12+ Middle-Aged Women Reveal What They Wished They’d Known In Their 20’s

It takes time, failure, and persistence to learn new lessons. Just ask anyone in their 40s or 50s and they’ll tell you that there are things they would have done differently had they known then what they know now.

Photo Credit: Twitter

And while there’s not a darn thing we can do about our own choices, writer and university professor Nyasha Junior thought that maybe if women in their 40s could give advice to their 20-something selves, there might be some actual 20-somethings out there who would read it and take advantage. You never know!

#15. A pile of solid advice.

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#14. Magical exhaustion.

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#13. Both true.

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#12. Be okay with what you can’t change.

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#11. There’s more up ahead.

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#10. Better with age.

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#9. Never mind what the romance novels say.

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#8. Just because.

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#7. Abstract but true.

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#6. Look to the future.

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#5. Some people don’t deserve a second chance.

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#4. No more holding back.

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#3. Listen to them.

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#2. You’re own biggest fan.

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#1. Never settle.

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What would you tell your younger self? I would tell mine to not waste another minute giving a crap what other people think!

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15 People Share the Worst Day of Their Entire Life

No one likes to remember the worst day of their life – but these 13+ people are baring their souls for us. The least we can do is read their stories with empathy and compassion.

Listen up.

#15. A few feet short.

“Finding my father face down on the kitchen floor dead. As best we can tell he’d been in the middle of a very serious heart attack and was trying to get to the phone but was a few feet short of making it.”

#14. I’d probably lose it mentally.

“Really more like a month but it was earlier this year when I was passing a 10 millimeter kidney stone. After a couple days of writhing in pain I went to the ER only to find out it was too big to pass naturally. So I had to wait a couple of days in sheer pain before having a surgery that involved a tube with a small saw on the end going up into me (through the urethra) and breaking up the stone. Luckily I was passed out for the surgery, but after I woke I was in even more pain than before. Peed blood for two weeks straight, and it hurt like you couldn’t believe to go to the bathroom as well. Had to pass around 20 kidney stone fragments over the next few weeks that each hurt on their own. I then had to go back to get the stent they put in me removed, and that involved the doctor sticking another tube in me (also through the urethra) and grabbing a foot-long tube and pulling it out, however I was not put under for that procedure. That was easily the most uncomfortable and painful experience I’ve ever had. To summarize, if someone told me I’d have to go through that again I’d probably lose it mentally. I wouldn’t wish that experience on my worst enemy.”

#13. Just up and left.

“My partner left me after 9 years of living together and 17 years of friendship. Just upped and left in the night, and I later discovered that plans had been in the works for several months. I awoke to the house and car keys and a letter saying “I hated you the entire time.” I try very hard never to think of it.”

#12. She was there and we needed it.

“The night of september 14th and morning of the 15th, 2012.

I remember it quite vividly. I was making tomato soup. One of my favorite things to do is dip toast into soup. Try it.

Anyways my soup was almost ready. I was house sitting my parents house while my dad was in the hospital for surgery. He had ALS and was getting a feeding tube installed because he couldn’t eat anymore.

I’d talked to my mom earlier that day and dad had been doing well. They were talking about discharge.

It was 9:34 according to the stove. I answered the phone and my mother was in tears. She wanted us to say goodbye to dad. The surgery had gone fine, but the ALS had reached his lungs. This was it.

After the phone call we frantically called all of our childhood friends. My dad had always been a mentor for many of them as well and they needed a chance to say goodbye as well. One of them was even there the next morning despite living on the opposite end of the country.

One of them had the brilliant idea of asking someone from the church to aee if we could get a ride to Kingston to see dad. They “happily” obliged.

We got to kingston just before midnight. 11:57. I brought my guitar along to sing to dad as he went. I figured if he sang to us bringing us in to the world, I would do him the same honour.

And so we got to the hospital and they took him off life support. He had requested a do not recessitate order. The hospital ignored that for long enough for us to get there. Thank you Kingston General.

And for the next seven hours I watched my father die. Slowly suffocating as his lungs failed to function. I remember feeling so guilty because I wanted him to just die quickly. But we were afforded no such luxury. His skin got more and more pale, and his breaths weaker.

Worst day of my life. I was 20. He was 52.

In some kind of divine sendoff he died at 6:54. Just as the sun was coming over the horizon. The flag of the hospital was also at half-mast.

Afterwards we dropped by a gas station to pick up a pack of cigarettes. I walked into the store and the clerk made a friendly offhanded comment. “You look like you had a rough night” assuming I had been out drinking or something. Me, my mother, and my brother all broke down and told her what had just happened. That cashier just hugged us as we cried into her shoulder for like 30 minutes.

It’s not normal to cry on the shoulder of a cashier you’ve never met. But she was there and we needed it.”

#11. We knew he was gone.

“August 2nd 2018

The day my dad passed away suddenly and completely unexpectedly. My dad was just about the healthiest he’s ever been, except when he was in his 20’s. He was 69 years old.

My mother called me and said something was wrong around 11pm, I was out of bed and at their house in less than 5min.

He was laying in bed, he wasn’t breathing, his heart wasn’t beating. My mom was on the phone with 911, crying. I was doing CPR, the woman from 911 was counting out the beats. I switched over places and my mom took over, I ran to make sure the front door was open and look for the ambulance or anyone. I ran back inside and continued CPR. Then a police officer was there. She took over the compressions, I ran back outside to flag down the ambulance. They arrived and started working on him. I had to keep my mom out of the way, keep her sane, I had to stay strong, not break.

