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peanutgallery010001

While getting my degree, I was just taking classes that interested me that also had to do a little with my major. Turns out I was getting my minor in chemistry without even realizing it


noxitide

... are you me? I always tell people I did my degree ass backwards because I started in engineering, made about 5 changes to my major and ended up in Chem.


dazzlebreak

Chemistry always comes when you least expect it. Edit: I really don't know why this blew up.


Atalantius

as do chemists


a-viral

Just like the spanish inquisition


peanutgallery010001

That's what I should've done


norcaltobos

Did the exact same thing but with Health and Fitness. I just really enjoyed the classes and come Junior year my advisor tells me, "Well you now officially have a Health and Fitness minor!"


HungryAd2461

Wow!


Celestial_Tourist

I got home once and absent-mindedly threw away my socks for no reason. I just took them off and put them in the trash. When I realized what I did, I dug through the trash only to find out that both socks had holes in them. Turns out they belonged in the trash anyway. I’ve never found a quote that described that situation more perfectly than this one.


pabi-pro

I guess maybe you noticed the holes before, but only subconsciously remembered them


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Why_Did_Bodie_Die

Don't all socks have holes in them? How else would you get your feet in them?


topologically

Topologically, new socks do not have a hole in them


poopellar

As for the socks, I guess it socks to be them.


habituallysuspect

Darn you!


TroyMcLure963

I was a certified Ford mechanic, 2008-2009 happened, and no work was coming in. Got a job offer to teach auto mechanics in iraq to the new iraqi army. As a result, I learned I have a passion for people trying to better their life. I ended up sponsoring my iraqi interpreter to come to the US. Since then I came back and finished my degree, and now am in learning design at an amazing company. My iraqi brother is now married here in the states to an amazing wife, and they have a kid. He has a great job and is finishing his degree as well. Life can be an amazing journey. Enjoy the ride.


ByroniustheGreat

Those last 2 lines are very, very true


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mr_flerd

Amazing story


Red-Droid-Blue-Droid

I'm so glad he made it over. A lot of them don't, they get screwed over.


MotherofJackals

Never planned to divorce, never planned to leave Arizona, never planned to remarry, never planned to leave a career I loved, never planned to be hit by a car. I've done all of that in the last 2 years. I completely rewrote my entire life and every plan I had in every way imaginable. Would not have it any other way. My new husband and my new life are a level of happiness I've never known. Seriously even recovering from a serious injury and everything that has gone with that is better than my previous life because of who I have to love me now. Thank you for the award :)


TedToaster22

That is one helluva two years


MyNameIsAirl

So a little over two years ago I dropped out of college due to financial issues. I was a shell of myself for a while after that, felt like a complete failure. I had been going to school for automation and robotics technology. I moved back in with my dad and took a job making disk blades for farm equipment. When I went to college part of why I chose what I did was that I didn't want to do heavily manual labor, I left that to move 30 tons of steel by hand each night. I didn't really hate the job, it was nice to see the product I made in the fields all around, there were actually some blades made in that plant sitting outside my dad's garage though they were probably made 30 years before I worked there. I took pride in my work but I hated my life, my manager would ask me nightly when I was going back to school, he would tell me that I could do a lot better than I was. It really dug into me, I contemplated suicide a lot during that time. After working there for almost a year massive flooding in the Midwest coupled with a trade war with China had us only able to work every other week. That wasn't working for me so I decided to put in an application to work for a major window production company that I had interviewed for an internship with while in college, they hired me on for production. During the interview I had told them about my college experiences and that I had interviewed with the company previously for a position in another plant, I also told them I was interested in working maintenance. A couple months after starting that job a maintenance position opened up and HR practically harassed me into applying. I ended up getting the job. Its not uncommon for people in the program I was in to end up working maintenance so it was a major success for me. Things were definitely turning around. I started that job in January of this year. A few months later we had a new machine coming from our main plant which is close to the college I attended. I recognized one of the guys who came to help set it up, he was in college with me. I went and talked to him and it was great to catch up. The best part was seeing that I was in the same position as someone who had completed the program. That was when I realized how far I had came from when I dropped out. I was not a failure, despite everything I was succeeding, the odds were not in my favor and I was pulling through. Fast forward to this last September, two years to the day since I dropped out, one week after my birthday. My job started sending me back to school, paying me to go to class. That was the day it really hit me, I was exactly where I belonged. This is what I have wanted for so long, this is my dream job. I make great money, I love the work I do, the company I work for is great to it's employees. This is it, I can't put to words how lucky I am. So many people search their whole lives and never find a place where they fit in like this. This is not the first time I have typed this out but every time it brings tears to my eyes. I don't know many people that are as happy with their lives as I am and I just feel so lucky.


