People Who Ignored Their 'I Should Leave Right Now' Gut Instinct Explain What Happened
You might hear someone say, "Trust your gut." This comes up a lot when you're about to enter into an unknown situation, where you don't know what's going to happen. Your instincts, all based on prior experiences, add up to a total sum telling you what you should do and how you should handle something.
So when all those instincts tell you, "I should leave right now," then you should probably listen to them.
Reddit user, u/b_luhffy, wanted to know about:
A Spear What?
College party. Everyone is varying degrees of drunk/drinking.
Somebody brings out a spear gun. Loaded.
Went to another side of the house and waited for the screaming to start. Fortunately, nothing went wrong but I wasn't gonna take that chance.
Netflix To The Rescue
I worked at a local restaurant and some part of me was shouting to take my usual break, go smoke a joint, and watch some Netflix. I was half way through smoking when everyone comes rushing out because the dishwasher accidentally created chlorine gas. The dishwasher and some of the cooks got taken to the ER [but] no one was significantly hurt.
That Sounds Like A Completely Measured And Appropriate Response
Was at a bar once and I could tell there was tension between a couple of drunk guys there. I had a bad feeling that something was gonna go down so I gathered up my brother and friends and we left. Well come to find out the next day that one guy ended up stabbing the other one outside of that bar. (IDK what ended up happening to either of them but that was crazy)
The Swastika Is Your Cue To Leave
At a night out with a bunch of guys from my old school, one of us gets in a fight with three guys. I sat back near enough to make sure nothing develops and one of their guys joins me. He strikes up a conversation and very quickly tells me hes a Neo-Nazi, he even showed me his tattoos of a swastika and the Waffen SS emblem. It was very clear why he was telling me this because I happened to be the most aryan looking person there. He ended up telling me everything from how he got into the cult like ideology to all the different minorities that he hates. One of the guys I was with thankfully noticed and gave me an excuse to leave once the situation had calmed down
Altogether a very interesting night
The Feeling Is From Down The Hall
Went to my friends house for the night and he kept saying he was hearing voices and went past the hallway to check again and again. Came back and kept suddenly turning his head towards the hallway mid sentences. Freaked me the f-ck out and I had this chill down my spine, the kind that sobers you up instantly chill, it kept making me want to leave and go home but then I realized it was way too late and I was way too tired to deal with this. Plus I was baked so that didn't help. The fool was baked too.
In the morning it turned out to be the family that lived up stairs (he lives in a rental basement).
That spine chilling feeling though. Super freaky stuff. Like it made me focus on his eyes and how sort of dead they looked. Was super freaky.
When You Know Your Friend Is Gone
My cat died.
I was away for a week, in another country. I never usually worry about my pets like that, but two days in I was finding myself thinking about my cat more and more and being increasingly concerned about him. Few days in I was having dreams of me going back home in a rush. Instead, I stayed and thought I was projecting the stress of spending the week in an unknown place with people I didn't know a lot yet, and just missing my cat.
Now that cat had come to me from the street, so whenever I left for a few days that's where he'd spend his time. He would only respond to my call but not my friend's so I had no one to send to check on him. When I finally came home I just rushed to all his spots and called for him.
I did that almost every 2 hours when I was not working, for 3 days, including at night. Found him 3 days later, hardly breathing, but walking. Took him to the vet in a rush. Turns out he had cancer and the tumor pushed against his lungs etc. In the past week, something had broken and was filling his lungs with liquid. Had to put him down. I'm just glad I found him and he didn't die alone on the street.
Running Out Of Sun
I went on a 3 day backpacking trip a few years ago to Havasupai. On the second day of our trip, I agreed to join my 3 friends on a 16 mile round trip hike from Havasupai campground to the confluence (where Havasu Creek meets the Colorado River).
I felt anxious and unnerved throughout the entire hike. We left too late in the morning (around 9am) for that long of a hike and also learned after departing that only 2/4 of us had brought headlamps. We only passed two people on the whole trail as it is quite remote.
