Transformed People Reveal The One Seemingly Inconsequential Thing That Changed Their Lives
Transformed People Reveal The One Seemingly Inconsequential Thing That Changed Their Lives
[rebelmouse-image 18361518 is_animated_gif=Picking the wrong garbage cost me an eyeball.
Got your attention do I? Most people think of life-changing decisions as incredibly important. If something is going to change your whole life, you'd kind of want to put some thought into it, right? The truth is, we make decisions that could change our whole lives all day every day, and we don't even think about it. The smallest, most unimportant, thing could change the whole game for you. I'm proof.
Imagine this, you're doing arts and crafts with your kid and need to throw some scraps away. You don't want that glitter all over your kitchen, so you walk to the outdoor trash can to throw the scraps away. So far so good, right? Who hasn't taken things straight to an outside trash? Pretty much every parent has.
Because I chose that trash can, there was room for one single small piece of glitter to come blowing back out. Because I chose that trash can, there was plant matter in the air. Because I chose that trash can, the glitter was contaminated by that plant matter when it hit my eye. By the time treatments were over, I had lost my hair, had chemical burns across my face, and no longer had a left eyeball. The doctors weren't able to save the eye because the plant matter, essentially, made it mold from the inside out.
I lost my hair, my eye and half of my vision. I racked up the kind of medical bills you never pay off. I had to relearn life all over again with no depth perception (years later, I still miss most things the first time I try to grab them). Then I ended up accidentally internet famous when a fake story about it went viral. Out of that, I ended up with a really cool job (see? it's not all bad!)
All because of which garbage can I chose.
One Reddit user asked:
How was your life shaped by a small, seemingly inconsequential event?
And of course I was in there SO FAST. These are my people! Other people whose whole world shifted over something little like this? Yes, please. Here are 20 of my favorite responses.
A Generous Pastor With A Love Of Music
[rebelmouse-image 18361519 is_animated_gif=When I was a kid, the pastor of my parents' church happened to hear me practicing Bach on the piano.
He asked if I'd like to try the pipe organ - something that had always fascinated me. I took to it like a duck to water, even though my feet could barely reach the pedals. Right then and there - knowing my parents couldn't afford it - he offered to pay for my complete music education in preparation for college. I learned organ, piano, theory, keyboard harmony, ear training and so much more.
I now have a career in in music.
All he asked in return was for me to substitute for the church organist when he was on vacation or away - something I was honored to do.
Tea Time
[rebelmouse-image 18361520 is_animated_gif=My first week of freshman year I lived in a co-ed dorm with a bunch of other engineering students. I was trying to be inclusive and get to know people. We had an open door policy, so I walked down the hall asking people if they want to make tea with me in the communal kitchen.
One guy playing Minecraft randomly said yes. I don't even think he was paying attention to what I asked him, but he rolled with it. Three years later he's my boyfriend and best friend and we're having a blast together.
Sure You Can Watch
[rebelmouse-image 18361521 is_animated_gif=Back in 1988 I went to the grocery store with my mom. The volunteer fire department happened to be doing a demonstration in the parking lot. My mom let me stay and watch.
30 years later I'm a firefighter/Paramedic and have been involved in emergency services since I was 12.
Party Crasher
[rebelmouse-image 18361522 is_animated_gif=A friend & I planned to have a girls night out dinner. One of her friends happened to be visiting on military leave and she invited him to crash girls night out without asking me. I was pretty annoyed at both of them the whole night.
I ended up marrying him 6 years later. You really never know who you'll meet and when..
Biological Father
[rebelmouse-image 18361523 is_animated_gif=I had just given birth to my first born and called my adoptive father to tell him he was a grandfather for the first time.
We had a very poor relationship and he was a huge alcoholic. He lived hundreds of miles away, so letting him know seemed harmless. It was 10 am when I called, he was already drunk. When I told him, he coldly responded:
"You should call your biological father."
I'd never met him, but I knew his name. That comment stuck with me and three days later, I found my biological father on the internet. I called the number listed.
I remember the conversation.
"Where you married to (my moms name) in 1967?"
"Yes."
"Well I wanted to let you know, I'm your daughter and three days ago, you became a grandfather."
