friends that helped me through. If you are going through a rough time, it may help to know it may be a positive overall in the end, and I hope you have people close to you that can help you work through it.
Thanks, Hurricane Katrina
GiphyI was going to college down in Louisiana. The school got hit pretty bad by Katrina an they had to cancel school for a semester.
I ended up going home and going to a local school for a semester, planning to return to my school in January. Then they announced in November they were on track to open... but were phasing out my major. I needed to find a new school and get accepted in the matter of a few weeks.
While dealing with all this I was driving to go get a hair cut. A woman going the other direction on a road decided to take a sudden left turn across my lane and I broadsided her. My car was totaled.
The last piece was my girlfriend dumping me for a friend. She was still in Louisiana and because I wasn't there she ended up with him.
As you can imagine, it was a pretty depressing time. I had been working my butt off, I thought I was doing everything right, and stuff still went all wrong.
Here's where things started getting better...
Because I was affected by Katrina, schools were amazingly helpful letting me apply and get accepted. My previous school couldn't get my information so they basically took my word that I was in good academic standing. I was accepted to another school in about a week. And it was in a part of the country that didn't get hurricanes (that was actually one of my selection criteria). The school was near a company that hired me right after graduation in the field that I wanted to be in. This got me in the door literally a month or two before the bottom fell out of the market in 2008 and new graduates were struggling to find a job.
The lady that totaled my car admitted to her and my insurance that it was all her fault. Her insurance paid out more than my car really was worth. I got a better one.
The school was far away from home but my brother had a friend from high school that went there. I met her before I went there and she said she'd show me around when I got there. This was all about 14 years ago... she's sitting on the other end of the couch reading a story to our two kids.
So yeah, stuff sucked. I wish I could have avoided getting emotionally beat up like that but I ended up in a much better place. It was totally worth it in the long run.
A Stranger From Reddit
I made the mistake of moving to LA for an internship. Absolutely hated it, had no friends, mild depression, and moved back to my college town as soon as I could afford to rent a vehicle (my only ride at the time was my motorcycle). Day after I moved back a stranger from Reddit helped me unload my motorcycle out of the dodge grand caravan I rented and now that man is my husband.
We have two gorgeous golden retrievers, a baby on the way, and my life is better than I ever imagined it would be.
7 Years Wasted?
Realized my grad school "mentor" that you needed to have in order to graduate was completely unstable and vindictive. Realized my chances of advancing in my chosen field was impossible without said degree and fell into a depression...couldn't leave my room or bed for a month. I basically wasted 7 years of my life with debt to pay off now. My landlady was amazing and being concerned would bring food everyday.
After a long counseling session with my dad, I chose a brand new direction and through a string of luck and hard work I now have a higher paying job the previous degree would have ever gotten me and am truly happy. I've always been interested in psychology but also business. Discovered a thing called market research and found an internship as I was technically still a student.
I had set hours but as I had no idea what I was doing I volunteered to stay extra hours so I can learn skills from current employees without pay. Work ethic + skills = job offer. Continued learning new things on YouTube, webinars, and other resources. Changed to other companies and made my way upward. To be clear it's not my own company. I work in social media strategy for a major movie and TV company.
The thing I learned when talking with my dad was that higher education doesn't necessarily only teach you your major. It teaches you a new way of approaching problems and expands the way you think. I applied that to my new chosen career. Be curious, learn random related stuff, try harder than the others and do more than required.
- C2BSR
Happy Thanksgiving
My wife of 12 years told me she was engaged to someone else and wanted a divorce - a week before Thanksgiving!
My older brother, whom I had never really gotten along with, found out I was living in my S-10 truck came from 3 states away, put me up in a hotel, and helped me find an apartment. I reconnected with him and his family due to that major low point.
February the divorce was finalized.
March I met my new wife and married her in October. We have been married for 14 years now and I am over the moon in love with her. Never would have met her if the ex hadn't been so selfish. My brother and I text at least 2 times a week and talk every other week. He said that hearing about my problems made him decide to be a big brother. Seeing what I went through made his marriage better, and my little sister said it has changed her marriage for the better as well.