When we hadn't reached the river by 2pm, I tried to convince the rest of the group that we should turn back as I really did not want to hike in the dark. Nobody else wanted to turn around, so I was left with the options of either trekking back all by myself or staying with the group. I felt it was much more wise to stay.
We didn't reach the river until 3:30pm leaving us with very little time to try and beat the sunset. We hauled a-- while watching the sun creep down the canyon walls. Eventually, it got completely dark. Our group decided to briefly separate as my friend Josh and I were outpacing the other 2.
As we continued on, I felt extremely exposed. We had one tiny beacon of light for the two of us. I could barely see anything around me. At one point, I begged Josh to stop for a minute, because I was nearly panicking and could not shake the most eerie feeling. Something in me was telling me I was going to die and never make it back home. I cried for a minute, and Josh reassured me.
We finally made our way to where we planned to meet our other friends. We waited for about 15 minutes when they came blazing around the corner. My friend said,"We want to rest here for just a minute, but we can't stay for very long. I just saw a mountain lion right across the creek."
Gotta Get Your Money's Worth
When I was in 8th grade, my family went on a cruise and on the last day, the cruise was supposed to stop at the ship's private island. We had pre-rented bikes for that day, but when we left the ship, the sky looked like it was about to storm.. and badly. I remember telling my parents that I didn't want to go bike riding anymore, that I had a bad feeling about it. They brushed it off bc they had already paid and they wanted their money's worth.
We got to the bike rental and they didn't have hand brakes, second red flag. I know some bikes now don't have hand brakes but I've never ridden one, so I wasn't super comfortable with stopping by backpedaling.
Fast forward 30 minutes or so into our bike ride and I took too quick a turn, hit a rock and flew off my bike, hitting my head (thankfully had a helmet on), breaking my collarbone, and scraping up my elbows and knees pretty badly. I still hold it over my parents head to this day (jokingly of course).
Nature Always Wins
I was hiking down a trail and I felt like I was being watched. I've read a lot of stories about people going missing in the woods, so I was hyper aware of every little thing. Instead of going down this one path, I turned around and walked back. I still felt like I was being watched, so I power up my blue tooth speaker, plug in my hiking mp3 and blast some heavy music. A few minutes later the feeling passes.
A day later I heard someone was attacked by a mountain lion on the trail I was going to hike on.
A Constant Stream Of Falsehoods
My Ex-Boyfriend. It had been my first relationship in a while. Early on I started to get the feeling that he was lying about things, but it was only little things. Like he'd say he had some childhood illness, or had ran into Ariana Grande at a coffee shop. I tried to brush off the thought that he was making things up, because who would lie about random things.
I stayed with him another 4 months, then realized he was also lying about a drug addiction, stealing my money I was giving him for rent and not paying our bills. So I probably should've trusted my gut and left sooner.
Time To Leave The House
When I was a teenager I was best friends with a girl who had an older brother who had mental health issues. This led to him also drinking a lot and generally being a d-ck.
One night we were hanging out in her basement and he came home drunk. As soon as I heard him coming down the stairs I knew it was going to be bad.
He walked into the room, looked at us and said " What are you b-tches doing down here?"
My friend had a big shepherd/ chow mix and the dog immediately got up and stood between him and us growling.
My friend yelled for her dad and that set her brother off. He lunged at her and the dog grabbed him by the arm. Suddenly I was trapped standing on a couch, up against the wall .
Her brother is on the ground kicking at the dog. The dog is clamped down on his arm and not letting go. My friend is next to me screaming for her dad.
Dad rushes in, tries to separate them to no avail. Her Mom had called the cops from upstairs ( not the first time ) and they show up.
I sh-t you not, the second the cops came the dog let go on his own and stood in front of my friend again. Cops arrest her brother and her dad drives me home. I never went over their again unless she could promise me he wouldn't be there.