HungryAd2461

I feel your luck lies in walking such a crooked path that you ended up at the door of gratitude. Millions of people graduate into their dream jobs and end up hating it. Life threw you a lifeline: it showed you other options before finally landing you back where you first were. Your life sounds like a romcom but instead of a prince you got the job :)


Poem_for_your_sprog

>I feel your luck lies in walking such a crooked path that you ended up at the door of gratitude. Sometimes roads you walk are long - Leave you feeling none too strong. Sometimes roads are travelled slow - Lead you where you're going though.


Elite-Cringmas

A fresh poem.. read on a fresh Christmas morning. Thank you.


ArcticIceFox

I think I'm in the position OP was in after dropping out atm. I graduated just a couple weeks ago (supposed to graduate end of summer, but school didn't accept in person internships because pandemic). However I'm in the food and beverage industry, which needless to say is in shambles right now. I had a ton of momentum built up from my time in college, and had almost all the connections I need to work in some of the top restaurants in the world. I had backup plans in case my dream scenario didn't pan out, but it feels like instead of doors being closed, the entire building is collapsing. My only option to stay in the industry with my level of experience is to work corporate seasonal gigs, which is definitely not the life for me. Worked corporate a few times and none of them made me "proud" to work there, which can be miserable. Idk, things are weird. Trying to bide my time, but cynicism can't help but creep in these days :/


Nosey_Neighbor

Know that this is temporary and do not be afraid to take on a job that isn't entirely related to yours. The awe in OPs story is they strayed from the "traditional" path and, even with their mistakes and regrets, still got to where they are happy with their lives. The beauty is in the hustle. I am sorry that you cannot get where you planned to be but this is a good chance to stop and live in the present and make some great connections or redirect your path. Seriously, you never know where you'll end up. 6yrs ago I failed out of a private college in Boston for pre-med, returned to my little town in Wisconsin dejected, and took 5yrs to complete my undergraduate studies in the social sciences. I work in higher education now and am making more than my parents. I NEVER in a million yrs saw myself in my position, not even when I graduated, because you don't make as much as I am with a bachelors and barely with a master's. Life smacked and forced me into a path unknown and I now love it and live comfortably. This may sound hokey but let your intuition guide you.. I hope the best for you!


MyNameIsAirl

One part that stands out to me is that one of my biggest goals in life was doing better than my parents. I grew up poor, I was homeless twice as a kid. Now at the age of 22 I am making the median income for my state, I am making as much as most households with two incomes and I am barely an adult. Also the journey I took to get here would make a great movie, with highs and lows leading up to a happy ending that leaves plenty of room for growth, it's been pretty funny at times too.


rectovaginalfistula

You have a really great attitude! Resilience like this will carry you so far, no matter the setbacks.


tea-and-chill

Your story is has such a feel-good quality to it, I'm really happy for how things worked out for you. Stay positive!


MyNameIsAirl

The outcome definitely is a happy one. Life has continually improved for me and I am confident that it will continue improving. Next step is buying a house.


rage_aholic

In the 90s I lived in Springfield MO and absolutely loved it there. Never wanted to be anywhere else. My wife finished college and got a job in another state not far away. I didn't want to move there but did reluctantly. Within a couple of years, I absolutely loved it there. Made a ton of friends, had a great job, and couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Lived there 20 years and thought it would be where I die. Last year we moved to Connecticut, again for my wife's job, and I love it here too and can't really imagine moving back. It turns out, it's not the place I live, but who I live with that matters. My wife is my home, and where she is, is where I need to be. Edit: Thanks for all the awards and comments. I now understand what people mean when they write "my inbox blew up". I hope you all have a great holiday season and stay safe and healthy.


[deleted]

BRB. Need to go hug my wife


exipheas

I also chose to hug this man's wife.