He was gone when I got there. They worked on him at their house, in the ambulance, and at the hospital. We knew he was gone. Telling them to stop was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. My mom was… no words can describe her. I had to be strong, make the calls, talk to people.”

#10. The worst 24 hour day.

“The worst 24 hour day was when I was in New York while my husband was in Florida – he was misdiagnosed and died of internal bleeding. I was getting updates from the hospital all day while I was trying to get a flight and he died that evening. When I got to the house in Florida, I found out it had been robbed.”

#9. A year later…

“Sept 11 2017. I got fired, someone hit my car, and I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. A year later I got the all clear tho and a better job with a 30% raise.”

#8. She never came back.

“I’ve had some extremely bad times in my life but the first of them was 31/12 1969. My mum was sewing and said she was going to her friend’s house to borrow her sewing machine. She never came back. She just abandoned 3 young children to be with another man with 5 children.”

#7. The day my son was born.

“20th August 2014, the day after my first son was born (which incidentally was the very best day of my life)

Out of nowhere we were told he has a critical heart condition, would be transferred by ambulance to a children’s hospital and require surgery to save his life.

The bottom fell out of my world with no warning or expectation. Fucking sucked. The difference between the extreme high of the day before (plus hormones, first time mum nerves and post labour exhaustion) made the drop that much harder to bare.

Fortunately the surgery went very well, his doctors are fantastic and 4 years later he is doing great. Although he will require further open heart surgery one day.”

#6. Weird out of body experience.

“4th January, 2018.

The timing could not have been worse. Within literally 60 seconds of one another, I discovered that:

– The only person I have ever loved, my long-term partner, had cheated on me with one of his friends who I had met before, including other inappropriate things that they were sending/receiving – particularly pictures of me.

– My 29 year old sister had stage 3 breast cancer.

I was on his phone and saw the evidence to which my heart just sank and I was trying my best not to show any feelings. I didn’t want to over-react and wanted to think clearly in the moment, so I waited around 30 seconds trying to process what I had just seen and how I am about to go about this. As I am about to call him over to come and sit with me whilst I tell him what I’ve just found, I receive a phone call from my mother telling me that my sister has cancer. I was staying at my partner’s home at the time after spending a few days away at New Year. I’ve never felt such a clusterf**k of emotions. I needed someone to lean on and talk to about the news I just got about my sister, but the only person I could do that with, and the only person I have ever done that with, is now sat next to me, not knowing what I’ve just found on his phone and realising that my trust and love has been betrayed. I felt like I had no control over my life for that moment and when I recall on it, all I can see is me having this weird out-of-body experience, looking at myself from the other side of the room whilst I try and cope with the news.”

#5. Lying next to me in bed.

“Sept 6 2013, I woke to find my 47 year old wife, dead of a heart attack, lying next to me in bed.”

#4. I missed reading the message.

“I woke up to the news of the terrible tsunami in Japan on March 14 2011. An hour later I was told that my best friend committed suicide in another country.

I found out that she actually messaged me on MSN(back in the day when WhatsApp was still new), asking when am I going to visit her. I missed reading the message until the day I found out she committed suicide.

I have a hole in my heart ever since and still have days when I’ll break down. We were like sisters.”

#3. Trifecta.

“My car got stolen and my grandpa died on the same day. When I got back from the funeral my apartment had been robbed.”

#2. He didn’t give any sign at all.

“Today. I just found my room mate who had hung himself in the garage. The house is full of cops & EMTs. He didn’t give any sign at all.”

#1. The same thing.

“When I was 17 my sister died of cardiac failure on her 20th birthday. When I was 28 my best friend died on father’s day of the same thing, he had a 1 month old.”

I don’t even want to think too hard about the question because the answer would be too tough!

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15 People Share Advice from Their Therapists That Is Too True

For those of us who appreciate the value of weekly therapy sessions but don’t exactly have the money in the bank to make them happen, this list is for you.

These 15 people have taken to websites like Twitter and Tumblr to share little nuggets of wisdom from their therapists. Read on and who knows…you may just find a few words that change your day.

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Photo Credit: Twitter: @pants_leg

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Photo Credit: Twitter: @DeeRene_

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10+ People Reveal Dark Secrets They Want To Confess Before They Die

Whether it was a little white lie you told when you were young or a life-altering event you swore never to speak of again, we all have our secrets. And it almost always feels better to get these things off our chests…even if it’s just in an anonymous forum.

That’s why these Reddit users took the opportunity to reveal some of the deepest secrets they want to get off their chests before they die. Perhaps in reading through these you will find a secret similar to one of your own that will help you realize you are not alone.

1. Almost Never Existed

“I know a guy who was going to break up with his girlfriend one night after a date. He was dropping her off at home and they walked in to find her dad dead on the floor. He didn’t break it off. Thirty-five years later, they are still married.

That’s the story of how I almost never existed.”

2. In The Wolf’s Den

“I’m a total fraud. I did not have a proper education. I did not go to college. After years of working in customer service and two failed start-up businesses, I faked my resume, glorified everything I did and was hired as a manager.