Keep Your Friend Safe
In 5th grade my math teacher made me and another girl stay after school. He said we did too well on the test. We must have cheated. I always got a weird feeling around him, but when it was just him and us, he was actually smelling our hair. When I finished my test, he told me to leave.
There was no way that I was going to leave him alone with the other girl. I told him my dad said I had to walk home with the other girl. The teacher said I was lying. I was, but I told him to call my dad and tell my dad that he thought his daughter was a cheater and a liar. My dad was super friendly but built like a grizzy bear. He let me wait for her to finish the test.
Did You Read The Waves Of The Future?
When I was getting prepared to marry my ex husband, there were a lot hurdles and obstacles to overcome. We had just gotten past a huge one and my then-fiancé left. I was in the bedroom of my apartment looking out the window and I had a premonition. It was so strong it was like I could physically see it.
I had been thinking that since we had just overcome that obstacle (I don't remember exactly what it was, something to do with paperwork since he wasn't a US citizen) that things would be smooth sailing going forward. But the premonition was the opposite. I knew that things were going to get worse, way way worse, like being pushed down a long funnel, narrower and tighter and more pressure than I could possibly imagine, and when I came out the other side I would be entirely changed.
I assumed it meant that the process of marrying a noncitizen was going to get messy. It did--things went wrong that weren't even supposed to be able to go wrong.
But I think that premonition was about the whole marriage. We did get all our papers in order and got married, and things were pretty okay for a while (yep, every bride's dream, a life that is pretty okay). But eventually things got worse. And worse. I found out he had been concealing his true nature. At the end he was a totally different person than who I dated and married. I mourned for the man I married because it was like he died.
Fortunately I saw the truth, got out with minimal trouble, and upgraded to a real husband instead of a lying cave troll. I tell people I never saw it coming, but it's a lie. I did see it coming. I didn't understand it and didn't believe it but I did get a warning.
Years later I got a warning that my current husband had a life threatening illness, but that's another story.
Okay, Seriously, Fortune Tellers Must Be Real!
I was a dumb 17 year old. My friend "Joe" and I smoked a lot. One of then guys we brought it from, "David", was in his early 30's, lived in a normal house, had a wife (who he was in the process of divorcing and not living with), and one or two young kids.So he was involved with some sketchy people, but he was always really nice to us. A few times he fronted uswhen we couldn't afford it. One time I had had the worst day ever and he just gave me some just to be nice. So needless to say, what happened to him really scared and upset me.
One night (sometime between 9-10pm), Joe and I went over . David told us he was waiting on his connection to drop it off, it'd be about an hour if we wanted to wait here. I said yea sure, no big deal. But Joe said "no I want to leave." I looked at him, surprised, and said it's just an hour wait, by the time we drive home and come back it will be an hour anyways. Joe said "no, I think we should leave, I just don't want to stay here." I asked him why but he said he just got a bad feeling. I will admit that David did seem off, he seemed really nervous and tense. There was a girl I knew from school there (like everyone bought weed from this guy), she decided to wait, but Joe didn't want to, so I left with Joe.
About an hour or two later we tried calling David, no answer. He never called back so we just hung out and watched TV til the next morning. He still didn't answer so we drove by there , and the entire house is covered in crime scene tape, part of the house is black and obvious there was an extremely recent fire that significantly damaged the home. We had no clue what happened and weren't about to stop and ask the cops there.
I found out from the news, and then from friends of ours what happened. Around 12am, 3 guys kicked down the door. David, and the girl I knew from school were sitting on the couch, they were both shot in the head and killed instantly. The guys then tried to set the house on fire to destroy any evidence, but a neighbor called the fire dept shortly after they left so the house wasn't badly burned enough to destroy much evidence. It took them years to catch the guys who did it.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Sometimes you only need to experience something once, to know it's a never again situation.
I always say, try everything once.
Well, now that I'm older, a caveat to that is... try it all within reason.
How many things have we all walked away from saying the one time experience will suffice?
In fact, knowing when to say no is one of life's wisest choices.
