People Break Down Which Things They Were Told They'd Grow Out Of But Never Did
Reddit user LeRuseRenard asked: 'What's something you were told you would grow out of but never did?'
As we get older, our tastes in a variety of things change as we are exposed to new things.
But sometimes, nostalgia brings us back to appreciating what we once let go.
For instance in terms of fashion, what we initially thought made us look cool and flashy may no longer serve us in our wisened years.
The retro appeal of, say, stone-washed jeans, may be trending and inspire us to reclaim the look.
But there are other things in life besides trends that also stick with us whether we like it or not, and those stubborn instances is a huge bummer.
Curious to hear more examples of things people really haven't moved on from, Redditor LeRuseRenard asked:
"What's something you were told you would grow out of but never did?"
Let's get physical.
Facial Attack
"Acne."
– blewis222
"Had a guy at the office that was late-60s with acne. I asked him about it when we got closer. I hit him with all the typical sh*t; do you use a face cleanser, moisturizer, shower regularly, change your sheets/pillowcases. He said he used to do that and realized that it never goes away except for when he's stress free. I just said 'ahhhh, f'k.' Then I got out of the Air Force and holy d*ck balls, he was right. Low/no stress is such clear skin that I now use acne as my gauge for stepping back from work and that it's time for a vacation."
– UHaveASh*tTake
Growth Sputter
"Being short."
– EVEREADY_HARTON1927
"I'm a guy who topped out at 5' 5.5" (that point five was important to me for some reason). Now that I'm into my 7th decade, life and gravity seem to have beaten me down to 5'4". Maybe 5'4.5" on a good day with a full moon providing slight relief from gravity."
– Draano
Delayed Diagnosis
"At 15, I was told the pain in my joints was from 'growing pains' when X-rays didn't show anything - nope, I had already stopped growing taller at 10, and the pain was a genetic soft tissue disorder that took until my mid-20s to properly diagnose and manage."
– GreenePony
Just because we enjoyed these as kids doesn't mean they stayed in our toy boxes.
80s Vibe
"Video games and metal music."
– Bobisburnsred
I’m a toddler mom. We jammed out to Sabaton and Delain driving home from Kid Activity yesterday."
– UnihornWhale
Once A Gamer...
"I game more than my kids. I'm a mom, mid 50's with no plan to stop. It's been a great year with Jedi Survivor and Zelda. I'm looking forward to the new Spider-Man one too."
– wylietrix
Forever Anime
"Cartoons."
– _eviehalboro
"Cartoons have somehow been always associated to children by some people. Which has lead to some really funny situations, such as seeing parents with their no more than 10 year old children going to the movies to watch... South Park. Boy, did they leave fast..."
– ThreepwoodGuybrush80
Escapism Literature
"Fantasy novels. Some of them are written for adults."
– TheBookMonkey
"Came here to see if anyone mentioned this. If you love them–you love them for life! My frustration is that 'adult' usually means twenty-something, occasionally 30. I’m 50…and there just aren’t a lot of lead characters to relate to anymore."
– Gottagettagoat
There are inclinations and behavioral traits that don't just disappear with age as these Redditors have discovered.
Deeper Than Shyness
"My aversion to most social events."
– _fancypansy
"Yeah. Somehow, even as a kid, I knew that puberty wasn't going to make me enjoy these events more."
– OP
"Social anxiety, it only got worse."
– prawie_seler
Stigma Of Being An Introvert
"The best thing about 'growing up' is realizing that some people, lots of people, don't do well at big social events and there's nothing wrong with that."
"It's okay to not go, or to say hello and leave after 1/2 hour. Forcing yourself to stay for hours because others are having fun and you don't want to leave early is pointless. Let them have fun. Say goodbye to the host, or better yet, tell then beforehand that you'll be leaving early. I used to stay hours longer than I wanted to because I didn't know about the Irish Exit."
"And btw, don't try to explain it to someone who doesn't get it. If they're pushy about it, ask for respect and don't defend yourself. There's nothing wrong with you. Or me."
"Now figuring out how to decline a damn wedding invite. Ugh"
– eekamuse
It's Not Just For Kids
"My parents literally think I’ve outgrown ADHD because 'adults can’t have it' 💀"
– Personal_plankton_35
"Oh damn. When really ur just coping and constantly on the cusp of things falling apart."