He was quiet (not surprising) and I gave him my web site so he could see pictures of me and the baby. They didn't even have internet so he went to a friend's house. He called back an hour later and said:
**"How would you feel if we took a little drive up to see you?" **
He and his wife drove hundreds of miles to visit.
That was 20+ years ago. I now know the whole story. He and his wife moved up here shortly after #2 was born. His wife and my mom are good friends. We see them almost every weekend. My kids are their only grandchildren and pretty much are the light of their life.
Never thought that phone call would change my life.
Thanks For Hitting Me With Your Car
[rebelmouse-image 18361524 is_animated_gif=When I was 17 I left school with no degree, no money and no idea what to do with my life. My dad managed to get me job in retail and on my way to work my first day I got hit by a car.
The manager gave my position to someone else. With literally nothing left to do I decided to go back to school. That was about 7 years ago.
I finished school with honors, went to university, got my bachelors degree in electrical engineering - something everyone told me was impossible for me. Now I work as an engineer making more money in my first year of work than I ever did in my entire life.
Sometimes I think about tracking the guy down who hit me with his car to thank him.
Dave And Dad
[rebelmouse-image 18361525 is_animated_gif=Jr year of high school I was hanging out at my friend Marc's locker, like we all usually did. Another friend, Dave, was trying to convince Marc to join a club called "Junior Achievement" at their first meeting later that night. It's a 'young business leaders' sort of extracurricular club. When I asked what they're talking about, Dave suggested I should give it a try as well.
Later that night, my parents were late getting home from my some event, so I figured it was too late for them to give me a ride to this Junior Achievement thing. I was ready to write the whole meeting off and just skip it! But when my dad walked in the door and I reminded him, he hurried me out to the car so we could go.
I was in the club both junior and senior year of high school with my friends.
The club offered an annual full tuition scholarship to a local private university. A top tier school, but one I was not considering. Marc, Dave and our other senior year friends already had their college careers planned out, so they convinced me to apply for the scholarship.
I won the scholarship and got a nearly free ride into that university. That was amazing, because I wasn't accepted at any of the other colleges I was initially interested in.
So I owe my entire college career, all the friends I made there and probably my current job to Dave bugging us about a club and my dad deciding to keep his word and drive me even though he was tired.
A Dollar From A Stranger
[rebelmouse-image 18361526 is_animated_gif=When I was a kid we didn't have a lot of money, so we often shopped at thrift stores. What I loved about that was that you could get 10 books for a dollar, so I would plant myself in front of the book section and make piles of which one I wanted to get and then decided after I'd gone through them all.
One day an older lady saw me sitting with my piles and asked if I liked to read. I told her I did and showed her a few of the books I found that I liked. She smiled and then pulled a dollar out of her purse, handed it to me and said, "Promise me that you'll keep reading." I was so happy and immediately stood up and said that I would. She smiled and walked away and I went back to my piles able to pick out an extra 10 books to take home.
It was just a small act of kindness for her, but for me having a random stranger encourage my love of reading and making me promise to never stop definitely had a lot to do with my continued love of reading. This was over 20 years ago, but I still think of her whenever I buy a new book.
Too Lazy To Drive
[rebelmouse-image 18361527 is_animated_gif=I didn't go to my baby cousin's 4th birthday party. It was just really small with family and ice cream and I was feeling too lazy to drive close to two hours. He ended up passing away shortly thereafter.
I don't miss anything family now. I've actually gotten really close to my extended family because I won't miss anything anymore. If you're family, I'm there.
Join In
[rebelmouse-image 18361528 is_animated_gif=I was struggling in 3rd year of my engineering degree because I never learned how to study. One day I walk by one of the study rooms and see some people from my class I didn't know, finishing an assignment due the next day that I hadn't started yet.
I asked them, kind of as a joke, if I could join in. They agreed.
Turns out they studied in group sessions and had all of the old tests and assignments from every class we took. My GPA shaped up quickly, I learned how to study, and I finally had people to eat and hang out with.
They are the only people I have maintained contact with 1 year after graduation.
Select Server
[rebelmouse-image 18361528 is_animated_gif=There was massive drama in my guild in World of Warcraft. Although it didn't have anything to do with me, it was making the guild atmosphere toxic. One evening, I logged in, clicked Select Server, and randomly choose a new server.
