A lot of emphasis can be placed on your birthday.
Until the train derails and crashes into the side of a mountain.
Reddit user, u/TriggerLilVgang, wanted to hear about when your life anniversary wasn't great when they asked:
Hey Reddit what's the worst birthday you have ever had?
When Physical Pain Comes Into Play
Sometimes it's not outside forces causing your birthday to fall apart. Maybe it's something wrong within your rapidly aging body, suffering from something you could never see coming.
Someone Steps Up To Make It Go Away
My 20th birthday, I had just had surgery and i was in pain with my knee and leg because of it and i was by myself and depressed but my stepmom came home early from work and said she couldn't leave me by myself for my birthday so she left work early and bought me a present and a cake
My dad didn't care but she did and she was the only one who bought me a present out of my family
Oh, Never Knew That About Myself
When I turned ten. My parents decided to throw me a surprise party that year. I walked in the door, they jumped out, everyone shouted "SURPRISE", and I promptly had one of my first major anxiety attacks. I threw up everywhere, and then hyperventilated until I passed out. I haven't celebrated my birthday since (I'm 20 now).
Friends Who Let You Down
Friends are great, right?
Except when it's your birthday and it's time for them to step up to make your day better, only for them to crash, burn, and fail all over the place.
When You're THAT Friend...
When I was 11-13 I had a group of friends who used to celebrate each others birthdays by covering the birthday kids locker full of things they liked (photos of celebrity crushes, favourite anime/show characters, favorite candy bars etc.) They did this for everyone in the group.
Everyone but me.
How Do You Turn Down A GameBoy Cake?
I was in the 2nd or 3rd grade. My mom was throwing me a party at home and invited everyone in my class at school. She made a huge cake shaped like a GameBoy and I was stoked to have everyone I knew to come hang out and eat this cake. Day arrives and my cousin shows up...he lived next door and one other kid I knew from school arrived...his Dad worked with my mom. Hours went by and no one else arrived. I was crushed honestly. My Mom decided to make the party a sleepover with my cousin and the one friend from class but I remember when they left the next day, I just stared at the massive cake with a few cut out pieces and cried. My mom let me run my fingers through the icing as a consolation prize but that was a cold reality check. I felt like a fool for wanting others to like me or wanting to see me. It was dreadful going back to school and facing everyone that I felt rejected by. It was probably worse not saying anything about it to anyone.
In hindsight I understand now that other parents might have been uncomfortable bringing their kids to a trailer park. It was the first time it really dawned on me that people treat lower socioeconomic classes differently. It's honestly the last time I remember doing anything celebratory on my birthday.
Still the reason I don't really like to celebrate mine or anyone else's birthday.
Changing The Direction Of The Attention
When my friend who always makes everything about her had a tantrum, locked herself in my bathroom crying for hours until half my friends went home cause they couldn't even use the toilet at my house. All that cause her best friend kissed a dude she flashed her boobs to once.
But she had to pick my party to drive everyone apart.
A Truly Tragic Reminder
Then there are those birthdays that carry a tragic weight with them, only there to remind you of what you've lost as opposed to the age and experience you've gained.
A Gap Where A Loved One Should Be
Last year. It was my first birthday since my grandmother passed away from cancer. She was the only person who celebrated my birthday with me.
Bad News. Happy Outcome.
I was diagnosed with cancer the day before my 23rd birthday and spent my entire birthday talking to doctors about treatment options. That one sucked
How are you now?
I've been cancer free since February and have my first check up in about 2 weeks!
A Reminder Of What You've Lost
My brother died on my birthday.
I'm so sorry something that horrible happened on your birthday.
Thank you. I figure I get his birthday now that he's not using it anymore.
That's the spirit! My brother passed away a week after my birthday three years ago, so it's always kind of somber leading up to it. I try to make light of it, though, and just remember him fondly and reflect on our friendship and inside jokes. I will be having a word with my parents about which one of my brothers now gets his birthday though. Thanks for the idea.
In a few years I'll be able to be mad at him about it, I'm sure, and he absolutely would have thought it was hilarious.