Don't Need To
GiphyI was thrown out of my house on my 18th birthday with just the clothes on my back and a few bucks in my pocket. I decided I was not going to put myself in a position to have to rely on anyone ever again.
I worked my a** off. I put myself through college. I saved my money. I bought a business. I used the profits to buy a second business.
I still work, but I don't need to.
- Jdoe74
Undiagnosed
Quitting a job after only two weeks because I was so anxious about going in every day that I couldn't sleep.
This caused me to reach out to a counselor for help. Got diagnosed initially with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but after a year of therapy was told by therapist that it seemed likely that the source of my anxiety and problems in life seemed to stem from undiagnosed ADHD. Got an appointment with a psychiatrist and ended being diagnosed as "a classic case of ADHD".
Quite possibly might have gone my entire life undiagnosed if it hasn't been for how bad that job went for me.
- DJBlok
Death Was The First Step Towards A Better Life
My grandma dying at age 16.
It sucked that she passed but it was the first step towards a better life.
I would have worked in a going-nowhere position at a gas station until my dying breath taking care of her because I loved my grandma she gave me a safe home. When she died I had no friends and after her death I saw what my family was greedy and selfish.
I had to go live with my mom, which was worse but I now lived in a town and had ways to build myself away from my family and towards a future.
My life isn't perfect but at least I'm not dealing with them or physical isolation and there is some potential.
Credit Cards And Birth Control
I was an insurance agent, and I helped a customer make a change to her policy that required her to make a payment. She gave me her credit card details and I ran them through our payment system, as I'd done thousands of times before. Then I went on with my life.
The customer later found unauthorized charges on her card, and since cases of big companies losing customer data were all over the news, she contacted our company, somehow ended up speaking to my boss's boss, and told him her concerns.
Since my boss's boss knew that our company had not had a data breach (or at least, he was not aware of one) he decided that I had likely stolen her credit card details. The next day I arrived for work and was swiftly pulled aside and told that I could not be in the building because I was under investigation for credit card fraud. My boss apologized and told me that he knew I hadn't done it, but that I had to go home and I couldn't come back until they'd concluded their investigation.
It took them two weeks to clear me, most of which I spent either gripped with terror, drunk, or both. I knew that I hadn't stolen her credit card details, but I also knew that, if they decided that I had, I would definitely lose my license to practice insurance and would very possibly go to prison. I was an insurance agent not because I particularly enjoyed practicing insurance, but because a college degree was not a prerequisite for it. I did not have a college degree and therefore did not have a backup career.
During those two weeks, which I spent as a neurotic drunken chihuahua who started crying every time the doorbell rang, I didn't remember to take all my birth control pills. However, I did have sex with my husband. Shortly after being allowed back at work, I discovered that I was pregnant. Suddenly, insurance was not just my shitty day job for right now, but what I was going to have to do for at least the next 18 years. It was horrifying. Sufficiently horrifying to have me enrolling in trade school at three months pregnant. Now I have an awesome preschooler and a job which doesn't drain my soul.
Dear Ol' Dad
My biological dad was a liar and bragger. He lived a couple thousand miles away and wasn't really in my life, but visited enough to mess with me. He constantly lied about supporting me while my mom struggled and eventually I had to support myself if I wanted to be more normal with what I did and had. Eventually he remarried and started being around less and less (which is saying something for someone whom I saw 2 or 3 times a year) and even stopping telling me when he was in my home state (30 mins from me) to see my step mom's family. I just became a back burner and maybe saw him once a year for a few years.
After a few years of forgetting birthdays and holidays he managed to call on my 21st birthday and he said something that left me unhinged and I laid into him on the phone. It's been 6 years since we've spoke almost and I've never felt better in my life.
Being lied to my whole life about everything has given me an insane skill set with detecting BS and I'm pretty grateful for that. I also learned a serious work ethic so that I didn't have to burden my mom for anything financially. I'm a stronger person for it and pretty happy and thankful for the whole situation.