On the new server, I met my partner. Because of her, I moved to a different country, was able to get my Master's degree, and the move literally saved my life.
For 10 years, I had been going to the doctor with various ailments. I was always told I was just stressed out. Turns out it was actually my thyroid causing an irregularity in my heartbeat. Left untreated for much longer it would have killed me.
Married Because Of The Mail
[rebelmouse-image 18361529 is_animated_gif=During my junior year of high school, I received a well-crafted mailer advertising an engineering summer camp at a college I'd never heard of in a different state. My mother really liked the mailer, so my parents sent me to engineering camp that summer. On the first day of camp, I arrived late to the orientation and sat on the only available seat. The guy I sat next to fell in love with me instantly. We started dating at camp, then the next year, we both went to that college so we could be together. 4 years after that, we both graduated with engineering degrees and got married.
If my mother hadn't liked that mailer, I wouldn't have met my husband, I wouldn't have gone to that school, and I probably would have had a different major as well. Also, if I hadn't sat down next to him at orientation, we probably wouldn't have started dating. Pretty wild.
OK Cupid
[rebelmouse-image 18361530 is_animated_gif=I had always thought I was 6'3" until I went to a prison museum with an ex. I stood by the wall and only came up to 6'2". When ex and I broke up, I reactivated my OK Cupid profile and updated the height...
My current girlfriend had her max height set to 6'2". I wouldn't have even shown up for her had I not changed it. Fortunately I did, and we've been dating for a year and a half now.
Shortcut
[rebelmouse-image 18361532 is_animated_gif=My husband and I "re-met" 3 years after high school. I was in the neighborhood and drove down a street to take a shortcut. He was outside his parents' house washing his dad's car. I stopped to say what's up.
We will be married for 22 years next month! Best driving shortcut I ever took, ha!
Travel Arrangements
[rebelmouse-image 18361533 is_animated_gif=A friend from school was having an engagement party. I'd moved several hours drive away since high school and was having car trouble, so I wasn't sure I could make it.
My friend gave me the name of one other person living in my new town who was also invited, a friend of her future husband. I got in contact with this guy and introduced myself, then asked if he was planning to go to the party and wanted to split the travel costs. Unfortunately he wasn't able to make it to the party either because of work commitments.
Tracking him down still turned out to be worthwhile though. Next year will be our 20th anniversary together.
Online Robbery
[rebelmouse-image 18361534 is_animated_gif=Back in 2011, I was playing a text-based game online. I got a notification that another player had tried to "break into" my game apartment. I messaged that player with a cheesy joke about how next time they can just ring the doorbell.
We got married and we are now in the (painfully slow) process of my wife moving 11,500 miles away from home to come live with me.
Had she never tried (and failed) to rob me online in the first place we never would have been where we are. Had I never had this sense of humor that urged me to message her, we never would have been where we are.
Heathen Adventures
[rebelmouse-image 18361535 is_animated_gif=At age 15, I was forced to hang out with a family member on a vacation I didn't want to be on. We ended up going to the zoo. I didn't feel like walking around with them, so I decided to hang out by the chimps. I ended up seeing one of them make a face of what appeared to be laughter and was surprised at how human-like it was. I went home, did some research, and stumbled upon the discipline of anthropology, which turned out to be one of my greatest passions.
Soon after, I denounced my old religion, and became a proponent of evolution, causing an enormous rift in my family life and sending me on a path of "heathen" adventures.
Cheap Shoes
[rebelmouse-image 18361536 is_animated_gif=Freshman year of college, I decided to hike the John Muir trail with my dad and a friend. This trail takes weeks to trek, so e spent months getting ready, prepping gear, physically training, etc. This was a huge thing to prep for. My dad hurt his knee and had to bail out. I was really disappointed, but was going to finish with my friend.
My friends shoes began to fall apart 40 miles in and he needed to quit. This wasn't a trip I wanted to do alone, so I begrudgingly left the trail with them.
When I got home, there was an email from my professor asking for people to work as TAs and to respond by that Friday if you were interested. I respond, and he's delighted to have me.