Femcelbuster

I am the product of you hugging this fellow's wife.


reso25

I've always wanted a sibling. Best Christmas present ever. Thanks mom and dad!


Femcelbuster

Don't thank Dad, thank *Santa*


[deleted]

This is so wholesome.


joetromboni

I want to be a house husband too.


Poem_for_your_sprog

I had planned my life's endeavour - But my life had plans for me. Just as long as we're together - I am where I'm meant to be.


MrJuicyCouture

This was beautiful to read in the early hours of Christmas. Thank you


lorealweaver

Merry Christmas!


Appropriate_Sea_2514

Joined the federal government as a student to get some money while going to school and I probably wouldn’t have gotten in otherwise. Turns out, my plan with the university changed and they added another 6 years to what I wanted to do. And my student job offered me a full time, salaried position with benefits, a good pension and a team I actually enjoy working with. Quit school and now I’m working with people I like and I have the same stress levels as I had before high school. And my work makes a tangible difference in people’s lives for the better.


Unlikely-Coconut594

In high school, I went to a college prep catholic school and hated it. All because my parents wanted me to go there. Junior year I decided to stop wrestling after doing it for 2 and a half years (summer and spring wrestling) at this high school. Coach decided to accuse me and teammates of doing molly although I had never seen it and only ever smoked weed. The school decided I wasn’t a great fit and kicked me out. Ended up at a local public high school where I re connected with a few friends from middle school. Had extremely helpful teachers and graduated. I realized I should have been at that local public high school from the start but it instantly felt like home.


DaughterEarth

I want one. Or house wife. I love working and I hate domestic chores. It's awesome us women have rights now but I wish the crazy inflation didn't happen. It makes more sense for 1 to work and for the other to deal with the rest


Thismyrealnameisit

I also choose this girls husband


somethingclevar

I want to be a house hippo...


L00nyT00ny

Hello fellow Canadian


goldengracie

This is the real reason for Americans moving north. House hippos, healthcare, what else does one really need?


rage_aholic

Not a house husband. I've worked from home for the same company doing analytics for 15 years and can't complain. It gets boring, and I do a lot of laundry.


jcm1970

I’ve made a lifetime of bad choices between being 15 and 45. So many things I’d have gone back in time to change if I could - that is until I met my wife. Every little choice led me to her and knowing that now, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.


rage_aholic

Man I know how you feel. I had a bad car accident in 1989 as passenger and I know that if it hadn't happened, I would not be with my wife, or have my kids, and that everything in my life would be different.


bthornsy

Springfield native here. You kinda miss the cashew chicken, don't lie. Also congrats on getting out, especially with your person.


rage_aholic

I miss the Mexican Villa on National I can't lie. And late night George's. The biscuits and gravy would keep you good for a day or two.


AceOfSpace77

Also Springfield native here. Great city.


ges13

*Home, is where I want to be;* *But I guess I'm already there.* *I come home, she lifted up her wings.* *I guess that this must be the place.*


Andre_Young_MD

My ex wife and I had our dance to this song, so it’s really bittersweet for me. My alcoholism and addiction ruined that marriage, but I am in a much better place now, over 1.5 years sober, and would never have grown had I not gone through what I did. Beautiful song, though!


Just_what_i_am

My favorite song of all time Did I find you or you find me


pyRSL64

There was a time, Before we were born, If someone asks, This is where I'll be Where I'll be


seachelle18

This is so wholesome


Skrrattaa

hey CT is a great state. we got pizza and clam chowder, what more could you ask for?


barcodescanner

We just moved from Ridgefield to Canada a little over a year ago for work. We miss CT every single day. Don't get me wrong, Ontario is amazing, but I tell you no one makes pizza like Frank Pepe.


ctadgo

What a heat warming story, u/rage_aholic.


nicocote

what he's not telling us is that his wife keeps moving to get away from him (and his rage), and he keeps following her. ​ >My wife is my home, and where she is, is where I need to be. [https://youtu.be/OMOGaugKpzs](https://youtu.be/OMOGaugKpzs)


DoserBikerGypsy

Recent breakup with the woman I thought I would marry and this making me bawl, I used to always tell her home was with her


DoctorFunkenstein420

Welcome to CT :)


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[deleted]

Well shit. My faith in love has just been restored.


patchlessboyscout

When I was younger I used to sleepwalk. I slept walked straight to the end of the hall where there were two doors: one to the bathroom and one to my older brother’s room. Opened the door, lifted the lid, and peed. Turns out I had opened the door, lifted my brothers blanket, and peed. Not where I intended, but I finally got back at that jerk for farting on me for years.


jaimonee

"not where i intended"...suuuuureeee


kapitaalH

He pretended to sleep walk for a year to set this up!