Of course I may be a bit dramatic because it's nowhere near as bad as other people's stories with bad parents. Honestly I never tell people anything about it because I was so fortunate to have my mom and her parents that it just doesn't seem right to complain about one bad character.
Getting Laid Off Paid Off
GiphyI got laid off from a 9-5 min wage job at a hardware store. I was a single mom with 2 kids. I seriously thought we might die. I had no idea what to do. I started looking at ways to make money and have my kids with me so I could cut the daycare bill out of my life. I got my school bus license and started cleaning businesses and houses (I had permission to bring my extremely well behaved kids ). I found various other things to do and was making $3000-$4000 a month. Plus I had the freedom to take days off to do stuff with my kids/travel when ever I wanted.
This was 9 years ago and I never worked 9-5 again. Now I'm in a position where I only drive a school bus. Working 5 hours a day and only 180 days a year is a dream come true.
When we feel we have been wronged by someone, we tend to think the worst of them.
Irredeemable.
Evil, even.
But the concept of what is evil depends on the individual and their level of tolerance.
So what is pure evil then?
It's not always about demons. Because the truth is, humans are capable of doing some of the worst things imaginable.
Curious to hear about strangers' experiences with sinister forces around us, Redditor ThatOneDude44444 asked:
"Who do you believe is literally evil?"
Those who prey on the weak and vulnerable are some of the worst kinds of people out there.
The Scammer
"I knew a guy who retired from an investment firm before he was 40. I inquired if I could get a job at the firm. He told me 'if you can look a woman in the eyes, who’s scrubbed floors all her life, and tell her that you can quadruple her life savings by investing in a stock you know is worthless. Then you could work there' I felt sleazy just listening to him. I lost all respect for him. He preyed on poor desperate people, and ruined their lives, so he could retire in his 30s. I found out from a friend that the investment firm was a boiler room fly-by-night scam. Everyone who worked there was taken out in handcuffs."
– GoddamnCabbage
Manipulative System
"Health insurance denying treatments that your doctors have personally recommended."
"Health insurance companies insisting that you try other treatments first, or insisting that you work with in-network doctors who can't be seen for 6-8 months, intentionally delaying your proper treatment. It's f'king murder as far as I'm concerned."
"I could keep listing ways that the health insurance industry is pure evil."
– rachelsnipples
Where Is The Care In Medicare?
"My mother was just diagnosed with a very serious condition that if not treated will make her go blind, her insurance is refusing to pay for her treatment. She’s 73 and will now owe 1500 usd each month so that she doesn’t go blind despite having Medicare. This is our system."
– MamaFuku1
And there are those who are the devil incarnate.
The Moors Murders
"Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. The tape recording of one of their young victims crying for her mum while being tortured is awful. They refused to say where they buried Keith Bennett and that boy's poor mum died without knowing where he was. I hope they are forever being tortured in Hell."
– joacaster
The Torture Mother
"Gertrude Baniszewski, the 'caregiver' of Sylvia Likens. Her story still gives me chills."
– gingeritis90
"I barely made it through that story it was so, so horrendous. And our f'king legal system did barely anything to the heinous b*tch Gertrude and her evil daughter."
– astrongerpeyote
The fact that an individual can be solely responsible for a major national crisis is unthinkable.
But here we are, and several people came forward to share their stories.
Origin Of The Opioid Crisis
"Richard Sackler specifically would be the more correct answer in my opinion. The rest of them are greedy and borderline sociopathic sure, but I think few of them truly understood the ramifications of what Richard was orchestrating. Richard intentionally orchestrated the opioid epidemic and he knew exactly what he was doing and what the outcome would be. He banked the future of his company on creating a legion of opiate addicts that had no idea they were becoming opiate addicts. That is evil."
– aveganrepairs
Victim Speaks Out
"I am a victim of this f'ker. Slipped a disk and was prescribed Oxycontin 2 40mgs a day. Within 6 months I was upped to 80mgs 3 times a day. That's the equivalent of 48 5mg percocet. I'm still struggling and this happened in the late 90s."