Worked as a TA and his only grader for two years until he retired. Before he retired, he wrote me a glowing letter of recommendation, which I attached to applications when applying to internships. I got an interview, despite my below target GPA, the interviewer for one particular oil company explained, because of my TA experience and the letter of recommendation. I end up getting an internship at that oil company, and eventually a full time job after graduation. Several years later, the company transfers me to Montana, where I bought a house and met my now-fiancee.
So, if my buddy had bought a little better shoes, I might be in a totally different place in life...
Sand Gets In Your Eyes
[rebelmouse-image 18361537 is_animated_gif=I was riding my motorcycle years ago to visit a chick in Tallahassee fl.... it was 1am and i was trying to figure out exactly where she lived. (Pre gps days)
I got sand in my eye from the road and stopped at a redlight to try and clean them out. The light went green but i sat there a few seconds cleaning my eyes. There was nobody around so i wasnt worried about blocking traffic.
Right at that moment an old hoopdie blew the redlight doing almost 100mph.
I am 100% positive i am still here because I got sand in my eyes.
Check Your Pockets
[rebelmouse-image 18361538 is_animated_gif=I walked into a hot tub on New year's with my phone in my swimsuit pocket. Doofus move.
It resulted in me missing a call from my mother who was worried about my younger sister and didn't know where she was because she was supposed to be home by 1:00am. She was nervous and my father had gone to bed. Instead of waiting she decided to drive to the house she knew I was at to figure out the address of where my little sister was. On the way to me she was hit by a drunk driver. I went home the next morning to find a note from my father about how my mother had been in a car accident. I went to the hospital to visit her immediately and found my father and sister there. She needed physical therapy for the next few months and I drove her there for every appt because it worked well with my schedule. I then met her physical therapist, who was two years older than me.
I got engaged to that therapist and we have been married for five years now, all because I destroyed my phone in a hot tub.
H/T: Reddit
We all have strong opinions about something, but when we think of opinions, we often think of hot button topics like political subjects.
But as it turns out, sometimes we can have just as strong of opinions of our preferred types of pasta.
Redditor PeeB4uGoToBed asked:
"What's the best pasta shape and why?"
The Right Answer
"I prefer my pasta, like my nuggets, to be dinosaur-shaped."
- bearstrugglethunder
"This is my true answer, but if I have to pretend to be an adult, I always say Cavatappi."
- YourGlacier
Radiatori
"Radiatori. Thick and perfect for pasta sauces."
- AuthenticVanillaOwl
"They're so fun. They're my favorite, ahead of rotini. I just like ridges, I guess."
- arcosapphire
Cavatappi
"Cavatappi!!!!"
- floatingvibes
"Best for mac and cheese."
- pacheckyourself
"My first time having cavatappi mac and cheese changed my life."
- Salt_Blackberry_1903
"Cavatappi gang, RISE UP."
- Sharp_Easy
Cavatelli
"I see your cavatappi and raise you cavatelli."
- dumbf**k
"Cavatelli is the bee's knees, man."
- elhooper
Conchiglie
"Conchiglie (shells)."
"The shell shape stores cheese and sauces, so with each bite, you get tons of flavor."
- WingerRules
"Yes! Mac n cheese always tastes amazing with Conchiglie, I don't make the rules."
- Inconvenient-Pebble9
Rigatoni
"Rigatoni. My favorite dish is baked rigatoni with bolognese. I love the texture of the ridges and the larger hollow part scoops up the sauce very well as compared to ziti or penne."
- AllDressedJalapenos
Cascatelli
"Cascatelli. Some crazy f**k got obsessed with answering the OP's question and invented this."
- PhantomMenaceWasOK
Vesuvio
"Cascatelli is great, but his second round of shapes, specifically vesuvio, might be better."
- mriners
"Agreed. Vesuvio is peak."
- jll3523
Quattrotini
"I prefer quattrotini. I find it has better forkability and toothsinkability."
- banjo215
Fusilli
"Fusilli because it's silly."
- HorrorxHeart
Bucatini
"Bucatini is the best of all worlds. You have everything that's great about the long noodles and it's hollow! It absorbs sauce and oil on the inside."