I have a lot to learn, but I do what I can to survive the wolf’s den.

So far, everything is going pretty well. Two things I have learned is that ‘confidence’ can make a big difference and that there is a gaping hole in the system of companies doing background investigation.”

3. One Last Look

“When I was 15, I was lying in bed one morning and I heard my dad coming up the stairs. Being a typical teenager, a conversation with my dad first thing in the morning was not something I could be arsed with so I pretended to be asleep.

I heard my dad come in my room and he stood at the end of my bed in silence. I waited. He continued to stand at the end of my bed in silence. This went on for an oddly long time. After five or six minutes, he left.

Thank God he’s gone, I thought. What’s he doing staring at me? Weirdo.

My dad walked downstairs out of the house and drove off. They found his body three days later. Those five or six minutes in my bedroom was him taking a last look at his son before he killed himself and all I could do was lie there thinking, Back off, weirdo.

He left no note so we can never be sure why he did it, but he had been off work with a bad back, my parents were struggling to keep up with the bills and he was about to have his wages halved because he had been off work for so long.

It was probably this that sent him over the edge. When he died his employer paid off our mortgage and my mum got some life insurance money giving us the financial security he was struggling to provide. I like to think that he gave his life to give us this. I just wish he knew we’d rather live in a tent with him by our side than in a house without him there.”

4. Filled With Rage

“My dad used to go to a bar near our house every night about an hour after he put us to bed. It was not until I was around 12 or 13 when I realized where he was going. I was fine with it. We lived in a good neighborhood, he would lock the doors, and I knew where his .44 was, just in case. Not that at the age of 12 I would have had half the balls it would take to actually pull the trigger on someone.

However, one night, my dad was gone a while and came home COMPLETELY sloshed and parked sideways in the driveway.

He stumbled in and noisily went to his room, which was across from mine. I was awake for all of this because I had a lot of stress with puberty and girls so I did not sleep too well regularly. I heard my dad take a leak, stumble around, and then leave his room. Then, I heard my sister’s door open. She was 13 or 14 at the time. I thought it was her seeing what all the noise was. But sadly no. It was my dad.

He went into my sister’s room at 2 am and attempted to assault her.

This was the first and only time this had happened. My father had never been violent or inappropriate toward us in any way. But, the moment I heard my sister wake up and ask him what he was doing, I was up, put pants on, and stood in the doorway. I became so filled with rage that someone who I was supposed to love and look up to could ever do something like this.

I, a kid who was pretty well sized for my age, pushed my dad up against the wall and started shouting at him. He clumsily threw me aside. Then, I picked up a lamp from my sister’s nightstand and beat my dad’s head, face, and stomach with it.

He has a pretty big scar on the top of his head – a semi-circle about as big around as a soda can. To this day, he thinks he got in a bar fight and got kicked out of his favorite pub.

I told him that the next day.”

5. Toxic

“I met a guy online just after I had turned 18. I was extremely naive and far too trusting. He said all the right things and I thought I was in love. We Skyped and I trusted him completely. I trusted him to the point at which if he wanted nudes, I would send nudes. If he wanted a strip while Skyping, I would strip.

He could be the sweetest, most loving person I had ever known if I did everything right. If I did something wrong, I was a ‘a worthless, ugly human being who would never find happiness with anyone because I was pathetic.’

I didn’t realize it at the time, but it was a toxic relationship. I was so dependent on his approval that I didn’t notice how it was affecting me.

I got sick. I became anorexic because I couldn’t keep food down. I’m naturally skinny and have always been teased about being anorexic but this time it was no joke. I was so scared and didn’t realize he was the reason this was happening until about a month later.

So, I left him. I said I couldn’t do it anymore, said goodbye, and walked away.

Best. Decision. Ever. My parents didn’t find out about this until about six months later when I broke down crying because he was messaging me on Facebook calling we a worthless floozy, among other things.

A year and a half after this happened, my Facebook started getting a bunch of random messages from guys I had never seen before.

He had uploaded every single photo I had sent him to multiple websites. He had included very personal information in the description boxes – my full name, age, which city I lived in etc. I went to the cops and got told ‘Well you shouldn’t have done that.’ I fell into a massive spiral of self-blame and self-hate.

The cop, who basically said it was my fault, made me feel worthless. The strangers I had never met who were commenting on my body made me feel worthless. I stopped attending my university classes. I failed half my papers and I never told a soul why I went from A- to C’s.

My parents don’t know he uploaded them all.

They just know he has them. I will never tell them this and I’ve mostly managed to get them all off the internet. But I’m not stupid, I know they can easily be uploaded again. My boyfriend knows they’re on there because we were dating when they were uploaded. I broke down and told him why there was such a sudden change in my mood.

He cried. I had never felt so much anger for someone before. To see him crying broke my heart more and made me sadder and angrier than the photos themselves being uploaded.

If I ever get to meet that guy in person, I will freaking kill him. I have so much rage, so much self-blame and hate and it stemmed from insecurities (high school bullying) that he preyed on.

He played me for the fool I was and destroyed me emotionally, mentally, and physically. I’m not the same person I was. I’m meaner, I’m more emotionless and I can’t seem to change it. I’ve never fully recovered. I take anti-nausea pills two and a half years later because some days I can’t take it. I have a smaller appetite and food was one of my biggest loves.