– bucklebee1
Time For Commiserating
"I’m so sorry to hear that that happened to you and that the effects are lingering 3ish decades later; that’s a significant period of time/portion of your life."
"I would like to also let you know that I am victim of this f'ker/family, but in the opposite way. I have had 2 discs in my neck collapse, I have had 2 spinal surgeries, I am in intractable pain. And all I can get is Rx ibuprofen or aleve or other NSAIDs that don’t touch the pain and can cause kidney and liver damage at the dosages I’m being prescribed. I’ve gotten to try every treatment EXCEPT opiates: surgeries, injections, lidocaine patches, antidepressants, nerve medication, massage, yoga, acupuncture, physical therapy, prolotherapy, and plasma rich protein treatment. The one time I asked for low dose opiates (like a single 5 mg Percocet as needed - not 48 daily), I was discharged from the pain management practice immediately for 'drug seeking'. And they’re the biggest practice in my state."
"Further, in the intervening time between my 2 surgeries (before I knew I needed the second surgery as my second disc had collapsed), I presented to the ER in intractable pain with physiological indicators like elevated heart rate and blood pressure. Not only was I not given any pain medication at all (not even toradol, an NSAID), I was also urine drug tested and told that even though I had no drugs in my system that I 'didn’t deserve' any medication and was wasting their time when they could be saving someone else’s life."
"We are BOTH victims of the Sackler family and the opiate prescription practices that led to what’s being called the 'opiate epidemic'. I am not trying to invalidate your experience (and I hope that comes through). I am just trying to show people reading these comments my side of the coin too. I see you u/bucklebee1. And I validate you. And I send you nothing but the best."
– caboozaliciousAnyone who is capable of taking another life without even a hint of remorse doesn't deserve the title of being human.
They are purely evil.
And what's terrifying is that we don't really know the capabilities of most people until they snap.
It's a sad truth that just about all women find their bodies objectified or, for better or worse, the unwanted subject of conversation.
One of the many reasons why too many women are self-conscious about their bodies and suffer from sometimes crippling body image issues.
More often than not, women often find themselves most self-conscious about a part of their body or appearance most people will never notice, or even see.
But much to their surprise, sometimes it is that very thing they hate most about themselves that others might find most beautiful about them.
"Men of Reddit, what is something women hate about their bodies that you actually love?"
Aging Gracefully
"Everything that has to do with getting older."
"When my wife and I got married, we were obviously younger and in our 20s."
"Although never thin, I was more slender."
"My wife, 5’9 and legs for days and just banging body."
"Now? "
"I’m not as thin (same as her) we have two kids, and I find her sexier now more than ever."
"In our almost decade together, we have slept on a floor, used change for gas and had our electricity turned off 3-4 times for non payment."
"She’s my Ride or Die."
"She has more of a tummy now, bigger boobs, maybe doesn’t shave like she used to or wear skimpy lingerie outfits randomly."
"BUT."
"I wouldn’t trade it for the world."
"We have grown older together and I honestly couldn’t find anything in this world that still turns me on as the certain way my wife runs her fingers down my back or how she looks naked."
"And it’s because she’s mine."
"Not in a possessive sexist way."
"But in a, I’m the luckiest guy in the world that this beautiful human wants to spend the rest of their life with me (and have sex with me)."
"Hopefully this isn’t too long winded."
"Long story short…..girls spend tons of time worrying about getting older."
"Age isn’t always a detractor."- Ok_Animator_9218
Sometimes being "cheeky' pays off.
"My ex-girlfriend always complained about the size of her cheeks and how she looked like Quico (a character from an old Mexican TV series)."
"For me she looked gorgeous, I loved to kiss and caress her cute round face."- Raul_H2000
Presumably, He's Also One Of The Only People Who Sees Them
"My wife was very self-conscious about her inverted nipples, but I adore them."- nsfbc
Beauty Truly Does Come From Within
"A bit longer than others, but I have a full story to tell which might help someone."
"A few years ago, my lady got a breast cancer."
"We live in a country with high level medical facilities, and the doctor told us at the very first meeting that we were here to heal, no reason to think otherwise."
"But her cancer is genetic."