- winterORgethen
"I hate bucatini! You can't suck a protruding part into your mouth because of the hole in the middle. You can't pick it up with a fork, because it's too slippery with sauce."
- CalTechie-55
Penne
"Penne... because the sauce is in AND on it, lol (laughing out loud)."
- secretxamy
Orecchiette
"Orecchiette."
- Realistic_Try_6738
"The pasta that would literally drive me insane if I tried to make it from scratch."
- BullsOnParadeFloats
Farfalle
"Farfalle."
- Preference-Best
"I came to say this. Just something about it. Amazing mouth feel. Great texture. Good with light and heavy, meaty sauces."
- Fracture_98
"This one. There’s something so nostalgic about it for me. And I feel like it does well with most sauces. A very versatile shape for a variety of pasta dishes."
- BlueHeelerChemist
Linguine
"Linguine: the spaghetti that went to private school."
- feeflet
"I am totally on board with linguine. Flat to catch the sauce and thin enough to cook evenly for the perfect consistency! Pairs with many sauces too!"
- Odd_Calligrapher_407
Pappardelle
"Pappardelle."
"Flat pasta is better than round pasta (like spaghetti) for sauces and flavors being absorbed. It's long enough to give the lady and the tramp vibes and not feel like you're a kid eating some superhero shapes out of a bowl like Fusilli and Farfalle can give off."
"It's thicker than tagliatelle to give it enough girth to feel like more of a main event than just being the bed your sauce and toppings sit on."
"Overall, it's just the best all-rounder in my book."
- bawjaws2000
This conversation just goes to show how many pasta options there actually are in the world, some that we may have not even heard of yet, because of them being invented in 2020!
But it also goes to show that we all have our favorites, and we can have very strong opinions about them.
One of life's most unfortunate moments is when we feel our lives are genuinely in danger.
These horrific moments can involve the behavior of people with malicious intentions or just being at the wrong place and time.
Even though many people live to share their harrowing stories, the trauma doesn't necessarily go away completely.
But all anyone who's experienced a terrifying ordeal can do to find peace is to count their blessings and be grateful they are survivors.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor Fearless-surfur-ee asked:
"What was the scariest incident happened with you?"
These Redditors experienced heart-stopping false alarms.
Wrong Target
"Half a dozen masked men broke into my bedroom, threatened me and my girlfriend, realised they had the wrong house, apologised and left. Edit - I told the full story here a while back."
– The-Go-Kid
Witness At A Shopping Mall
"Similar thing happened to my Aunt. She witnessed an attack at a shopping centre (on going disagreement between 2 well known families) and was threatened. A few days later one of the older family members approached her in her driveway and apologised profusely for the younger persons behaviour and offered her compensation. She was so scared she just said no thanks and he left."
– pokerdotts
Sometimes, you gotta listen to your gut.
Unplanned Detour
"Wife and I took a dark exit towards out neighborhood. Whole backseat full of bags cause we went shopping at the mall. There’s a red light at the intersection once you get off the exit and we pull up to this tinted oldsmobile. They were in the right lane to go straight or turn right and we were in the left lane to turn left."
"Nobody is around, maybe 10 at night. I turn left and look in my rear view and it’s the car that was next to us a bit back. I pull in my driveway and just had a really weird feeling, so I told my wife I’m gonna reverse and drive around the block. She thinks it’s weird as hell, but as we are reversing, this dude is walking towards us from that Oldsmobile parked around the corner. I dip the f**k out and make it look like I was just turning around and drove like a mile away before heading back."
"Just had this gut feeling, man. Who knows what would have happened? But it was scary as f'k, nonetheless."
– One_pop_each
A Tragic Stop
"Friend borrowed dad’s Benz to take wife on anniversary date. He stopped for flowers and was followed home by someone thinking he was wealthy. He was shot dead in his driveway in what turned out to be a gang initiation; you did the right thing."
– busjockey
These Redditors looked down the barrel of a gun...and lived to tell their story.
Fearless
"Was at a train station that was empty and I was sitting down waiting for a train and a man walks over with a bag, opens it and takes out a shotgun and points it at me and I just stare at him, he then says 'you're not scared are you' then puts the shotgun back in the bag then walks out of the train station."