Redditor Croakied wanted to discuss the times we've all said... "once was enough!" They asked:
"What is one thing that you will NEVER do again?"
Love. Did it. A few times. Moving on.
Stay Still
"Jump off a moving train."
DenseDriver6477
"My dad used to jump on a train when he was little to go to school. He broke his nose like twice doing it. He also would not recommend."
Darphon
“vaportini”
"Smoke alcohol. Me and my friends bought something called a 'vaportini' in college where you could pour alcohol into a bulb and after low heat separated the alcohol from the liquid, you could inhale it thru the glass straw you inserted into the bulb. Basically you got drunk directly into your bloodstream/brain and it never hit your stomach."
"If you did too much, your body wouldn’t make you vomit or something, there wouldn’t be a simple self regulation/safety measure. You’d just get alcohol poisoning. Felt very dangerous, the drunk wasn’t a regular drunk feeling. We used it once and were like okay, never again. I’d be surprised if you could still buy it, although it would be incredibly easy to replicate at home."
michelangelho
It’s heartbreaking...
"Fall in love with a drug addict."
Rains_Lee
"Good call, don’t do it. The drugs will always come first. Can’t go out unless their 'ok' with how much drugs they have and money left over if any, cant make love unless they have their fix for the night and even still it never feels normal, can’t trust them after the lies to get drugs and the manipulation they put you through, and you can’t change them no matter how much you try and wish they would. It’s heartbreaking."
Cvilla411
More me time...
"Give up my life for work. F**k going the extra mile for a place that doesn't value you and pays you crap even though you go the extra mile for them. You have 1 life with only so much precious time to enjoy it and slaving away at some job is not worth it. Do what you can to reduce your workload and find better employment, or hell try to change the working conditions at your current job to improve things for everyone if you can."
Mrhappytrigers
Well Obvi...
"Donate a kidney."
ToffieMonster
"Well, you could donate the remaining one. You just won’t be around to say anything about it."
shavemejesus
This is definitely list I can relate to. No thank you on a lot of this!
I Quit
"Smoke cigarettes, it's been two years since I quit."
SuvenPan
Forget It
"Climb mount Kilimanjaro. Toughest thing I've done and it's not worth it. I'm all about tough treks and camping but to put yourself under tough conditions and suspectable to altitude sickness only to get to the top for 10 minutes for a picture. No thank you."
Monks_
"I agree, it was memorable. Once was enough for my husband and I. Thankfully we stayed at American style hotel run by the US Navy with a hot tub and bar. Alcohol was definitely needed after all that."
Whatsherface112
I'm living alone!
"Sign a lease with a stranger without hanging out with them a few times beforehand. My past roommate experiences in college were terrible. Roommates either ignored me, hosted parties til 3 AM on weeknights, made the house the hangout and drug-den for them and their buddies. Meet up once and they'll put on an act for you. If you can, try to see how they act drunk or frustrated."
"Try to hang out with their buddies too so you can see the type of people who could be coming into your future place of residence. As soon as I can afford it, I'm living alone! Now, I investigate a potential roommate's social media and hang out at least twice before signing a lease with them."
fleursdefer
Stay Away
"Take back a cheater. Know your worth my brothers and sisters."
santichrist
"Ughhhhh going back and forth on this one. My boyfriend of 5 years has cheated on me. Several times, actually but says he’s really changed and is ready to settle down and wants me to move in with him. I’m on the fence. So they never change???"
madlecroy
Sleeptime
"Take a laxative and sleeping pill at the same time."
karmaredemption
Once, twice, three times... I'm out. Bye.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
People Imagine How They'd React If Their Significant Other Wanted To Sleep With Other People
There is an age old question that has been getting more traction surrounding sex for partners the last decade or so.
And that is... "is just one enough?"
Were we really meant to only be with one person forever?
There are so many flavors to taste.
What if your partner wants more cookie dough with your strawberry?