"It means if she kept her breasts, her risk of having a new cancer would be very high."
"So it's clear for both of us, she got a mastectomy."
"She now has no breast anymore."
"She just has two big scars on the chest."
"On her side, she f*cking hates her body."
"She is scared as hell to wear anything that could reveal her scars."
"She also got some weight during the treatment, and she is pissed at that too."
"But I f*cking love her."
"I choose to love with this woman, and it does not matter if she had lost her breasts, her legs or her face, I will still love her."
"I will fricking love those scars until my dying breath, because, to me, it means she survived."- Vitrebreaker
Glorious Imperfections
"Uneven breasts."
"Adds character and makes paying attention to each one a separate adventure."- Inevitable_Shift1365
"Probably a lot of stuff but something in particular is like minor 'imperfections' or whatever you would call them."
"A woman I used to work with had a thing where it was like her teeth didn't quite line up like normal (I think maybe a mild crossbite) and I found it weirdly attractive."- tasteful_tomfoolery
They're Easier To Appreciate When You Don't Have To Deal With Them Yourself...
"My wife’s boobs."
"She hates them with a passion and I cannot figure out why."
"They are perfect."- Reddit
Androgyny Is A Wonderful Thing
"I love sleepy, set-back bedroom eyes."
"And I love boyish clothes on girls."
"So hot."
"I also like when a woman has a deeper voice."
"God it’s hot."- Slurpydurpy711
You Never Know What Turns Them On...
"I was always very insecure about my hip dips until my boyfriend told me he loved them."
"I was standing in front of him one day and he just said 'I love the way your hips go in a little there, it makes your butt so cute, it's my favorite' and I was shocked, honestly."
"I used to spend hours watching videos about how to exercise them away, creams that would fill them in, and other ridiculous horsesh*t that would never work."
"He's somehow found every insecurity I have and told me how attractive it is before he ever even knew I was insecure."- trash_bin_84
Getting A Little Scientific
"Maybe a little too clinical or intimate for this thread but I really appreciate unique labia and I find it absolutely heartbreaking that there is so much widespread insecurity about this that there are cosmetic surgeries to 'fix' 'imperfect' labia."
"Past girlfriends and flings who had more prominent or 'unconventional' labia were dreadfully insecure about it and some went as far as to be absolutely astounded that I’d compliment them during/after sex because a past partner hated it or was very cruel and callous about it."
"Absolutely gorgeous."
"One of the most pernicious and evil beauty/porn standards out there."
"As long as hygiene is well-accounted for, there’s no such thing as a labia and vulva that are better or worse than any others."
"It’s not ever crossed my mind to compare or critique what’s down there and I always speak out about this when my friends say some stupid or insensitive sh*t."- e-co-terrorist
And Always Handle Them With Love...
"They're called love handles for a reason."- devilthedankdawg
It's very easy to think ill of ourselves, particularly in the judging eyes of others.
But we were given our bodies and appearance for a reason.
And if we embrace all that is unique about us, chances are all others will find that beautiful.
Reaching 50 is a life goal.
Getting to that milestone is something we should all aim for.
So many years, so much life lived.
Which means there is so much story to tell.
Who can't help but look back and advise about how to do it better?
Redditor h-gotfred wanted to hear from the over 50 crowd, so they asked:
"To you Redditors aged 50+, what's something you genuinely believe young people haven't realized yet, but could enrich their lives or positively impact their outlook on life?"
There is so much to know about life.
And we have to age to learn it.
So let's chat...
Be Happy
just married love GIFGiphy"Marriage/relationships should be fun, and happy. Life is hard, things get tough. Find someone that makes the tough times easier, not harder."
Inevitable-Mine6466
"Piggybacking off this and saying, even the happiest marriages get into arguments. It's not a reason to leave."
J3sush8sm3
Battles...
"Not everything that you disagree with deserves an argument. Pick your battles and let trivial things slide."
hail2theKingbabee
"To echo this: Not everyone you disagree with is 'wrong.' They are simply operating with different information. You can disagree with someone on an issue and still value the person. Don't let one issue define your entire relationship with another person."