"Actually not sure if that was the scariest or weirdest or if I was even scared."
– XenomorphXx121
The Right Answer
"Reminds me of the time a guy put a gun to my neck and said, 'What would you do if I pull the trigger right now.'"
"I was in a completely apathetic state of mind at that time anyway and said, 'Not much I can do, but I'll haunt you.'"
– lazerchin
These Redditors experienced medical emergencies.
Lucky Patient
"Last week had a heart attack after almost recovering from chemotherapy."
"I asked the nurse if I was going to die and she said I’m in the right place and they will look after me. Then I got more scared then I ever have before"
"I should not have survived but I did."
– Fistandantalus
Urgent Appointment
"The scan came back and we found a mass. We'd like you to come in to talk to the doctor today or tomorrow. You should see if someone can drive for you as you may be upset afterwards"
"Can I come in next week, I have a trip planned?"
"The doctor says you should come in today anytime and we will clear an appointment for you."
"Luckily that doctor kicked a**. 3 years post-surgery. Scans are clean in August and I move into the "only 10% chance of reoccurrence" bracket."
– Meet_the_Meat
Mysterious Illness
"Felt sick, kind of like the flu. Felt completely fine in the morning, but got worse as the day went on. It was the middle of the night and I was up with my husband and our new 6 week old baby. I was pumping breastmilk."
"Next thing I know, I’m waking up to EMTs surrounding me on my bed telling me not to move or sit up. My heart rate was incredibly high and blood pressure incredibly low. They took me to the hospital and no one knew what was wrong with me for a while. They kept asking me what drugs I took. I kept telling them nothing (which is true). I just had a baby, the biggest 'drug' I was taking was Tylenol. They didn’t believe me for a while."
"I couldn’t remember a lot of things at this point. I could barely even remember my own kid’s name. I couldn’t tell them who the president was or what year it was when they asked. It was a weird feeling to have memory missing. Kind of like having lost some puzzle pieces. Talking was also kind of difficult."
"After a BUNCH of tests, turns out I had a UTI so bad that I went into septic shock and my kidneys were shutting down. Didn’t know I had a UTI because I was still healing from childbirth and I am pretty asymptomatic when it comes to UTIs. I don’t feel pain when I get them. Spent a few days in the ICCU. Was extra scary considering my brand new baby was at home and I wasn’t and there was a chance I wouldn’t make it home at all."
"In the end, I thankfully made a full recovery."
"Not as intense as some of these other stories, but please don’t sleep on a UTI guys. Sepsis is no joke."
– mxbear
The last time I truly feared for my life was when I was at a party and a fight between two drunk partygoers turned into a Swiss army knife fight.
I'm not kidding.
A couple of my friends and I jumped off the second floor balcony and got chased in the parking lot.
After some fumbling with the car keys, my buddy managed to get five of us crammed into his car and the perpetrator started pounding on the rear window with his fists and bloodying it up from smashing his knuckles onto the glass.
The police came just in time. Thank you annoyed neighbor who called the cops on us for our blood-curdling screams disturbing the peace.
Perhaps the best thing about our friends is that we can always rely on them.
To help us out, to give us words of comfort and wisdom when we need them, or to just be a willing pair of ears.
Even so, our friends still have a way of surprising us, as well as disappointing us from time to time.
Sometimes they'll do things that just make us groan and roll our eyes but are easily forgiven over time.
Other times, however, they might do or say something which can only be described as "f*cked up."
Potentially putting an effective end to your friendship.
"What is the most f**ked up thing you've seen a friend do?"
Those Poor Cats...
"A guy I worked with was about to take his wife on a trip back to their mutual hometown in another state."
"They had a pair of delightful kittens and they asked me if I would watch them while they were gone."
"I had little experience with cats but these 2 were just wonderfully playful."
"I gave him a call when he got back to arrange returning the kittens but he said they had picked up a non-cat friendly dog on the journey and he would just drop off the kittens in the woods."
"Needless to say, I kept them and they were wonderful furry friends for me and eventually to my wife and kids."
"I still think what would have happened to them if I had not been in the right place at the right time."- PoloGrounder
"I went on holiday for a week and asked my 'best friend' to pop in and feed my cat (he lived a few doors away)."