Even if a birthday isn't going exactly as planned, try to remember what it means: you've survived one more trip around the sun, which is more than most get. Try not to let the little things get you down and pray for enough wisdom to be able to comprehend the big things with compassion and acceptance.
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Food is food, right?
Reddit user, u/averagebutgood, wanted to hear about your food awakening when they asked:
What food gave you a legit foodgasm that you still think about?
Perhaps It's Being Abroad In A Different Country?
There's something magical about traveling abroad, being in a different country surrounded by an exciting culture and environment, that elevates the food you eat to levels that the food back home could never hope to match.
It's Not Necessarily Pie, But Tasty All The Same
Six or seven years ago I was on a work trip to London and we were staying at a hotel near Heathrow since it was equidistant between our datacenters in that area. After a couple of days living on food from Subway, vending machines, and chip shops we went to The Pheasant for dinner. I got the shepherd's pie and I'm pretty sure I didn't speak until the dish was empty. I don't care if it turns out the sauce was from a packet of Colman's, that particular dish and dinner STILL stands out in my mind as one of the best meals I've ever had. It became a tradition to have dinner there any time we went over.
Mint And Lemons. Who Knew?
Mint lemonade I had in Damascus. It looked vile because the mint was blended up into the lemonade so it looked like a green smoothie, but I swear I transcended into the 5th dimension through my taste buds when it hit the sides of my tongue.
Also any burger you have after wilderness backpacking for 3 or more days.
Exhausted? Sure. Size Of Your Arm? Okay. Delicious? Absolutely.
I visited Belgium with my family when I was a teenager. We took the redeye and stayed awake after we landed so we'd get adjusted faster. When we went to dinner I was super exhausted and jetlagged and nauseous and barely wanted any of my dinner, and for dessert they brought a tiramisu the size of my forearm, but I didn't want to waste a Belgian tiramisu by not eating any of it.
I ate all of it.
Perhaps It's The State Of Mind You're In?
Maybe it's not the setting. Perhaps it's the state of your mind, something that isn't as easily controlled as traveling. You sit, your mind is in a certain state, and BOOM. Most delicious thing you've ever eaten.
A One Time Experience
I got high one time (honestly, I wasn't even high), and I ate a banh mi sandwich. I literally just stood there chewing in front of the fridge in ecstasy.
I've tried to recreate the experience a few times now, but just it's weird because I've gotten way higher before and after the fact; it's just never been the same.
Stacks Of Meat With Family. Stacks. Of. Meat.
First time I had a polenta board at my Italian in-laws.
The board was as large as the table with little river streams of sauce and meat juice drippings carved into it. At strategic locations were piles of roasted meat and vegetables that you could just scoop up from the board into your plate. As the meal drawed to a closed, the center was being fought over because it was the juiciest part.
Like Many Zack Morris Girlfriends, They Were Never Seen Nor Heard From Again...
I got some kind of sandwich from a Puerto Rican food truck like 5 years ago. No idea what was in it, but it was f-cking amazing. I never saw that truck again. I still think about it from time to time and it makes me sad.
Probably a tripolletta, Puerto Rico really knows good sandwiches.
Sometimes It's Good Because It's Simply Just That Darn Good
And maybe, just maybe, the food might be the best because it's simply the best.
Can't Go Wrong
Around the time I went vegan, there was an all-vegan restaurant that opened several years ago that had a dessert called the 'Cookie Brownie Stack': It was a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich on top of a warm brownie and literally no treat has ever tasted as good since!
Pricey, But Worth It
A5 Wagyu beef, granted there were only a few pieces because it's super expensive.
That stuff melts in your mouth, the flavor is unreal and I've never had beef that comes close to it.
Sad but 3 good steaks can cost up to 500 bucks so yeah not going to be eating it anytime soon but man if you get the chance just do it.
Can confirm... I worked next door to a high end steakhouse, and although dinner for myself was $150 or so, it was completely worth it!
PIZZA DAY!
The pizza they had for school lunch when I was in kindergarten.
Rectangle pizza with little cubes of pepperoni?
No it was these individually wrapped "galaxy pizza" things. Fricking manna from heaven..
Food is food, except when it isn't.