A_Socratic_Argument
The End
"If you die, your employer will have your job posted before you are buried. Remember that when making work/life choices."
Justin9314
"I started my career at corporate headquarters for a large insurance company. I was doing GREAT, but I just didn’t like the industry. I applied for a job at a major university and someone took a chance on me and gave me the position (transitioning from for-profit to non-profit is notoriously hard)."
"I made less money over the course of my career certainly but I wasn’t on poverty wages by any means. But I remember about 5 years in, one of my old VPs was in town and we got together. His comment was 'We miss you, but you look so much happier, the psychic income is showing.' Insightful guy."
Reynyan
The Truth
"2 things I will be eternally grateful to my grandfather for instilling in me..."
"Failure is not an end state unless it is where you choose to stop. He loved to quote that line by Churchill whenever something didn't work out for me, Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."
"Honesty is the most powerful tool you can use to define yourself. Admit your mistake, frankly and honestly. The truth always comes out in the end no matter how big or small and it doesn't get better with age. You can give back something you steal, and you can help those you hurt but once they brand you a liar, it's all you will ever be."
iskandar-
Be Quiet
Golden Girls Rose GIF by TV LandGiphy"Unless you don't mind hearing EEEEEEEEEEEE like all the time day and night, use hearing protection in loud situations. Tinnitus is a bi*ch."
revnhoj
Take care of your ears.
One of life's greatest lessons!!!
Live by the Moon
bart simpson maggie GIFGiphy"Wear sunscreen."
nilecrane
"I just had a quick look at my 50-year-old upper chest, frequently exposed to the sun in my youth, and compared it to my 50-year-old belly, which has always been clothed and covered (I have never liked two-piece swimsuits). What a difference!"
HootieRocker59
Passions
"Take a genuine interest in what other people have to say, ask them follow-up questions about their passions in life. Don’t just talk about yourself, or wait for your turn to talk. That’s how you have a conversation, and build a relationship."
MayIServeYouWell
"Sometimes you gotta be careful with that. Pay attention if the other person is doing that too, it's important for you to share about your life. It can be kind of lonely when you know so much about your friends, but they don't know about you."
jacarelunar
Practice makes Perfect
"Every skill takes determined practice to master. I see my young friends/relatives try and give up on so many things because 'they weren't very good at it.' If you keep doing that, you'll never be very good at anything."
EarhornJonesI
"I love cooking - and find it easy and relaxing. I have hit a point where I can make several dishes that I can honestly say are far superior to what I could get at a restaurant. I love delighting my family and friends with what I cook."
"But the truth is - I've prepared thousands of dishes. I've practiced for 40+ years. I have f**ked up every single type of food there is at least once. I've burnt things. I've undercooked chicken. I failed to emulsify things that should have been emulsified. I forgot to set the timer. I've added too much salt. I chopped when I should have torn. I did all of the wrong things at some point. And because of all of these things, I can walk into any kitchen and make something delicious."
NewSummerOrange
63
"I’d say invest in your health by regularly exercising. My wife got me into running when we were in our twenties, and it has been a big part of our lives ever since (I’m 63). Nothing crazy, no marathons, we don’t time ourselves or follow a strict training plan, we just pick a route, go at our own pace, and have fun. We still go 3-4 miles, 3-4x per week."
"I also started working out at the gym 3x a week with free weights in my 30s, and have been doing it ever since. I’m no Schwarzenegger, believe me, but I can still work around the house, move furniture, shovel snow and have fun tossing a ball around with the kids without injuring or exhausting myself. Between aerobic fitness and weights, I’ve been able to stay remarkably healthy my entire adult life, knock on wood. It’s also been great for my mental health and managing stress."
"You don’t have to go nuts and set unreasonably strict requirements for exercise goals or diet that a normal person can’t possibly maintain - just do the best you can, make exercising a few times per week a habit, eat a reasonable diet (avoid fried stuff, eat fruit and veggies, lay off the sweets), and 40 years later you’ll really thank yourself, believe me!"
lanky_planky
Plan Ahead
Make It Rain Money GIF by yvngswagGiphy"Debt can really ruin your life. If you want to take on a lot of it, make sure you have a good plan and run it by a lot of smart people first."
vanityklaw
Debt. Everyone should learn about avoiding debt as early as possible.