I can’t stand strangers looking at me in the street because I immediately assume they’ve seen me naked. I hate my body because it’s a constant reminder of my mistakes.

Two and a half years later and I’m still a freaking mess and I hate him deeply for that. I hate him with a passion I never knew I had.

When I need motivation, I use that hatred. I use it to make me do better at university – now studying law. I used it just to get out of bed every day and let him know he didn’t win. I didn’t kill myself. I survived my own nightmare and I’m getting better every day.

I won.”

6. On The Run

“A very well-known and well-liked guy pulled into my yard at 4 a.m. Then, he backed his truck up behind some trees so it could not be seen from the road.

‘You have to help me,’ he said, after we asked what was going on. ‘I killed a guy and the cops are looking for me.’

Apparently, he was in a bathroom at a truck stop and a really big guy kicked in the stall door and said, ‘You are gonna suck me off.’ My friend hit him in the face with the ceramic toilet tank lid. Blood went everywhere. Assuming he had killed him, he drove off.

We talked him into turning himself in. When the cops arrived, they said that the guy had assaulted several people in this fashion, until my friend knocked him out, but didn’t kill him.

Now, they finally caught the guy. He swore me to secrecy since he wants to run for office.”

7. The Vaseline Experiment

“I was in the 11th grade and was having stomach issues that persisted for weeks. Luckily, I had never poo’d myself at that point, but I was very gassy. I mean it was awful. The worst farts ever. Greasy farts that smelled like rotting trash would blow out of me a couple times per hour, clearing out the entire classroom at one point.

No one ever figured out who it was, so I had to take action before I embarrassed myself into a new high school.

I come across the idea after seeing my grandpa use Vaseline to temporarily stop water from leaking in the garage so figured I could try it out and see how it worked on my bum.

I grabbed a handful of Vaseline and stuffed my rear with it, creating an airtight seal.

The first day went well. No farts, no smells and by lunch, I had forgotten I even had a glob of Vaseline up my butt.

It was a major relief for my classmates and I. I would pull the Vaseline out, take my daily dump and hop in the shower cleaning myself real good. This went on for a while, even after my stomach was feeling better.

I didn’t want to risk it and have the nasty farts come back. So, I kept my routine for the time being.

I got home from school one day and, without having a chance to poop and clean myself up, I had to go to one of my mom’s work events.

There was food and games so I didn’t care. We were there very late and I remember falling asleep on the way home. I don’t remember anything else until I woke up to my mom yelling that I was going to be late for school.

I hopped out of bed with cramps and my stomach was looking bloated with 24 hours of farts just begging to be released.

I went to school, not having any time to take care of myself and feeling awful, but I survived until third period. Toward the end of third period, I decided to skip lunch and try to empty my insides of farts, Vaseline, and poop.

Unfortunately, my body could not handle it anymore. My stomach was hurting and I felt a release coming at any moment.

The bell rang for lunch, but I could not make it to the bathroom without crapping myself.

I moved very slowly, gathering my things at a snails pace. Once everyone left the room, I shut the door about half way, pulled down my pants, and blew an explosion of greasy Vaseline and crap onto the wall behind the door.

The sight was awful. The smell was even worse. I rushed to the bathroom to clean myself up real fast and make it to lunch without anyone noticing.

The next day, they had the room taped off. People were asking questions, but the administration said nothing to the students.

I assumed no one suspected me because I was not questioned and no one acted weird around me. The room was reopened the next week with a new paint color and tile replacing the carpet. I never used Vaseline again and I never spoke a word to anyone.

Twenty-five years later, I still think about it on occasion. A few years after the incident, I found out I was lactose intolerant. I cut out dairy and I have not had issues since.”

8. Damaged

“My mother and I have a very damaged relationship. We don’t really talk at all. I know that she doesn’t like me and that she is waiting for me to finish school and move out. I am her youngest child and the only one who seems to be successful in school and building up a life.

My brother is 22 and dropped out of school.

He smokes green all the time and pretty much does nothing. My sister is 20 and dropped out of school because of her boyfriend and religion. I am sure that my mother would prefer them to be more successful than I because I know that I am her least favorite son, but that is just the way it is.

She does not feel like a person I can rely on. If she was not my mother, we would probably just hate each other. Our personalities and interests do not match.

I have no father either. He died when I was 10.

When my mother and I start arguing, sometimes it gets really loud and emotional. If it gets really bad, my mother reminds me of that one day. September 2, 2011, and that she has been scared of me ever since.

Before that day, my mother would physically abuse us when we didn’t obey.

It was her way of raising us up. It was annoying. Home felt like a prison with way too many restrictions quite often, especially when I saw how my friends didn’t have to cope with those things. As I’ve started growing bigger, I have had enough.

One day, my 13-year-old self was sitting at home and watching TV.

My mother told me to take out the dog. I asked her to wait 15 minutes so that I could finish the match and she slapped me in the face. In our house, this was absolutely normal and expected. Usually, I would apologize and take the dog out immediately, but this day was not usual.

On this day, I hit back. Imagine a 13 year old hitting his mother. I had planned it. I wanted to show her that she could not do this to her kids and wanted her to show how I had felt every time she hit me.

I did not realize what this would mean to her and to me later. My mom was completely shocked and hit me a lot that evening. Really, a lot. My cheeks glowed and I was too afraid to sleep in my own bed that night.