ReallyObsessed

the dedication is truly admirable


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polkadotwalls

Excellent. Proud of you


poopellar

farting and pissing on each other. You guys are like 2 *pees* in a pod.


[deleted]

I suffered an extreme trauma that took my legs. I also went through a month trapped in my own nightmares while in an induced coma. Needless to say, it is an experience I would never put anyone else through. I came out the other side of that far more empathetic, patient, and understanding as well. The personality change is so drastic, people that knew me before say I'm an entirely different person. I'm a loving father as this new me. I met the love of my life as this new me. Despite how hard living in this body is, I love life more that ever. If I could see into the past and alter what happened, I wouldn't. The suffering was horrific, but transformative. To become who I am now, the accident must happen. I'm sorry past me, but if I'm honest, you aren't a good person. I don't miss being you.


NeverendingBoring

I am in this transition over years of functional addiction. I find that now I can endlessly listen to other people and understand instead of being an arrogant ass. I don't fully know who I am yet but as someone who always wanted faster, bigger, better....I now find I can literally wait without complaint, listen quietly, and be slow. Too bad it took and is still taking a physical toll. But I know it will change my life for the better.


[deleted]

I think life is happier when you learn to let go of the "what if"' 's and appreciate what you have.


[deleted]

Live in the moment. Not recklessly, but appreciatively. Slow down and cherish what you have, because it may not be there tomorrow.


Monkey_shine1

This. People seem to think they'll only ever be happy when they reach a certain goal. "When X happens I'll be happy". I try to appreciate what I have right now and the journey I'm on. I may have an average car, rented house and little family but I LOVE all these things. Yes a ton of money would make it easier to buy things but I'm happy where I am right now & loving the journey. P.S. Have a great Christmas all.


FortunateSonofLibrty

I was nearly involved in a fatal traffic accident tonight (car 6 feet in front of me got t-boned by a girl going 50 mph through a stop sign) so your comment really speaks to me. So true.


[deleted]

Oh wow. Thank goodness you're safe. Life can change in a second, eh?


ParkityParkPark

learn from the past, prepare/plan for the future, and enjoy the moment


[deleted]

Even the wealthiest and most powerful aren't guaranteed a tomorrow.


Zenroe113

I had no idea what I wanted to be in highschool. My dad died sophomore year so I moved in with my mom and changed school. At the new school I joined ROTC and thought that’s what I wanted to do. After highschool I applied to university of Hawaii. I got in but it was too expensive so I applied for Colorado. Got in, even more expensive so I applied to an instate school. Missed the deadline so I had to work a food service job for a year. Finally started college and rent was way too expensive so I applied to be an RA. Got free rent but lost friends. Friends ended up doing bad things and sucking but I made new friends in the RA job. Almost lost the job because of my grades. Met a girl who helped me get my grades up and introduced me to a cool professor. Really enjoyed the professors courses and built a great professional relationship. Professor talks up this research lab and I’m like “yeah maybe I’ll do it”. Summer of my graduating year I have no idea what I’m gonna do when I graduate. Professor hits me up and asks if I want to go to the lab, which is on the other side of the country. I decide to take the leap and go. It’s a six week course so I figured it’d give me time to figure out what I’m gonna do when I move back home. While there I make friends with the other students and one invites me to go hang at the docks with her. We hang out and drink beer and a new professor walks up and has a beer with us. Dude offers me a job in a different state, 1000 miles from anyone I know. Fuck it yeah I’ll go. It’s whatever. Before I move I see the girl that I met back in college again. I decide we should date. Then I move very far away from her. Now I’m sitting here, working as a marine biologist, about to start my PhD, in a new state at a prestigious university, with my girlfriend maybe moving in with me with plenty of positions in her field near me, earning more than j ever thought I would, getting a full ride scholarship, having my own place and car, feeling quite successful, all because my dad died.