This whole list should be taught in Universities.
It's amazing to think how, as times change, so do the quality of products.
But this also includes items that were once considered commonplace that are now seen as vintage or even luxury.
For those who were around at the time when an item was first introduced, it can be surprising to see how the availability of that item changes over time, and even frustrating when it becomes increasingly expensive.
Redditor zombiem00se asked:
"What was normal 20 or 30 years ago, but is considered a luxury now?"
Quality Furniture
"New furniture made out of real wood."
- Juls7243
"It's legit why I started woodworking. Even my s**tty projects that I'm unhappy with are infinitely better than the junk in stores."
- leap3
Software Ownership
"I hate that everything is a subscription now. I miss being able to just straight up buy Microsoft Office. Now you need a subscription."
"There's a hidden way to buy a license, but it has very basic functionality and limited apps, so it's kinda useless."
"Even my printer needs a d**n subscription to use the ink that came with it (which I hadn't realized or I wouldn't have bought it)."
- SolusLega
Income-Rent Ratio
"The days of paying no more than 30% of your income in rent."
- newsaggregateftw
"I lived in poverty housing and this was how they determined our rent. It was 30% of mom's income, regardless of how much she was making."
"That was 20 years ago, not sure what starving kids do today."
- DaughterEarth
Constant Availability
"Not being expected to be reachable 24/7."
- Siukslinis_acc
"Yes, f**k this. I hate being bothered about work when I'm off work. I used to have a boss that expected me to answer when I wasn't at work so he would b***h and moan about it. Then I became known as the one who never answers."
- Capt_Skyhawk
Affordable Concerts
"Concert Ticket prices."
- Quality_Street_1
"Sure does seem like ticket prices went from $50 to $200 really f**king fast."
- 7eregrine
Faithful Cookware
"Household products that didn't break within the first few years of use. My grandma had the same fridge from 1993 for a good while before deciding to switch to a newer, bigger option two years ago. Yes, it broke within those two years. My mom's wedding cookware is still going strong 25 years later, but whenever she needs new pans, they start flaking Teflon into the food within a few months."
- parangolecomuna
Retirement Funds
"Retirement plan built-in to your job."
- SuvenPan
"Or just retiring in general, lol (laughing out loud)."
- Joaham1
Farmer's Markets
"Farmer's markets. You used to be able to go down and get fruit and vegetables cheaper than the grocery store. Now it seems like they charge three times more than stores do."
- jrhawk42
Available Repairs
"Being able to get things repaired instead of buying new."
- einRoboter
Right to Privacy
"Privacy used to be implicit. It was just there. You didn't have to think about it."
"Now it's explicit. You have to seek it out and take steps to ensure it remains in force."
- dsac
The Good Ole Days
"Being left the f**k alone."
"Buying something and just like, owning it."
"Playing a video game without an internet connection."
"Not having to provide your email address for every single f**king thing you do."
- El_Mariachi_Vive
Just Gaming
"I still miss the days of just putting a game in, turning it on and you go right into playing it. The game alone was the sole focus and purpose of the console. The GameCube is the last system I remember playing that had this."
- __M_E_O_W__
Bins of Photo Albums Under the Bed
"Photographs on actual photographic paper. I know it's still possible but oh so rare."
- audiofankk
High-Quality Clothing
"Good quality fabric in clothing. I have clothes from the 90s (and 80s from my mother) that still hold up today. These days, I'm lucky if my shirt isn't saggy and misshapen within a year."
- TheMadLaboratorian
FriYay and TGIF
"Being able to go out every Friday after work and being able to afford it."
- M-the-music-guy
We're always moving forward and looking forward to future advancements, but sometimes, it's nice to look back on where we've been and what we miss about the old days. Sometimes, it may even be a little sad to think of what's not available anymore, but at least we got to experience it.