Redditor Pineapple-Status wanted to hear everyone's thoughts on opening the bedroom to others. They asked:
"What would you do if your long term SO suddenly wants to have sex with other people?"
I say I'd be ok with it, but I'm remembering my last relationship and I feel like I'm not a "put my $ where my mouth is type" on this issue.
Bye
"Wish her well and spend the next 2 years getting myself back to a place where I am ready to get hurt again."
wickedblight
It's Time to Roll On...
"Personally I would leave them."
"I think they're the ones leaving you. I don't think the relationship changes at that point; I think it ends. If you have a monogamous relationship, they are telling you they want to end that. They might be suggesting starting a new, non-monogamous relationship, but that is a separate thing. The original relationship is over."
octopoddle
ethical non-monogamy...
"OP, it's no different than anything else they want: you either agree and stay together, disagree but stay together, disagree and break up, or even agree and break up. What you're talking about is called 'ethical non-monogamy.'" The seminal book to read is called The Ethical Sl*t."
"It basically boils down to be whatever you want, just don't lie about it. The tricky thing is that this is something that was not present before, but is present now. So it's a potential fork in your road. If you're against it, it's up to your SO to decide if sex with other people is more important to them than a life with you."
Tokugawa
a different story...
"I think it depends too how intently they're interested. If it's a thing they bring up because they're curious but it's not a dealbreaker for them, I'm fine with that even if I don't want to proceed. A solid relationship involves open communication, and it'd make me happy if my partner trusted us and our bond enough to voice that curiosity with me."
"If it's something their heart's absolutely set on, then it's a different story. Either way, it's kind of strange to me how these posts always assume simply asking your partner how they feel about opening the relationship means they're now wholey invested in the poly lifestyle and they'll resent you or cheat if you say no."
donkeynique
Others
"Happy that we have common interest, sad that it's different 'other people."
i_lick_icicles
Sex is always an issue. Remember when it was just fun?
Mine
"Leave her. I’m far too possessive and jealous to be able to mentally accept polyamory. If she has a desire to be with other people I’m not going to stand in her way but I’m not going to be there when she gets home either."
Thiek
Not Me...
"Break up. My parents were poly and it's just not for me. I've been honest with every relationship I've been in that I'm not interested in any type of open relationship. If they want to be with someone else that's fine but we'll be over. My husband is aware of this and on board (and has been for over twenty years!). So if he came to me with this yes I would be heartbroken but I'm not willing to budge on this and it would be the end of our relationship."
GoldDustWitchQueen
Let's Talk
"Counseling time! We're married. I'm chronically ill (stage 4 breast cancer) and have no libido. We try to make intimacy work, and obviously in that case it wouldn't be working. So. Time for a pro to sort out the marriage, and possibly a sex therapist for me."
insertcaffeine
Awkward Positions
"I’ll put myself hypothetically in this position. My partner and I only want each other. We’ve made this abundantly clear to each other. However, if she came to me with desire to open our bedroom and she wanted to sleep with people outside our marriage."
"I would simply express how I vehemently do not an open bedroom and that it would kill any desire I have to want her, be with her, love her, etc. Our couple dynamic has been working well through our ups and downs. Involving some stranger in the ONE thing I find most sacred with my partner is the best way for me to lose any interest or passion for the relationship."
RedFlaim
Farewell
"Break it off, because they definitely already have someone in mind and you telling them no won't change the fact that they were only one step away from following through with it."
Caressticles
Well it feels like a lot of people still believe in one partner, happily ever after. Good for y'all. But big props to these couples who have open and honest conversations about their wants and needs.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
Many of us sometimes fantasize about what we would do to our worst enemies, especially in the moments when they're actively making our lives worse.
While most of us would never actually do any of the things that we contemplate instead of screaming at that super annoying person at the office, we do get pretty creative with the ideas.
Redditor take_me_there_ asked:
"What WOULD you wish on your worst enemy?"
This One Would Hurt
"A conscience. Let her realize the horrific things she’s done."