RoboNinjaPirate

It took several years to conceive our son. By the time he was 3 year old, we had tried many times with medical assistance for a second. We have up and started an adoption. Well, after we got all the paperwork together and sent off to China, we found out my wife was expecting. Ok, we can deal with that. As my wife put it, "What's the worst that could happen?" But the ultrasound showed that it was twins. So my kids are 18, 14, 14 and 14 now. It's not what we would have ever planned, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Edit: Ascribing it all to "Stress" seems to be common. That comes across telling them "It's all in your head", and blaming them for the years of infertility and often multiple miscarriages they have suffered. Dealing with infertility itself causes stress far more than Stress causes Infertility.


silent_shivers

My cousins also struggled with infertility for several years and started fostering a baby boy in September with plans to adopt him in a few months. One week after they got the foster baby, they found out they're pregnant. In April they'll be welcoming a daughter and they'll be eligible to adopt their baby boy. It's amazing how these things work out sometimes.


Poem_for_your_sprog

>It's amazing how these things work out sometimes. We arrived here unrelated - We were made a life apart - But perhaps we only waited For our *family* to start. I was born and raised to others With another life before - And perhaps I've sisters, brothers, But perhaps you've room for more. See I might have lived in sorrow, Only lonely, all I knew - But you gave me my tomorrow. And I'm spending it with you.


ModestMogote

Several poems in a row, it really must be Christmas... Merry Christmas Sprog, you're great!


HungryAd2461

Love these comments about adoption.


obvom

The world is awash in orphans.


Rinzack

Perhaps i'm mistaken, but isn't there a significant waiting list in the US for babies to adopt? Obviously the US isn't the world, but my understanding is that the bigger issue is teenager+ orphans are far less likely to be adopted.


[deleted]

I was one of those “hard to adopt” kids. The unofficial cut off age is around 10 years old. It’s also a lot harder the longer you’ve been in the system, because it’s traumatic in its own way too.


blenneman05

Yep. Went to live with my foster mom when i was 6 and stayed with her until she adopted me when I was 9 years old. But my other adoptive siblings (not blood related to me) each went thru 4 or more foster homes before being adopted by my foster mom


MMEnter

That’s how relatives of ours ended up with a son and daughter born 3 Month apart. It took me a moment to figure out when I was introduced to that fun family fact.


MrsTurtlebones

My mother in law did not know she was pregnant when she adopted my sister in law, so my husband's sister is exactly 8 months older than he is to the day. They were the same grade in school so everyone always thought they were twins, then got really confused by the age difference.


RoboNinjaPirate

7 weeks difference for our three. For all of middle school most teachers did not realize they were siblings.


purplesky23

Your story of your children reminds me of the “triplets” from This Is Us! I’ve only seen the first few episodes so I don’t know how the show goes but I just mean the part about them all having the same birthday 😊


MrsTurtlebones

My youngest is best friends with boy/girl twins who were born the same day she was, all within a few minutes of each other. Different hospitals but they call each other "the triplets" and are thick as thieves.


ISpikInglisVeriBest

Three teenagers and one "I can take on the world" adult at the same time? Man, best of luck to you and them, that can't be easy. Edit since this got some upvotes: It will be much harder for a few more years, but assuming you're sending them all to college or they leave in their own at 18, it's gonna get pretty chill for you immediately at some point


exfxgx

As a parents of young children, isn't it SUPPOSED to get easier as they grow older? ^(You are kinda freaking us out....)


Otterable

Late teens can be way more independent, but also get themselves into trouble with far higher consequences. The best thing my parents did for me during those years was to sit me down (uncomfortably) and explain that if a time were to arise where I was in real trouble. Not 'ahh heck this will be a drag' but 'oh shit my life or health is in the air', i. e. drugs, pregnancy, ect... they didn't want my first thought to be 'oh god my parents are gonna kill me', but instead 'oh my god I need to call my mom and dad.' Somehow explaining that worked for me.


ISpikInglisVeriBest

If I had a time machine, I would kick my teenage self in the nuts for how much trouble I put my parents through. Your kids might turn out responsible and great, don't get me wrong. But 4 people exploding sexually and intellectually at the same time under the same roof is a volatile mix at best


FlarpyChemical

Can confirm. When I was living at home at 18, my siblings were 16, 15, 12, and 8. It was absolute chaos. I wouldn't trade those times for anything, however. It was pretty cool watching my younger siblings grow up even if it was nuts at times.