Never underestimate the impact a sandwich or a giant tray of meat can have on someone. Keep your taste buds open, ready to try something new, and keep your moaning sounds to a minimum.
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Making a real-world connection while dating is one thing, but doing it digitally brings an entirely new set of challenges.
Reddit user, u/SXC365, wanted to hear how you filter through the scrubs when they asked:
You're online dating and read someone's bio, what's an immediate turnoff?
Crimsons Flags On Their Profile Header
The easiest red flag to spot across enemy lines is the one they fly at their highest point: the header of their dating profile. Sometimes, it's innocuous, hidden among some cute descriptors about what their obvious careers or hobbies are. But it's there, waiting to be ignored.
What Are You Trying To Hide?
Having literally no personal information about themselves besides their name, age, and a half dozen emojis. Please, ma'am/sir I would like to know who you are besides what your body looks like.
Profile: Denied!
Likes: laughing, smiling, living <——— wtf yeah most people like the opposite..?
OR
Likes: ask me 😏 Dislikes: ask me😏 Work: ask me😏
Advertising Something Else
'Follow me on instagram! /ic3cr3amnut69'
Alternatively, if their only written info is their Snapchat handle.
I know what you're about.
What's Underneath The Hood?
On the other hand, maybe it isn't so obvious at first glance. These types take a little more digging through their About section to truly understand what they're about.
And it's not good. Not good at all.
Setting Your (Dumb) Standards
When they have requirements like height, weight, and so on.
This is what I came here to say. Having preferences in terms of physical features and personality are one thing. We like what we like, and we dont like what we dont like. That's fair and fine, but to have a bulleted list of requirements in order to even speak to someone is crass and shallow.
"I'm A Bad Boy 4-Lyfe!" - This Person, Probably
When they're flipping off the camera. WHY? Why are you flipping me off?
FINALLY, someone says it! I can't get behind this, never could.
So many people go hiking or enjoy long walks. Why can't I just find someone who wants to spend their Sundays never getting dressed properly and watching TV all day?
Don't worry, as someone that is an enthusiastic, serious hiker, I've found that 80% of OLD profiles that claim to like hiking and long walks mean they like 3-5 mile walks occasionally.
For me that's disappointing, but you might be able to work with it.
Terrible Slogans To Keep An Eye Out For
Fortunately, the most obvious people to avoid online are those who have some sort of motto or lifestyle creedo, blazoned across their header right under their name. It won't be inspiration, motivational, or reasonable, but they'll think it is. Which is all the more reason for you to swipe left and get out before it's too late.
Take Your Time Back
"Don't waste my time"
This one, I just immediately swipe No, like theres your precious time bro
Wearing Their Awful Flag Proudly
Any time someone describes themselves as an "a--hole"
I think it's meant to be cute and cheeky but why would I wanna spend time with someone who freely admits they're a jerk?
Point Is, It's A Bad Quote
"If you can't handle me at my worst you don't deserve me at my best"
I remember a stand-up having a great response to this quote.
"This statement was made by Marylin Monroe, who killed herself. That, or she was murdered by the government. All we know is that at least one person really couldn't handle her at her worst."
Except there's no proof she ever said it.
Have your standards, have your prerequisites, and know what you want in a potential partner. Above all, never feel bad for declining someone because they feel the need to let you know their a d-ck.
Keep your dignity.
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Forming a connection with someone is a challenge.
And then there's these folks, who felt the need to call it quits over something that, honestly, didn't even matter that much.
Reddit user, u/High_Sleep3694, wanted to hear why you turned someone down when they asked:
What was the pettiest reason you refused to date someone?
Loud, Observable Traits
There are some traits people carry with them like a sad, old piece of rotting luggage, flopping it down on the table for everyone to gawk upon before the appetizers re served. You either are okay with it or, as these people quickly decided, bail out before it gets you.
That Would Irritate Any Decent Human
My mom stopped dating a guy because he unfastened and refastened the velcro on his shoes throughout an entire movie.
What A Dummy. Everyone Knows They're Limes.
When I found out that he thought lemons were unripened oranges
I Guess I Don't See A Big Problem With This One
All The Words In Every Text He Sent Were Capitalised. Trust Me, It Got ANNOYING.