The abuse would continue until I was around 15 when my mother stopped and changed.

I don’t know if it was because she wanted to treat us better, or because she was scared of me. It was probably something in between.

But, these days, she shows a very caring side, and tries to treat me good. I appreciate it and love her for all the sacrifices she has made for her kids. But, I cannot have a normal conversation with her.

I want to avoid her in every way possible and only seek conversation if necessary. Sometimes, I try to push myself and talk to her but it’s hard. It’s very hard. I don’t know if this relationship is ever going to be fixed but I pray that I will have a better one with my kids.”

9. Buried In The Backyard

“When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I was best friends with a girl whose high school aged brother was in a local gang. One night, her brother threw a party. One of his friends ended up violating my friend.

I wasn’t there, but she told me all about it the next day. He came into her room completely wasted and they did the deed. Weeks later, my friend and I were at her house and she admitted to me that she thought she might be pregnant.

I did not really know what to tell her.

Being so young, I didn’t even know where to begin. A week or two more passed and she called me crying, saying that she needed me to come over and help her.

My mom dropped me off. I headed up to her room only to find her curled up in the fetal position in her bed, crying.

After she calmed down, she told me that she forced herself to have a miscarriage by punching herself in the stomach repeatedly. She had the fetus in a mouth rinsing size dixi cup. It was super small and did not really even look like a full baby yet.

My stomach was churning at this point.

She said that she wanted help burying it in the backyard. We headed outside, dug a hole by the fence, and buried the baby. She swore me to secrecy after that. Our relationship soon fell apart and we fell out of touch.

This was probably, at least, 20 years ago.”

10. An Uncomfortable Honor

“Two of my good friends, one guy and one girl, were both repeatedly assaulted as children by the pastors of their churches. Same state, different churches. The girl’s pastor was her father. No one else knows.

A former co-worker I had known for about half an hour told me about an inoperable tumor on her spine that keeps her in constant pain so she’s always doped up on pain meds.

It also causes incontinence, so she wets the bed almost every night.

I was born with one of those faces that says, ‘Please, tell me something incredibly personal I have no idea how to appropriately respond to.’

It’s an uncomfortable honor.”

11. Still Denies It

“I met this guy at a party on New Year’s, and I thought he was really attractive. Well, lucky me got a midnight kiss from him, and then I went home since I was only 15. A few days later I got a friend request from him and I was overjoyed.

He asked if I wanted to go to a party with him and, of course, I said yes.

For a few months, we partied almost every weekend. I turned 16, he turned 19, and everything was great. Then, one night after we went out, he asked if I wanted to stay the night with him and a friend.

I did. That night, I wasn’t me.

Normally, I have morals. I’m a nice girl. But, with the combination of drinking and hanging out with a guy I wanted to be with, I was willing to do anything. He asked me if we could have a threesome and I was really hesitant.

They just kept asking and asking so I said, ‘Fine.’ He started touching me as the friend watched and it wasn’t so bad. But, then, his friend unbuttoned his pants and got on top of me. Once that was over with, the guy I liked decided he didn’t want seconds and that was it.

I asked him if I could leave so he just said yeah. I walked myself to the car and went home.

After that, the only times I would really talk to him was when I bought weed. One night, I went to a party and I saw him there.

We only said hi and he asked for my pipe, so I let him use it. The next day I asked if I could go by and pick it up and he said yeah. I went to his house and we started talking. I ended up telling him how much I liked him.

I was just telling him everything about myself.

We ended up hooking up, but after that was when I really got betrayed. Afterward, he told me that he didn’t want a relationship but we could be friends with benefits.

Nope. I just said ‘Bye,’ and left.

I didn’t talk to him until a month later when I told him I was pregnant. He denied it was his, but we had a paternity test after my son was born and he is. He has never seen him, even when we did the paternity test.

They were in the same room, but he didn’t attempt to even look in the car seat. I know he didn’t tell his family, and I’m sure he still denies it if anyone asks. We don’t talk. He blocked me on Facebook and changed his number.

My son is turning 1 soon, and he has never met his dad. He probably never will. I feel sad for my son, but seeing how he reacted, I’m glad that kind of guy isn’t in my son’s life.

The secret part: when I was around 20 weeks pregnant, he asked me if I could keep quiet about it because he didn’t want his girlfriend of two years finding out.

As far as I know, they’re still together and she has no idea.”

12. Paranoia

“I’m 33 years old and dealing with some mental health stuff right now and all that fun business. So, who knows? This could just be paranoia, but I have this sneaking suspicion my dad is a child predator.

It is just little works here and there, such as the shows he watches.

He watches a lot of kid shows, anything that involves children dancing in skimpy clothing. Sometimes I catch him standing in front of the TV with his hands in his pants.

He hasn’t done anything, that I know of, but it just makes me highly uncomfortable at times.

I think back to things when I was younger. I would take baths with him. A lot. I never thought anything ill of it. He also helped my grandmother with Sunday school a lot. He loves younger women. He is about 67 right now.

I mean, I have zero proof, besides, maybe the bathtub stuff well over two and a half decades ago.

It just irks me. Even now, when I am far too old for him to be… yeah. Sometimes, he just makes me very uncomfortable.

But, hey, mental health issues. It could just be paranoia.”