"When I got back, my cat was laying by the back door of my house, went inside and his bowl was empty, I called him and asked when the last time he fed him, he said 'oh yeah, I forgot'."
"My cat had been outside for a week with no food or water. "
"I haven't spoken to him in 12 years."- Reddit
Always Listen To Your Doctor
"Convinced his girlfriend she was suffering from gluten intolerance instead of schizophrenia, and got her to stop taking medication."- lightningandmadness
But Was It A Point Worth Proving?
"Deliberately get knocked down by a car, in order to prove that when drunk (and we were very drunk), his bones were flexible."
"Fortunately, the car had been slowing to turn."
"There followed a couple of minutes trying to reassure the driver he was ok, whilst calling him an idiot."
"Meanwhile, he was laying flat on his back, maintaining he'd proved his point."- anothercynicaloldgit
It Is Never Attractive To Gloat
"Best friend was excited for me to meet his new gf."
"The whole evening he bragged about how she was still married and he was going to be the reason she got divorced."
"Haven't spoken to him since."
"Did hear she broke up with him and sorted out the issues with her husband."- hmfiddlesworth
Karma Is Pretty Unforgiving...
"Brought my friend to watch my boyfriend practice his drumming."
"She kept spreading her legs wide wearing a skirt with no underwear."
"She slept with him and he left me thinking he would be with her."
"Needless to say she didn’t date him because she already had a boyfriend."- Final_Objective_6204Kar
Shameless
"We were working in an old lady's attic and he kicked the sh*t out of a pipe on purpose then went and told her it needed to be replaced."
"I never worked with him again after that."- FriendlyDifference72
Oh, Honey...
"Brag about a then—boyfriend not leaving her despite constant cheating."
"Then cry when he left her."
"I don’t know either."- Snapesnape716
In With The Wrong Crowd
"They were arguing and he made fun of the friend for being an orphan."
"Tried to stab the other friend cuz his ex was crushing on him."- we_are_ghetto
Not Worth A Second Thought
"Throw McDonald’s fries and burger as hard as he could at a homeless lady asking for food."
"I called him a piece of sh*t and never spoke to him again."- Mundane_Tour_3215
You Don't Mess With Family...
"My best friend had just broken up with my brother—who had moved over a thousand miles and changed jobs to be with her—citing personal differences."
"My brother was devastated, but I tried to respect her decision and be a source of support for both of them, especially because they truly weren’t the best fit."
"But then she shared with me, because she knew that I loved her and would be happy for her so long as she was happy, that she’d been cheating on my brother for the past month and had found her soulmate."
"The depth of my brother’s heartbreak, already immense, was further compounded by the infidelity."
"To my bewilderment, she truly couldn’t understand why I was ending the friendship, seemed so distraught that I would end a years long relationship over something so 'small'."
"And I still can’t comprehend why she thought telling me would result in anything other than a complete door slam."
"Hannah, you still suck."
"And I’m still angry."
"I had also asked her to be the maid of 'honor' in my upcoming wedding."
"Ironic."- bitetime
Some friendships can withstand fundamental differences of opinion.
But no friendship is worth hanging onto when people (and kittens) are physically or emotionally harmed.
When you gotta go, you go.
That should be a mantra for getting rid of the toxic people in our lives.
Not every relationship is meant to last forever.
Some people don't know how to be friends.
They are awfully good at pretending though.
Be vigilant of the signs and red flags.
Toxic people are crafty.
And once you're free, never look back.
Redditor _ReDd1T_UsEr wanted to discuss the reasons why many of us decided to cut some people out of our lives, so they asked:
"What was the reason why your friendship ended with someone?"
Sometimes a person just has to go.
Planning Stages
Weekend Sunday GIF by DisneyGiphy"I stopped being the first to always initiate plans, and that was that."
Witty-Surround-6541
"I once asked a friend to plan our next breakfast + walk outing, since I always did that. He wrote me a letter ending the friendship. Stunning!"
fermat9996
Pants on Fire
"Habitual lying became too annoying and disruptive to tolerate."
Hosscatticus_Dad523
"When you constantly are thinking... this math ain't matching lol. People that lie all the time make me sick. I've told multiple friends that you don't have to lie to me."