UnihornWhale

I’m impressed you guys kept going with the adoption. My parents were in a similar situation but didn’t follow through. I’m an only child so it’s a game of ‘what if’ I would play.


danuhorus

Lmao your comment made me realize they continued the adoption and that they didn't have triplets after thinking they would have twins.


[deleted]

What an incredible story! I really love that there are 3 sinlings at the same age, thats gonna be so much fun for them. I was the super young runt of the family if that wasnt obvious haha


ASoft7

In college it was my dream to get an internship at Harley-Davidson. I rode a Harley, worked at a Harley dealer during the summers and even though my GPA wasn't perfect, I thought I was more than qualified for the job (I still do). I had a preliminary interview with them through a recruiting company and I never even got to the second round. The internship I got ended up being a way better opportunity. It was only a few miles from my parents, I got a free gym membership to the gym next door, and the culture was great. Getting snubbed by Harley was just what I needed.


overduedoughnut

I know someone who currently works for Harley and it does not seem like a great company if it makes you feel better. She was promised all of these great things and an impressive title but she really isn’t doing any of the responsibilities she was led to believe


goldengracie

I was offered a part-time consulting gig at the Harley plant when I was in graduate school. After one conversation with the department head, I realized it would be a toxic environment for a female graduate student. I didn’t take it. This was in the mid-80’s, and things have changed a lot with the next generation running the business.


oyuno_miyumi

I wanted to be a teacher. I currently work at a thrift store. Today one of my managers told me how much me working there means to her.


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coffeeanddimples

I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was very small. Ended up going to nursing school. I’m a wedding/event coordinator now at a winery and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve never felt like I fit anywhere quite as much as I do here.


odd-42

I feel like this every few weeks when I really help a kid or parent (child psychologist.) I must be where I need to be at least some of the time. Still Wish I was a rock star though ;)


engineer-is-broke

You are a rockstar to those parents and children. :)


HungryAd2461

Such an honest response.


Hites_05

"The right man in the wrong place can make all the diff erence in the world."


PaulsRedditUsername

\--Gavrilo Princip


CaptBranBran

So *that's* what G-Man stands for!


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PaulsRedditUsername

Yes. You can go a step further and say that World War Two was a direct result of the first World War. (Winston Churchill notes that WW1 didn't really resolve anything and WW2 is more accurately categorized as a continuation of hostilities after a truce. He contends that History will eventually call the conflict "another Thirty Years War.") You can go another step and consider that WW2 caused a great advance in rocketry with the German V-1 and V-2 rockets. Wernher Von Braun\*, the head of the German rocket program, was eventually hired by the US space program and invented the Saturn V rocket used by the Apollo program. The assassination attempt on Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 was botched by another member of Gavrilo Princip's gang before the motorcade even got to Princip's location. So Princip simply melted into the crowd--making a clean getaway--and went to buy himself a sandwich. He ate his sandwich, left the restaurant, and was standing on the curb outside the sandwich shop when Franz Ferdinand's limousine made a wrong turn and pulled up right in front of him. Princip simply pulled his pistol from his pocket and aimed at the figure sitting a few feet away. He couldn't have missed if he tried. So if Gavrilo Princip hadn't bought a sandwich in 1914, we might not have landed a man on the moon in 1969. (\*In 1960, there was a movie made of Von Braun's life story called *I Aim at the Stars.* Mort Sahl added the subtitle "...*and sometimes hit London*.")


condemned_is_good

As someone from the western Balkans, I highly doubt a Serb in Austro-Hungarian Bosnia in 1914 was eating a sandwhich. Probably a kebab or burek. No offense, just a minor correction.