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Writer Posts Ignorant Tweet About Depression, Gets Hit With a Dose of Reality

Mental health is still not treated with the same level of importance as other ailments in this country. Of course, those of us who suffer from mental health disorders understand how serious they can be and show empathy towards others with similar conditions. After all, over 40 million adults suffer from depression in the U.S. each year. But to an outsider looking in, depression might be easy to mislabel as plain old sadness.

Just look at best-selling author Reno Omokri. He has practiced law, hosted his own television show, and travels the world preaching the gospel. Still, he doesn’t quite understand what it means to be depressed, which he demonstrated in a recent tweet.

Photo Credit: Twitter: @renoomokri

This led to a deluge of replies from Twitter users who struggle with depression and want to make sure they set the record straight.

Photo Credit: Twitter: @jj_chidozie

Photo Credit: Twitter: @spookperson

Photo Credit: Twitter: @imteddybless

Photo Credit: Twitter: @CaraidArt

Photo Credit: Twitter: @Music_Man_Mike

Photo Credit: Twitter: @hanactive

Photo Credit: Twitter: @KylePlantEmoji

Photo Credit: Twitter: @Chibusomaa

We’re sure Omokri had good intentions when he posted the tweet. Perhaps he was attempting to address people who complain about things without realizing that they have it better than most of the world. If that’s who he was talking about, fine…but that is not depression.

As long as people think depression is something that makes people sad and complain, and not a debilitating mental health issue, then we won’t see any major changes in how people are treated and cared for. So, the next time you hear someone miscategorize depression, make an effort to talk to them and help them understand that it’s not an attitude issue, but a serious health issue.

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The Ridiculously Long List of Things Women Must Do to Protect Themselves from Sexual Assault

Women have been mad for ages – but they are just now getting the courage to bring that simmering ire out of the proverbial closet where they’ve been told it belongs and into the public sphere where they can attempt, in no uncertain terms, to defend it.

Because even if our newest supreme court justice is one of the 2% of men accused erroneously of sexual assault, and even if our president stopped demeaning and silencing women for a couple of days, the truth of living life as a female hasn’t changed in decades.

1 in 5 of us will suffer some kind of sexual assault in our lifetime. In an attempt to be the 4 and not the 1, we learn all sorts of tricks from a young age. They’re given to us by the women in our lives, passed down like heirlooms, bits of knowledge that may or may not have served them in their moment of need, but that are better than nothing, dammit!

We park under lights if we’re going to be leaving somewhere at night. We tell someone where we’re going, who we’ll be with, and what time we’ll be home. We carry our car keys like weapons. We divert if it seems like someone is following us, and we never, ever get into our car without checking the backseat for a stranger. Headphones while jogging? Only if you’re asking for it, lady.

If any of these things seem paranoid to you, well, you’re probably male.

And that’s you, and if you’re interested in what other measures women take to avoid aggressive men on a daily basis, this viral Facebook post should be on your radar.

Drew McKenna posted this list from Jackson Katz, a prominent social researcher, with the following caption:

Men ask why women are so pissed off, even guys with wives and daughters. Jackson Katz, a prominent social researcher, illustrates why. He’s done it with hundreds of audiences:

“I draw a line down the middle of a chalkboard, sketching a male symbol on one side and a female symbol on the other.

Then I ask just the men: What steps do you guys take, on a daily basis, to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? At first there is a kind of awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they’ve been asked a trick question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter. Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, ‘I stay out of prison.’ This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, ‘Nothing. I don’t think about it.’

Then I ask the women the same question. What steps do you take on a daily basis to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? Women throughout the audience immediately start raising their hands. As the men sit in stunned silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily routine.

Hold my keys as a potential weapon. Look in the back seat of the car before getting in. Carry a cell phone. Don’t go jogging at night. Lock all the windows when I sleep, even on hot summer nights. Be careful not to drink too much. Don’t put my drink down and come back to it; make sure I see it being poured. Own a big dog. Carry Mace or pepper spray. Have an unlisted phone number. Have a man’s voice on my answering machine. Park in well-lit areas. Don’t use parking garages. Don’t get on elevators with only one man, or with a group of men. Vary my route home from work. Watch what I wear. Don’t use highway rest areas. Use a home alarm system. Don’t wear headphones when jogging. Avoid forests or wooded areas, even in the daytime. Don’t take a first-floor apartment. Go out in groups. Own a firearm. Meet men on first dates in public places. Make sure to have a car or cab fare. Don’t make eye contact with men on the street. Make assertive eye contact with men on the street.”

― Jackson Katz, The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help.

(The first man to minor in women’s studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Ph.D. in cultural studies and education from UCLA.)

He followed it up with a visual that’s stark and should be revealing to the most skeptical among us:

Photo Credit: Facebook

Why do women do this, aside from the obvious answer of “to not get raped?” Well, here’s what I think – we do it because our mothers and aunts did it. Our grandmothers did it. We do it because our culture and society tells us that it’s a woman’s responsibility to not get raped, rather than a man’s responsibility to not rape.

Because if a sexual assault takes place, women know there’s a very good chance we’ll be blamed for it.

What were we wearing? Had we had a drink? Two? More? Did we dare to be alone in a secluded public place? Were we listening to a really great audiobook and forgot, for a minute or five, to check behind us on that running trail? Were we being too much of a bitch? Not being enough of a bitch?