– Terrynia
What Are U Waiting 4?
"procrastination."
– extraboldscowsj28
"Does anyone really outgrow procrastination? You can conquer it with a lot of work and effort but you don't naturally outgrow it."
– OP
My love for Disney as a kid was never a phase.
My passion for the classic Disney animated films and Disneyland took root when I was 2. Since then, I've worked for the company in various roles from theme parks to Broadway, further cementing my appreciation for that Disney magic.
You might say I have the Peter Pan syndrome and never grew up.
Being an extrovert/closeted introvert at a young age, going to Disneyland was my escape from reality and where I really came to life.
That feeling is just something you can never grow out of, nurturing that notion of being young at heart.
So you can imagine my anguish when I discovered my mom threw out my vintage Disney records when I was in middle school thinking I'd outgrow them.
That was painful.
Too many of us were told to grow up or that it would be wrong to continue to enjoy the things that made our childhoods worth remembering.
But now as adults, some have figured out that there's nothing wrong with enjoying a nice bowl of sugary cereal while watching those Saturday morning cartoons. Quite frankly, it feeds the soul.
Redditor iStoleurvalor asked:
"What is 'for kids' that you continue to thoroughly enjoy as an adult?"
Outdoor Playtime
"Playgrounds in general. Since becoming a dad, I can bring my kids to the playground and have fun with them on the slides, swings, monkey bars; most things."
"I wish there were public/free adult-sized playgrounds. It'd probably encourage us to get out a lot more. It feels like everything geared for adults nowadays charges admission, and it's not cheap."
- densetsu23
The All-Fours Climb
"Going up the stairs on all fours will always be fun."
- Curious-Kaylee
"I’m a huge advocate for climbing stairs on all fours, but I’m now imagining how horrifying it would be to see that in a public setting, lol (laughing out loud)."
- metallic_buttcheeks
"'LOOK OUT, KIDS! SHE'S COMING!'"
"*kids screaming*"
- KeepCalmSayRightOn
"I need to try this. But the only steps I regularly take are at work, lol (laughing out loud)."
- tittilizing
"I race up the stairs at work on all fours to assert dominance."
- JoshPlaysUltimate
Animated Movies as an Art Form
"Animated movies in general. I can still enjoy them. When I've had a rough day or if I'm just feeling down, I can put on something wholesome, funny, or nostalgic and it makes me feel better."
- catching_signals
"'Emperor's New Groove' is my favorite feel-good movie."
- Compulsive-Gremlin
Sticker Collections
"STICKERSSSSS."
- ObviouslyKatie
"F**K YES."
"Never enough stickers. I had a s**tty childhood (like most of us) but stickers always made me happy, especially the fuzzy ones. Suddenly understanding why I'm still bonkers for stickers."
- limeporcupine
Gotta Catch 'Em All
"Pokemon. Started with Red when I was five and haven't stopped since. Doubt I ever will. If anything, my enjoyment of Pokemon is becoming more childlike."
- The_Prezzy
In Cracker Form
"Goldfish. It's hard to resist when my niece is having them for a snack. I make a big show about me being a shark and eating them just so I can have some."
- Drew-
"I really thought you meant actual fish at first..."
Travelerofhighland86
"Fish are friends, not food."
- Phoneking13
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Of course, it isn't solely for kids, as he made each episode with a mind towards parents watching them with their children, but he's so wholesome and kind, so deliberate and thoughtful with everything that he put on the show."
- Puddnhead_Wilson
"I’d never watched it before and my husband wanted to watch the Tom Hanks movie. But he wanted me to see the real Mister Rogers first. So there we sat, two adults over 30, watching episodes of Mister Rogers. And I loved it!"
- Ankylowright
Favorite Stuffies
"I remember a Reddit post from several years ago where this guy who was in the army or Marines or whatever gushed about his plush Magicarp. He even sent a picture of the Magicarp next to an automatic rifle."
- Mind101
"I'm almost 40 and not ashamed to say I still have my teddy bear, Wally, my mom made when I was two. His arms are lopsided, his ears are wonky, and he is made from upholstery fabric from a 70s couch cushion, but I love that dude."