- Jenny010137
"Seriously. Introspection, self awareness, and empathy are traits that would improve a lot of sh*tty people."
- el_muerte17
"Oh I wish I had thought of this one. If my enemy had a conscience, wow life would be much different."
- Shelbysouth43
No Pearly Whites For You
"I’d like all their teeth to turn really yellow and stay yellow no matter what they do."
- toothfixingfiend
"What did I ever do to you?"
- Spideredd
"I don't even know you! Give me back my enamel!"
- AngryMustache9
Everything You Own Is Orange Now
"Permanent Cheeto fingers. Just orange cheese dust getting on everything."
- cocoapuff1721
"This has to be one of the most evil things I ever heard, yet absolutely hilarious."
-Merk0411
"The Midas Touch: Snack Edition"
- MaryVenetia
Ouch, But Forever
"Stubbing and breaking their toe and right as it’s about to be done healing it happens again over and over for the rest of their pitiful time on this hell we call earth."
- No-Bee-2971
"Sisyphoot"
- Alpha_6
"More of a Toemetheus imo"
- PykeTheDrowned
Self Reflection
"For them to realize how big of an a-hole they are."
- mayhemanaged
"Same for me. The trouble is mine probably knows what a tremendous a-hole he is, and just doesn't care (it's what defines him, is his outlook more than likely), so, give mine a conscience as well, he undeniably lacks one."
- RhoadsOfRock
"a crushing moment of self realization is something that can destroy you mentally. I wish that on them."
- chancetodream
Bury Them Under A Mountain Of Minor Inconveniences
"Always being hungry two hours after eating no matter how large the meal. Slow internet. Traffic jams no matter the location. Self doubt. Allergies. Favorite shows spoiled."
"Nothing major enough to be life altering but constant, low grade inconveniences that wear on your soul every day."
- I_Love_Small_Br**sts
"Every bite of food they eat/drink they drink being slightly the wrong temperature."
"Coffee? Warm but not hot. Cola? Cool, but not cold. Muffin? Ever so slightly frozen."
"Not enough to ruin their life, but just enough to not quite have full enjoyment of anything.."
- HappiHappiHappi
They'll Never Be Able To Use Their Computer Again
"Quick scan with McAfee on their computer."
- halflife_3
"You f**king monster."
- Orion_2kTC
"The constant pop-ups from McAfee is too far."
- _Land_Rover_Series_3
That's A New Level Of Evil
"Bed bugs."
- thrawn1825
"Currently dealing with bed bugs, and I can absolutely confirm this is the kind of thing I would wish upon my worst enemy. It is miserable and painful, and I've tried everything to get rid of them at this point."
"I would easily wish this upon my worst enemy, x10."
- ArbitrarilyStagnant
"Oh hell no, you went there... Hopefully they aren't living in an apartment complex or you've cursed everyone in the building."
- expect_less
Well of course I know him. He’s me.
"$100,000. I sure could use it."
- Sparklesperson
"'It’s no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy'"
- FishyVonFishenHymer
"Lol I thought this was that deep sh*t like 'pray for those you resent to have all the things you want in life….' Then I realized."
- No-Chipmunk9527
Forever Constipated
"That they can never have a satisfying poop. They always feel like they have to go to the bathroom and when they do nothing comes."
- [User Deleted]
"Wow. That's evil. Always feeling the need to pee would be good (as in horrific) too."
- ipakookapi
We definitely don't recommend implementing any of these plans (not that most would actually be possible), but here's some new ideas for the next time you're stuck in a meeting with your most annoying coworker and need a little fantastical escape.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
I grew up poor, and I remember the little things that made me smile when we just happened to have enough that week.
The little things that a truly rich person would not think twice about.
Ah, the luxury of it.
What spells luxury for you?
Redditor ConAir161057 wanted to compare notes about the things in life that feel like items only money can buy. They asked:
"For people who grew up with little money, what always felt like a luxury?"
New clothes. I had so many hand me downs and thrift store clothes... new seemed like a dream.