Learn Something!
He was awful in a trivia game we were playing. I mean, really bad, like it was his first day pretending to be a human on Earth and the aliens hadn't briefed him sufficiently.
The Littlest Things Can Turn You Off
Some stuff you can overlook, like maybe the way they hold their spoon and fork.
Other things are impossible to overlook, like...the way they hold their spoon and fork.
Goes both ways.
Her Name Is Anne, Guys.
Everytime I touched her, I would smell of egg. Like holding hands, egg.. Hug her, my shirt would smell of egg.
Strangest bit was, she didn't smell like that whatsoever.
Also, when I broke it off, the egg smelling stopped. So IDK.
Just. Let. Me. CHEW.
Every time I took a bite of food he asked me a question, after which he stared at me while I finished chewing.
The date went on like this for an hour, he had a supernatural sense of poor timing.
Wearing Your D-Bag Flag
He wore a Bluetooth piece in his ear. The constant blue light blinking from the side of his head was too much for me. Another guy would text "dame" instead of "damn". It wasn't a typo either, it was every time.
The Pettiest Of The Petty
Then there's these reasons, where the person must have been having a bad day or maybe they hadn't had dinner yet, when they looked at what the other person was saying or doing or existing and thought, nice and loud in their mind, "Nope."
Just FINISH Your Thought
Every single text of her ended with '...'
I just couldn't do it man
Look At That Shimmer
His hair was prettier than mine.
Now THIS is petty. Love it.
You Can Never See Past The Name
She had the same name as my mom.
I went out with someone who has the same name as my cat. I brought him back to my house and the second I got home I greeted my cat and the guy looked at me and I knew right then and there that I couldn't do this.
Keep it up.
You'll find your true partner someday.
And don't ever feel bad if you break up with them over something silly or petty. People need to fix how they hold their spoons and forks, anyway.
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It's a plague many of us would rather not admit occurs on a daily basis.
Reddit user, u/Jamally1980, wanted to hear about:
What's the most blatant act of racism you have witnessed in person?
When It Happens To Others...
You might be out, with a friend or a co-worker, minding your own business, never once considering what degree of person you'll meet. Then, BOOM. They're there, ready to make the person who you're with and their life a living nightmare.
Suddenly Changing Their Minds
I (WM) played in a band with an African American guitarist. We wrote songs together and became great friends. One day we went to a convenience market and there was a help-wanted sign on the door.
"Watch this," he said and went in the store to inquire about the job. 2 minutes later, he walked out and said with a sly grin, "The owner said they are no longer hiring. Now YOU go in."
I went in the store, and five minutes later, came out with an application.
"You see," he said. "You have no idea what it's like to be black."
30 years later, I still think about that day.
"Not even the correct kind of racist here."
My landlord thought one of my closest friends was some sort of hardcore latino gangbanger who was selling me crack. He's an asian IT professional who doesn't even drink. He was even coming over in his work clothes 99% of the time. We have a lot of jokes about that one. "Not even the correct kind of racist here."
Maybe They Shouldn't Be Around Kids
6th grade. This was mid/late 90s. Our teacher was telling us a story.
She said "this black woman without shoes came up my driveway and approached me. At first I was nervous because we don't have any black people in our neighborhood and I could tell she was homeless because she had a foul odor and she was black" and the black girl in class interrupted her and said "why does she have to be black for you to be nervous?"
The teacher responded, "because she was and we don't have black people in our neighborhood, and skin color matters Kelly."
It shook me up. It is a big commuter area close to some major cities and military bases so we had a diverse student body.
The next week our principal came in to explain the teacher was let go because of her racist remarks, and we had a week where we learned about diversity and how discrimination plays a part in so many lives, how it can affect populations, and how you can be aware of it.
Silly Reasons, Real Fears
I remember the first time I experienced racism. I'm Canadian but lived in England for a year when I was 8. I had a buddy from India. One time we wanted to play soccer at school over lunch with a group of guys. A boy said "you can play because you're from Canada. He can't play because he has brown skin". I was so confused and didn't know why skin colour made a difference. My friend was way better than me so I thought they didn't want to play with someone so good. I asked him if all people with brown skin are really good at soccer. He just said no, let's go play somewhere else. It wasn't until later that I realized why they didn't want to play.