"I did eight years in two branches of the Marines and Army and did three deployments, and you bet Wally was with me. Either stuffed in a pack or seabag, but he was there because I needed him."
- Jaymakk13
Gotta Love Disney
"Disney animated movies."
"I am a big, mean-looking 40-year-old man. I drove to work listening to the soundtrack to 'Moana.'"
- mkicon
"Second big, mean-looking 40-year-old man here. I may or may not have sobbed on my way to work while kind of singing the soundtrack to 'Encanto' this morning through my tears."
"I'm with you, bro."
- SHABDICE
Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea?
"Not me, but my 55-year-old dad still loves SpongeBob. He'll wake up on a Saturday morning and have his juice and breakfast while watching Spongebob."
- Hwetapple
"Dude, same. Almost every time I go over there, he's always watching SpongeBob. He recently found out he gets Boomerang on his Roku, so he's just been watching 'Tom & Jerry' and 'Loony Toons.'"
"I also love those cartoons so I'm definitely not talking s**t."
- Theren_Alister_XIII
Chocolate Milk, For Sure
"Chocolate Milk."
- Toy_Guy_in_MO
"Who says chocolate milk is only for kids?"
- transformers03
"Ice cold chocolate milk is amazing."
- SigridBaginnses
Skipping Down the Sidewalk
"Skipping. If you haven't skipped in a while, do it. You'll realize how much faster it is than walking, and how much more ground you cover."
- trx0x
Coloring
"Coloring."
"Not with craft paper and high-end pencils adult coloring, either."
"Nope. With a 'Moana' coloring book and the 64-count Crayola box."
- TheSquishyPaleDuke
They'll Never Go Out of Style
"I cannot stop making summer camp-style knotted friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss."
"It keeps my hands busy while I'm working/watching TV/traveling and I don't get sucked into my phone."
"Now I just leave piles of bracelets everywhere."
- andtheIToldYouSos
Breakfast of Champions
"Breakfast cereals... all of the fruity, sugar-filled candy-like cereals. It is totally my weekend treat. Nothing during the week."
"Fruity pebbles (Dino bites now. Post changed the recipe a while back) is totally my jam. Who doesn't like destroying the roof of their mouth on some Cap'n crunch?"
- hammerraptor
These are great reminders of some of the good things we had in our childhood, but it's an even more important lesson that there's no harm in doing something for our inner child every once in a while, maybe even every day.
Whether it's a favorite food or a favorite brand, we all have brands and styles that we prefer above others.
And while it may not be the worst thing to ever happen to us, it can be a real bummer when a favorite item is discontinued.
Redditor Seraphicly329 asked:
"What was discontinued, but you miss like h**l and you wish would come back?"
False Advertisements
"I miss the days when TV stations were about what they claimed to be about..."
"MTV, History Channel, Discovery Channel, Science Channel, TLC (The Learning Channel), AMC (American Movie Classics), ABC Family Channel, A&E..."
- varthalon
"Video killed the radio star."
"Nope, bottom lines killed the video star."
- doublestop
One-Dollar Menus
"The $1 menu at every fast food joint."
- king_nut69420
"S**t, I remember when hamburgers at Mcdonald's were 39 cents (I think it was Tuesdays) and Cheeseburgers were 49 cents."
"We were treated on those days and felt like we ate like kings. It wasn't until later I realized 'those treat days' were specific because my parents were broke."
- Gr8NonSequitur
Those Were Something Else
"Pizza Hut lunch buffets."
- 23andm3
"I must be old because I used to get together with my friends at Pizza Hut. A waitress would take your order, bring your drinks, then bring your food, and then you could play a Ms. PacMan game built into a table."
"That was the only pizza place we never started a food fight in because we didn't want to get banned for life again like we did at the other ones."
- Hagsnot
The Original Levi's Jeans
"Not discontinued, but Levi’s definitely changed how they made their jeans. They just don’t fit the same, and the materials feel very different."
- Kozak515
"Cone Mills White Oak mill, where they sourced their denim for the 501s for over 100 years, shut down in 2019."
"Levis will never be the same. White Oak denim was the gold standard for a long time."