Is it fair? No. But these are the questions we’ll be asked if we say something happened. If we go for help to the people who are supposed to provide it, they’ll want to know. Their eyes will be full of skepticism, and worse, they’ll convey sympathy but disinterest – nothing can be done, they’ll say. It’s her word against his.

So we are vigilant, knowing there’s a very real, statistical probability that it won’t matter in the end. Because we want to be able to tell ourselves,  at least, that we didn’t deserve it. That we did everything we could.

Even if society will never believe us. Even if they never even bother to listen to us.

We’ll know we tried. And maybe that’s the real lesson handed down by generations before us, one that’s bitter and hard but nonetheless real – in the end, the only person who will hear the truth are the survivors.

So in all of the preparation, all of the fear and anxiety and double-checking and vigilance, we’re preparing for the day we have defend ourselves, if only while looking in a mirror.

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These 12+ Jokes Are Just for Introverts

I love to spend time with my friends and family, but alone time is just as important.

That’s why these tweets speak to my soul.

1. Mixed emotions

Photo Credit: Tumblr

2. I can relate

Photo Credit: Twitter

3. Just breathe…

Photo Credit: Twitter

4. The perfect experience

Photo Credit: Twitter

5. Just smile and nod

Photo Credit: Twitter

6. Good question

Photo Credit: Twitter

7. Best regards

Photo Credit: Twitter

8. I still think that’s too late

Photo Credit: Twitter

9. Might as well not at all

Photo Credit: Twitter

10. The painful smile

Photo Credit: Twitter

11. Here come the waterworks

Photo Credit: Twitter

12. Let me ponder this

Photo Credit: Tumblr

13. Cool beans

Photo Credit: Tumblr

14. Probably both

Photo Credit: Tumblr

15. Uninvited

Now I need some alone time.

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Parents Look Back and Laugh at 13+ Lessons They Tried and Failed to Teach Their Kids

Parents try their best to impart valuable wisdom and knowledge to their children. Sometimes those lessons stick and sometimes…not so much.

That was definitely the case for these 15 parents, who I’m sure can laugh about their fails in hindsight. Perhaps with a drink in hand.

#15. I want that monkey.

“When my older son was about three or four years old, we realized he was starting to act very spoiled and materialistic. We always tried to make him see how lucky he already had it, but he constantly begged us for every toy, candy, and treat he saw anywhere and everywhere.

Around that time, I came across a great photo spread that involved the photographer traveling around the world and snapping photos of different children with their most prized possessions. Of course, the kids in the US, Canada, and Europe were mostly photographed in rooms filled with stuff. But there were also photos of children from impoverished nations, usually showing the child with only one old, dirty stuffed animal.

I thought I was going to accomplish this brilliant parenting move by sitting him down and going through the photos with him. I’d explain how the kids with rooms like his were beyond lucky and he should feel more than satisfied with all of the great stuff that he had. Then I would show him the other photos and he would finally understand that there are so many other children in the world with far less than he had.

We looked through the photos and talked about each one. We finally got to one with a little boy standing on his cot with his one possession, a well-loved, dingy-looking stuffed monkey. My son looked at if for a long time. I could see his wheels spinning. “Success!” I thought. After a long bit of silence, he finally looked up at me, gave me a sweet smile and said, “I want that monkey.””

#14. 5 minutes later.

“Saw a clip on local news about a toddler saving her mom’s life by calling 911 when she collapsed. Figured it was a good idea to teach my toddler 911. Had two cops at my door 5 minutes later.”

#13. Learning how to lie.

“In order not to teach him how to “lie better,” I never challenged his lying and we just told him what needed to be fixed. I never told him how I knew he was lying, I just avoided confronting him and got to the point of what needed fixed, despite attempts to deny it.

For example, if someone ate all the brownies, and his mouth and fingers were stained with chocolate, I never told him, “I can tell you are lying because of the evidence,” I just said he now had to make a new batch or do chores because the old batch was gone. I was figuring, “hey, he’ll figure out that eating the brownies and lying about it still had consequences.”

Thus, he never really got very good at lying. But he keeps trying, which is the part I didn’t expect. He’s 28 now, and just so terrible at it because he doesn’t understand how people can so easily figure it out. This has socially crippled him in ways I did not understand when he was young.

I think learning how to lie is essential to social development, and I thought I was being all high and moral. Oops.”

#12. The biggest prize.

“Playing carnival/fair games is a waste of money. My son wanted to spend his $20 to win a Pikachu stuffed animal from his allowance that he saved up. WE told him he would be wasting his money and he would not win. He spent $15.00 and won the biggest prize.”

#11. She won $500.

“My sister tried to teach her kids not to gamble. She bought a few lottery tickets to show them that they were all going to be losers. She won $500….”

#10. I already saw Mickey Mouse.

“Not a parent, but my in-laws love telling this story about my fiance.

He was resistant to potty training, and they eventually got him to start using the potty by telling him that he had to be out of pull-ups before a family trip to Disney World, because “Mickey Mouse only sees big boys and girls.” And also who wants to log a diaper bag around Disney?

Anyway, it went great, they had a great trip… and the day after they got back, he took a shit in the living room. When asked, he said “I don’t gotta use the potty cause I already saw Mickey Mouse.” They very firmly told him that if he was old enough to use logic, he was far too old for diapers, and that was the end of that.”