Or When It Happens To You...
It's not always someone else, is it?
Most of the time you'll see racist interactions first-hand because they happen to you. You didn't do anything wrong, you might even have been out walking, but you feel it deep down in your gut when they direct all their hate and fury at you.
We Should Have You And The Missus Over Some Time
I was driving out of my gated community and a lady stepped off the curb and in front of my car yelling at the top of her lungs. She comes to the driver side and is like, "I see you driving through here, do you live here?". Her husband, not far behind, grabs her and proceeds to explain to her that I live literally around the corner from them. She then proceeds to ask me for my drivers license. As I laugh, I invite them over for drinks later. The husband thanks me as his wife continues to yell.
6 hours later, I walk to their house with a bottle of red wine and white wine (not knowing which they like). The husband answers the door, shocked, he invited me in, only to have his wife say, no. Embarrassed, he says he'll stop by later. Fast forward, he's one of my closest friends and she's still a raging [b-tch.]
At Least Get The Geography Of Your Insults Right
Old guy in his 70's walked up to me while at McDonalds and asked me "Is that your camel parked out front?" Took a moment to register that he was being racist. I told him that there wasn't a camel in the parking lot and that he should see a doctor about his senile dementia. I'm not even Arab or Persian. I'm Puerto Rican. If you're going to be racist, at least make the effort to get the race right. The only thing worse than a racist is a lazy racist.
We're Working, Here!
When I, Hispanic, was a landscaper, my boss and I were hired to do lawn work in a really nice neighborhood. I was approached by an angry elderly white man and he asked me what I was doing and told me I don't belong here. My boss, who was also white, had to come and basically f-ck off and told him we were hired and allowed on the property we were on.
...It's All Truly Terrible.
No matter how you slice it, discovering anyone's racists intentions isn't pleasant. You may not know what to say or what to do in that situation, but you'll know how you feel.
Finding Out Who The Racists In Your Life Are
Maybe it's a combination of being white with a shaved head, or maybe it's just being white, but sometimes folk feel very comfortable spouting off racist sh-t with me in the room. A common one is whining about "immigrants". On several occasions I've let people go on about their various stupid issues with The Immigrants, until I point out I am one.
Most of the time the whiner will awkwardly change the subject. One time a guy said "Yeah but you speak English!". Somehow I don't think language was his problem.
The most common trait I've seen among racist people is the assumption that most other people are as racist as them.
Seeing Their Biases Laid Bare
There was this convenience store near my elementary school that kids used to go to sometimes to get candy, snacks etc. A friend of mine (also black), told me I shouldn't go there because the store owner was racist, so I never went. Well one day I went in, and before I could even grab something, the guy yells at me to get out. I try to ask why, but he just kept yelling how he didn't want "us" in his store, even though I was alone. At this point, I was old enough to understand, and unfortunately has already experienced sh-t like this before.
Fast forward maybe a few weeks or so, I'm with a white friend of mine and we're walking on the same street as this store. He says we should stop in and get some sodas. I tell him I can't go in because the owner is racist and won't let me buy anything. My friend thinks that's ridiculous because the guy is always nice to him. So I tell my friend to go in first. He goes in, grabs a soda, buys it, comes back to me saying how nice the dude was and I had nothing to worry about.
I say okay, now lets both walk in. We both walk in and the dude has smile on his face until he spots me and his demeanor completely changes. He says something like, "Oh no, YOU (my friend) can stay, but HE (me) has to leave." My friend is like wtf why? The guy says, "I don't want "them" in this store! You're (my friend) fine though." I stand there just looking at my friend with the I-told-you face. My friend actually gets upset, starts yelling back calling the guy racist and so on, but I grab him and I'm like lets go before he calls the police. My poor friend was blown away because he thought the guy was so nice and friendly then boom! All of that erased in minutes.
If you ever find yourself in a spot like this, there's a few things to do: Talk to someone, anyone, whom you can trust. Make sure you're safe. Above all, don't engage or react unless you absolutely have to.
There's real love in this world. Go out and find that, instead.
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