"Before that, they were sourcing denim offshore for other models and had moved to manufacture offshore many years before."
- gnomz
"You can still get the good stuff; but, you're going to pay..."
- Friendship_Fries
The Best Arcades
"Aladdin's Castle. It was an arcade in the local mall. I was heartbroken when they closed that place down. So many good memories as a kid in that place."
- cromaden
The Soup and Salad
"We used to have a chain of restaurants called Souper Salad. It was just a salad bar with three options of soup, but it was cheap and all you could eat. I took it for granted back then, and now I miss it so much."
- Gin_N_Soda
'90s Kids Know
"90's Nickelodeon. 'Legends of the Hidden Temple,' 'Are You Afraid of the Dark,' 'Double Dare,' 'Pete & Pete.' Etc."
- Andibular
"I grew up on SNICK. I can hear the 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark' theme song in my head now."
"I had my first life-changing experience as a little kid at Nickelodeon Studios. We managed to get into the studio audience for a taping of 'Roundhouse,' and Melissa Joan Hart was two rows in front of me in-between tapings of 'Clarissa Explains It All.' I spent the entire three hours, just looking more at the back of her head instead of the actual taping of the show."
"My f**ked up nine-year-old self awkwardly walked up to her after the show since I was resolved to tell her I had a crush on her. Not sure what I was expecting to happen. I got as far as walking up to her, staring awkwardly, and then turning around and going back to my mom."
"Nope, still can’t laugh about it."
- Donkey__Balls
All the Closet Staples
"All my favorite tops that ever wore out. The fashion train just moves on regardless, you can never go back and just purchase the same awesome undyed linen blouse with the frog closures and Chinese collar. You have to start all over again no matter how much you hate shopping because walking around naked isn't an option."
- willingisnotenough
Favorite Snacks
"Jello Brand pudding pops. There is nothing else like it in the market, and anything that I have found doesn't taste the same. I just want my pudding pops back, dangit."
- RarScaryFrosty
Those Five-Dollar Menu Items
"Five-dollar, Five-dollar footlongs."
- Redictate
"Also the time of Arby's and Taco Bell's '5 for 5."
- JustaRandomOldGuy
The Best Hi-C
"Ecto Cooler. When it came back temporarily a few years ago, I got some but figured it would be crappy like most nostalgia-bait food and drink. It was glorious. So d**n tasty."
- KingLaerus
"It's unironically the best Hi-C and I am blown away that it wasn't brought back again for Afterlife's release."
- SteveRudzinski
We All Remember
"The Blue Raspberry Sour Skittle. They act like it never existed, but I know better."
- Chaosfreeze990
Media Libraries
"Physical items for music, video games, movies, etc. (this isn't actually discontinued yet but with the current trend it wouldn't surprise me if everything just moves completely to streaming in ~10 years)"
"Too many things are moving to digital where you don't actually own anything. All you have is a license to use the digital media. The last time I bought a physical game disc, the only thing it did was install Origin on my computer and provide a license key to download the game. My current car has built-in Spotify instead of a CD player."
"Maybe I'm becoming an old man ranting about change, but I'm concerned about how everything's become a monthly subscription service where the companies control what you have access to and can remove things whenever they want."
- Phantom_Ganon
Oh, Those Snack Wraps
"McDonald’s snack wraps."
- spookyvampireparty
"And accompanying this, the Chicken Selects and the specialty sauces made 'just' for them, especially the Chipotle BBQ sauce. It was seriously some of the best BBQ sauce I've ever had. Smoky and quite spicy for something from McDonald's. It lasted, like, 10 years, then just poof, they decided to get rid of all of it. B**tards."
- Falco98
So Practical
"iPod or any audio player that’s small, portable, and works offline."
- rando552
From snacks to TV shows to favorite places to visit, these responses brought back some wonderful memories, especially for those who grew up in the '80s and '90s.
Like anything else, it's so easy to take advantage of something while we have it, only to miss it terribly when it's gone.
People Explain Which Things They Thought Were Normal As A Kid And Later Realized Were F**ked Up
We are so innocent as children.
Innocent or gullible?
I think when we're young, we tend only to see only the good.