"I feel so much better when someone can trust me and feel comfortable telling me a hard truth than an easy lie."
"Even if the truth made me feel some type of way, I'm still glad it was honest. I've even said thank you to people in the past that have been honest with me, good or bad! Some people just can not help lying about things. I wouldn't be able to ever keep a story straight if I did that."
__eden_
Bad Behavior
"He kept having kids with different girls and bailing on them. Coming from a 'went out for a pack of smokes' Dad myself, I just couldn't watch it anymore. Bailed after the third one. Think he's up to 6 now."
KingGuy420
"Reminds me of one of my ex-friends. She kept having kids with MULTIPLE guys (all of them were one-night stands), I don't think she even knows who the baby daddies are."
"She also kept begging me and people for money for pot, and she also bragged about having OnlyFans. She'd also make up stories about being in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend (she'd also cheat on him/tell people her and him they broke up, which they weren't)."
wisconsinking
Reasons
"I was a bad person and they ended it for perfectly sensible reasons. I would have done the same. I've changed, but I don't blame them for not reconsidering contact."
tabletopsidekick
"I’ve been there. I was a bad person and lost friendships and family relationships. I tried to apologize to everyone I hurt."
PDXGalMeow
"I also accepted that they don’t want me in their lives anymore. I learned that I made my mistakes, I learned from them, and I accept their choices. I don’t self-hate anymore and I try to be a better person in general. I hope you are doing well and practicing self-love and forgiveness."
PDXGalMeow
Money Issues
Donald Duck Money GIFGiphy"I lent them $20 and then they avoided me so they didn’t have to pay me back. Worth the $20."
BuickAssault
"I don't ever expect prompt returns of small amounts of money between my friends... we all buy each other rounds or buy the food for the BBQ or whatever. It ends up evening out over time I think we'd notice though if someone was always taking and never giving and then they'd probably get cut off too."
Badloss
In the immortal words of Cyndi Lauper... "Money Changes Everything."
Lack of Support
Happy Planning GIFGiphy"She joined a pyramid scheme selling butt-ugly leggings and it took over her whole life. When I finally told her it was negatively affecting our friendship, she accused me of not supporting her 'business.'"
LeftandLeaving9006
Oh Driver
"I was basically a taxi for my friends so I dumped them all."
Bullfrog_Little
"This one I can understand but depends on the situation. Not all of my friends had cars in high school, so our group needed to have me and my sh*tty '94 Plymouth Sundance come, or they couldn't do anything. I didn't mind at all then, but I definitely would these days."
Hoopajoops
"I remember I used to drive around with my buddies all the time before they had licenses. When one of my friends got his and a car I said sweet now you can drive me around for a bit, he replied that he wasn't gonna waste his money on gas like that. See ya, haven't really spoken to him since."
DontcallmeShirley_82
2063
"How's this for oddly specific: Friend since 1980, was hanging out at a bar in 1992 and there was a dispute of over a $15.00 bar tab. I was in the right, but whatever - he held a grudge for years."
"Ran into him in 2017 and we were both too old to care. Started to see each other now and then. 2023 and we're at this local bar for a show and got into a fight about $15.00 a ticket."
"Maybe he'll call me in 2063."
The68Guns
Exhausting
"She was a taker, constantly. When I needed something she made it about her yet again. Exhausting to be around."
LordyIHopeThereIsPie
"I'm going through this right now. Can't tell you how many texts I have from her in the past few days telling me that I need to get over myself, need to stop making myself the victim, have been a terrible friend, have never been there for her."
"She's the most narcissistic person I know and everyone does everything for her. She has one of the easiest lives ever and anytime anything bad happens to her she believes that everyone is against her and she's the victim here. It's pure insanity. There is no talking sense to people like this."
cheeseburgerwaffles
Life Changes
point pointing GIF by Shalita GrantGiphy"I've lost like all but two of my 'friends' because I stopped drinking and doing hard drugs."
ConcertTerrible8877
"Same here dude. My circle is small but hey at least it's a circle I know I can go to."
Miss_mayonnaise
Oh, how things change when the booze dries up.
How much fun were you really having?
Do you have any stories about cutting off a friend? Let us know in the comments below.