Anxiety
"After growing up in a home where every unexpected problem was a financial emergency, my idea of wealthy became 'I just want enough money that if something breaks I don't get anxiety about how to deal with it.'"
Obiwan_ca_bl**me
Literature
"Getting to buy something from the scholastic book fair."
Rich*itch3232
"My school, at the end of it a bunch of books were 'donated' and then spread out on a table in the library. We all got to go pick one book. So even if kids didn’t get to purchase a book, in the end they had a chance to still get a book. It’s actually how I got my first Harry Potter book. Was a cool idea for any school staff or parents active in their kids’ schools."
glass_pillow
Christmas
"Getting new clothes at Christmas from relatives. I don't know if that is exactly a luxury or the kind of answer you are looking for, but we never had a lot of money when I was in middle school. I went an entire year wearing the same pants everyday. The funny thing was my parents didn't even buy them for me."
"I got them for Christmas from my Grandparents. All the kids use to give me so much sh*t for wearing the same pants everyday. I always told them that I had 5 of the same pair which made me feel good inside and kind of made them ease off even though I know they didn't believe me."
"I remember I fell on the school bus one day and the jagged floor cut a hole right in the knee cap and the panic that went over me was just insane. It was one of the worst feelings of my whole life because I knew that I didn't have any other pants to wear and that now all of the kids in my school were going to know that I only had 1 pair. Needless to say I could not wait for the last month of school to end."
themagicman_1231
I'm Away
"Summer camp, or basically any school trips that had to be paid for. At my school the kids who couldn't afford to go on trips that happened during school hours still had to come to the school, we just sat in a room and did extra work like it was detention."
Helpful_Yams
"I was lucky. If you taught at the day camp your kid could go for free. That was just day camp though not sleepaway camp. My mom found a camp teacher who had no kids of his own and he signed me up as his kid so I could get free day camp. Did that all through elementary school."
randtcouple
Big Deals
"Going out for pizza was a big deal. Those free mini pizzas for reading books were huge."
Shroom4Yoshi
Food is always an issue when you're broke.
Damage
"Being able to turn on the heat in the cold and pay a professional to fix damaged appliances, plumbing, and other issues."
Liggettef
Spoiled
"When my grandma would come pick me up and spoil me. My parents didn't have much money and were addicts so when my grandma would come get me I would come back with new clothes, video games, toys, etc. I used to think my grandma was rich but she actually just had a stable income."
nawlepen
"I was in this position when I was younger. I always thought my grandma had SO much money… but all she did was go to work everyday. Always made sure I had clothes and all my school supplies. I miss her pretty bad."
Keywork29
Water
"I am from a small island in the Pacific. While I mostly still take cold showers, I have always felt that a hot shower is the finest luxury one can experience. I had my first hot shower when I was 22 years old and I can never forget it."
FSMPIO
"This is the kind of luxury I think people take for granted, I always avoided showers in the winter as a kid since most of the time they where cold showers and the temperature here was around 12c° during those times."
PowerfullDio
Showerware
"Towels. Honestly, I was almost 10 When I realized people didn’t just put back on their dirty clothes after a shower because my family was so large (12 kids total including myself) and extremely poor. I thought towels were just for hotels or were maybe a prop on television. I went to a friends house and she asked for my help folding her towels. I remember laughing and thinking she must be rich."
"Long story short, I wasn’t sure which way to fold the towels, and begged my mom to buy them after I revealed that my friend, Simone, had them. She bought a box of used ones from a local auction and I walked around with them on my head feeling like a frigging empress after that, even though—-let’s be clear… these were second hand towels!"
shakezula1025
Or BK...
"Grew up poor and when I was a kid I used to think you were rich if you had a dishwasher and a millionaire if you had one of those refrigerators that have a button for ice. McDonalds was also a luxury, a couple times a year on our birthdays."
chinderellab*tch
Everyone should have access to all of these things. Why is life unfair?
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.