Because that's what instinctually we gravitate towards.
But it's a sad fact to learn later that the good is darker than we realize.
Not everything in childhood is a happy, innocent memory, no matter how badly our parents want to frame it.
The folks on Reddit can certainly attest to that!
Redditor True_Customer_8913 wanted to hear about all the things we saw in a new light once we grew up, so they asked:
"What’s was normal to you as a kid but you later realized how f**ked up it actually was?"
Double Agent
Comedy Say What GIF by BrownSugarAppGiphy"During the divorce they would try to get information about each other and say the other one was bad for me."
nasandre
"That happened to me too! Once had a judge tell 11-year-old me that my parents were one of the most immature cases he had dealt with, because they were more focused on making each other’s lives difficult than being parents."
TJ_Augustine
In Private
"My father was nice and friendly out in public but was an absolute a**hole to the family at home..."
"Me witnessing my dad being really friendly to everyone in public and then being an absolute raging a**hole at home made me just think 'well I guess everyone is just two-faced and using each other.'"
"All those movies about love are just lies and fantasies, if you're not using someone then what use are they to you? Obviously he doesn't get to use us at home so we aren't useful so we don't get treated well"
"Btw No he wasn't an alcoholic, he wouldn't even allow alcohol in the house because so many people in our family were alcoholics."
MysticalMagicalMilk
Not Funny
"My mom's boyfriend would pick me up by my hair sometimes. It didn't hurt a s**t ton so I never complained, which in turn made him keep doing it. My hair was always in a ponytail so it was easy to grab and do. I told a coworker about it and laughed because it wasn't a terrible memory. But he didn't laugh like I did."
"It was more of a nervous laugh then he says 'that's actually pretty f**ked up.' Then I started to think about all the stuff I actually do remember from my childhood and realized how shi**y it really was. I have two kids and it was never a thought to ever pick them up by their hair."
BUFUByUsF**kYou
Signs
"When I was 7, I came to the realization that if I showed any signs that I was in a good mood around my mother, she would find some reason to yell at me. Even started testing it, would walk into rooms she was in smiling vs not and proved my theory right, so I just stopped smiling, and it didn't take much longer for it to stop being an act."
LegendaryMuffins
In the Garden
"I live in England and my uncle's neighbor had a pet monkey living in a big enclosure in his garden. This was in the early 2000s. I assumed this was totally normal. No idea how he got it. We still know those neighbors and it's just never discussed."
BassEvers
When in England... stay out of trouble.
Be Free
Arrested Development Crying GIF by HULUGiphy"Not being allowed to feel or express any type anger or sadness."
Exotic-Counter5112
"Unless someone died it was, 'I don't want to hear it. Go to your room, close the door, and bury your face in a pillow until you're done,' or the worse, 'I'll give you something to cry about' followed by whooping."
BigDamnHead
Bye Mike
"Having no food in the house and little to no adult supervision while random men come and go from my mothers room."
"I'm legit impressed I nor my younger brother ended up taken or worse. It was kind of miserable, in hindsight, because some of these guys would come back with some fast food for us and hang out for a bit talking or playing video games. Magic Mike was super cool and I still miss him. :( "
Donequis
Sorry
"Thought it was normal to constantly apologize over even the slightest little f**k-up so I don't get screamed at. I still have this problem today."
CagedKage
"Not me, but my wife. I used to just reassure her that she didn't have to apologize for everything, but that didn't help her to distinguish when it was appropriate or not. Now, when she says 'sorry,' I ask what she's apologizing for, and it seems to help her a little. That being said, she apologized last night when the dog tripped me."
I_used_to_be_hip
Ouch
It Hurts Sal Vulcano GIF by truTV’s Impractical JokersGiphy"I remember my sister had this fake belly button ring she showed my dad. He immediately ripped it out which was quite painful. I asked if he even knew if it was fake and he didn’t. He thought it was real and did that."
Intelligent_Bug6515
Rages
"Parents having blackout rages. Sometimes, I was a brat. Other times, I had done nothing wrong. I just remember being made to feel like a worthless loser, screamed at, and manipulated. Then the next day, they would say 'Sorry sorry sorry' This happened a lot. Eventually, the sorries mean nothing and you begin to feel actually worthless."