#9. After that.

My dad tried to implement the whole you MUST eat ALL the food on your plate in our house during meals. My mom was never a fan of that lesson, but my dad was stubborn so she just let it go. Well, one day my sibling had 2-3 bites of food left on their plate and was very clear that they were absolutely full and couldn’t eat another bite. Dad wasnt having it and insisted they could not leave the table until all the food on their plate was gone. My sibling realized they werent going to convice our dad that they were too full and finished the last few bites and then proceeded to vomit on the table and our dad. He stopped enforcing the rule after that.

#8. When you go on an audition…

“When my daughter was 10, she wanted to try out for a community theater version of Beauty and the Beast. She got nervous though, and almost backed out, because she was so sure she wasn’t going to make it.

My husband, who did some acting in high school, stepped in and said that he would also audition, even though he knew he was never going to make it. He wanted to demonstrate to her that it’s okay to audition for something that you don’t think you’re going to make.

She ended up not only just making it, but she got the part of Chip. My husband got the part of Maurice, Belle’s father. He didn’t even want to be in a goddamn play.”

#7. Constantly.

“Told my children they should always have a good reason for what they want to do as a way to curb impulsive behavior.

Am hearing about ALL THE REASONS constantly.”

#6. Such a pretty yellow!

“Taught my now 16 year old to always compliment people who insulted you. We were in a Burlington Coat Factory in Michigan when my mother was shopping for a bathing suit to take to Florida. There were few to choose from, so she was complaining. My kid was 4.

A woman trying on pants and said something rude to my mom who was asking my opinion and my daughter caught on that my mother was agitated. She squeezed out behind me and told the woman,

“Your teeth are such a pretty yellow!””

#5. It was hard to argue.

“I wanted to teach my son the value of money and work ethic because he kept wanting Robux… I decided it would be a great teaching moment, and a win-win opportunity as he was just getting to the age in which I think he should start doing chores around the house. He really wanted to buy some skin or something, so I created a chore chart and gave each chore a value. We established a schedule and everything. It was working out majestically, every day without asking he was doing dishes, cleaning his room, picking up the dog poop, it was epic. Then one day, I came home and nothing had been done. I asked him “hey man, whats up with the dishes? Oh and go pick up the dog poop too.” He simply replied, “Nah”. Fighting back rage, I simply said, “excuse me?” He said, he made enough money over the last x days that he bought his skin and he was good now. It was hard to argue.”

#4. She carved my name instead.

“Not a parent, but as a child I noticed my sister was writing her name on the walls when she was drawing on them with crayon. Taking on the role of Helpful Big Sister, I informed her if she was going to graffiti things she shouldn’t write her name and give herself away.

A few weeks later, she was carving patterns into the wooden desk in the study and carved my name into it instead.”

#3. They forgot to teach me about the police.

“When I was about 2 years old my family was at a game in Angel’s stadium. My mother went to the restroom and left me and my siblings with my dad. While he was busy watching I wandered off. When they eventually found me I was halfway around the stadium. A crowd had gathered to watch as a police officer held me out at arms length while I screamed “call the police, this man is not my daddy” over and over again. My parents had taught me stranger danger, but forgot to teach me what police look like.”

#2. Where are you going?

“Nanny not a parent. 2yr old was refusing to wear her hat. It was hot. I told her if she didn’t put her hat on she would have to wait in the car. She started walking away from me, ‘Where are you going?’ …’car’”

#1. Can’t say I’m surprised.

“My youngest boy would never listen, and he was always totally fearless. He was also always really lucky. Damn near every time either of us told him “don’t do that, you’re going to get hurt”, he would do it and then not get hurt. So we ended up teaching him that when we said not to do something, that probably meant it was a fun thing to do. I remember really hoping that he would fall and break an arm or something non-lifethreatening or disabling like that so he would stop constantly giving us heart attacks, which is weird to say as a parent but it never happened so it doesn’t matter anyway. He never got anything worse than a small scrape or cut that could be cleaned and covered in five minutes before he was back at it again. Looking back I’m just glad this was before there was anything like Jackass around to further encourage that shit.

Now he’s a stunt man for movies. Can’t say I’m surprised.”

Keep trying, folks!

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Man Tries ‘Marshmallow Test’ with His Granddaughter, and Can Someone Pass the Tissues?

Have you heard of The Marshmallow Experiment? In case you haven’t, it’s a test of delayed gratification performed on young children. Here’s how it works: you give them a marshmallow (or whatever treat they like best) and tell them that if they can wait for 10 minutes without eating it, they may have a second, and see if they can wait it out.

Researchers have found that children who are able to pass tend to be more successful in life, and have learned that delaying their gratification can lead to a better outcome in the long run.

Photo Credit: Quora

UC Berkley physics professor Richard Muller decided to try it with his 3-year-old granddaughter, Layla, and shared the outcome on Quora, in response to a question about the loveliest thing a child has ever said to you.

You can read the story for yourself below, but tl;dr – Layla not only passed with flying colors, but earned her grandfather’s undying love and devotion in the process (as though she didn’t have that already).

Photo Credit: Quora

Everyone else can go home now, because this guy and his granddaughter are the cutest things on the planet.

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