DistractedDreaming
Oh how the times do change. We're glad folks made it out of most of these situations!
Do you have anything to get off your chest? Let us know in the comments.
Going back in time is a concept that we've all entertained at some point, often to make the living situation better for ourselves or soemone we love.
But there are so many other reasons that someone would want to go back in time.
Redditor ishouldwriterightnow asked:
"If you could go back in time for a day to witness a historic event, which would you choose?"
A Day Out with Dad
"I would go back to Monday the fifth of August in 1996 to spend a day with my father. He passed on the seventh of August that week."
"I want a day with him to ask questions, get a hug, and to express my appreciation of him."
"He was my best friend and was the only person who seemed to understand me and respect me."
- Trying_To_Adult_101
To See Freddie Mercury at Live Aid
"To see Queen at Live Aid in 1985."
"From the footage, you can tell it was an amazing event, but to be there and experience it, it must have been something else."
- Duldain92
To See Freddie Mercury Perform... Anywhere
"Queen 1985 Live Aid. Freddie died before I was even born, so even if I could just see him perform live anywhere, anytime would be such a dream come true."
- JakobiiKenobii
The Pre-Divorce Years
"My biological parent's wedding."
"It would be so interesting to see a couple I've only known as being divorced instead being in love."
"They shouldn't be together, but it would be fascinating to see the emotions behind where my brother and I came from."
- sassyphrass
Feeling Religious
"The Crucifixion of Jesus. I am not Christian or Religious. I am just curious about a man that changed the world. Or maybe the Resurrection day would be better. Did he really come back? How many 'witnesses' were actually there?"
"During Orientation week at a Catholic University, they asked if you could have dinner with anyone living or dead who would it be? I said Jesus and everyone was so impressed and thinking, 'I should have said that,' But, As an atheist at a Catholic University, I had a very different agenda."
- GenXDGAF
The Designated Driver
"This isn't historic for anyone but my family. October 27, 2018. I was in Colorado 'celebrating' Halloween. My younger siblings in Texas were at a party."
"One of my sisters, 15, left the party with an older boy, both drunk. The older boy was driving, and he ran off the road and hit a tree. The older boy broke his back but lived. My sister died instantly."
"I'd go back in time, stay sober, park down the road, and wait for my siblings to need a ride and drive them home."
- butterfly_burps
Seeing Extinct Animals
"I'd love to see a dodo. A one-meter tall ground-dwelling pigeon that has no fear of humans."
"As long as it doesn't peck me or try and sit on my shoulder or something."
- ThePhoenixBird2022
JFK Assassination
"Just imagine: You’re there. You find a spot to get you a clear vantage point. The motorcade approaches… he’s nearing the location… And…"
"Nothing."
"They drive by. Nothing happened."
"You turn around and notice a person behind you, shuffling through a bush. Hurriedly packing a long, dark, narrow object (a rifle, maybe?) into a case."
"You were blocking his line of sight."
- alphaomega0669
Revenge Fantasy
"January 13th, 2007."
"I'll be on the patio outside my kitchen in Brussels."
"I will find out, once and for all, if she actually locked the door when we left for Rome as she claims. To see if that burglar chose our apartment out of all the others to use their lock-picking skills to enter and steal all my CDs."
"Or she didn't and a burglar who tries to see if doors are locked or not found ours."
- cote112
Regret Stings
"There are a few times that I need to shout at myself. Does that count?"
- ReleaseTheBeeees
Jack the Ripper
"Whitechapel 1888. Finally see who Jack the Ripper was."
"It was definitely just some guy. I'm not in the way of thinking it was anybody famous or high status as some conspiracies suggest, but I'd still like to know."
- nomiselrease
A Trip to Egypt
"The building of the Pyramids."
- EssexEnglishman
The 9th Symphony
"The premier of Beethoven’s 9th symphony in Vienna."
- Ghost-Lumos
"Welcome to..."
"I would love to see and hear dinosaurs roaming around our land."
- rci_ancilla
Time travel continues to be a favorite theme in science fiction books and films for a reason, and there seems to be an endless supply of moments, people, and animals that Redditors would love to go back and see, and for good reason.