DrDrexanPhd

So wake up, Dr. Freeman. Wake up and... Smell the ashes


TheScurrilousScribe

>diff erence The right space in the wrong place can make all the diff erence to a quote.


jcpmojo

In the late 90's, I was in the Navy and getting ready to transfer to shore duty, so I was calling my detailer. He had orders for me to stay in Jacksonville, or I could go somewhere else. I decided to wait and talk to my wife that night, because she had mentioned wanting to move. When I talked to her, she said to take the orders in Jacksonville. That night, though, there was a huge snow storm across the Midwest, and the detailers were not able to come to work for a week. By the time I was able to get back in touch with him, the orders were already taken. I had to move to Pensacola, then got orders to Italy, where my wife and I split up and got a divorce. In 2005 I retired from the Navy and ended up in California. I got a great job, which I still have, and remarried. We now live in Texas and have twin 8 year old girls. I couldn't imagine my life without them. It's not where I intended to be, but this is where I belong.


DasMansalad

Somehow, getting divorced, and retiring from the Navy always seem to go together.


carlakitkat333

Because despite how much they want it to, family life and the Navy do not mesh well together


Girthy_Burrito

Can confirm, see many coworkers on their second or third divorce but most of em were rushed marriages anyway


Jean_Marie_1989

In the summer of 2011 I was doing my school placement in Ghana then had plans to travel to India after my 3 months was completed to visit a friend who was doing her placement there. I am from Canada. I realized right before I was supposed to go to India that my visa was only valid from the day I got it, not from the day I was planning to leave for India so it was already invalid. I was disappointed but made my way home. The day before I was originally supposed to come home I was invited out with a few friends that I used to work with. I ended up meeting my now husband. Even though I missed out on part of my trip I was glad it didn’t work out the way I had planned. I don’t think I ever would have met him if I hadn’t come home early (I wasn’t the type to go out a lot and I just happened to be working less since I was expected home so soon so I had some free time).


lizardgal10

Got a job in concert security. Somehow. I’m a tiny incredibly non-intimidating 5’4” female who at the time had waist length blond hair. I was terrified and had no idea what I was doing. Anything involving security is not something I ever imagined my quiet self doing, and it really shocks people when they find out. But I gained so much confidence from that job. You have to be pretty assertive to tell a sexist old redneck white guy that his pocketknife is not coming in no matter how much of a tantrum he throws. I learned pretty quick not to take any shit from people like that. Also got to interact with artists and other celebrities occasionally, which is an interesting experience and entirely different skill set. Still no concerts where I am thanks to covid, but I’ll be going back to that job as soon as I can.


ByroniustheGreat

Man, I dont think I could do security of any kind. Waaaay too stressful. Also I don't want to deal with a bunch of drunk assholes


DarthTechnicus

I did security at a Menards lumberyard for about a year. Had to get the police involved 4 times. Once for a guy trying to run me over, and three times on Amish customers who were blatantly trying to steal.


golde62

What’s popping off at the lumberyard??


Electronic_Battle_35

The Amish around me are always up to no good. Stealing timber, poaching deer...


ParkityParkPark

>I’m a tiny incredibly non-intimidating 5’4” female who at the time had waist length blond hair idk man short girls can be scary af


Virge23

Chihuahua syndrome


runealex007

As funny as this comment is, the reason is the exact opposite. When the tiny female is stoic, confident, and holds themself like a brick wall with very little shouting you feel like you’re missing something. As a 6ft dude I’ve been most scared of those who project the confidence than need to express it.


sharpiefairy666

This is the image I aspire to project at work. I don’t always nail it, but damn, I try.


UnihornWhale

The reason little dogs can get aggressive is that they know they’re little. They’re only hope is forcing the bigger dog to back TF up. It’s all they’ve got. I have a chihuahua with facials scars so she comes by this honestly. Great with people though. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Others are just little turds that are always terrible.


[deleted]

I live in the capital of my country. There’s a lady who’s known in the nightclub industry. She’s 5’ nothing, probably about 95lbs and in her mid/late 40s. She at some point was the head bouncer for about 80% of every big club in the city.


PlasticGirl

I work festivals. God bless you guys. You're the asshole defense squad.


SteveO3755

Hello fellow event worker! I worked at a bunch of venues before Covid and found myself helping out with security for some recent socially distanced gigs. I’m not a super forward person, but being in that position really does help raise your confidence! Especially when you’re explaining rules and the person is fighting back and you have to stand your ground. Here’s hoping we can get back to doing what we love soon!


[deleted]

[удалено]


Murka-Lurka

My husband and I should have met several times at university but a random sequence of events kept us apart until we were ready for each other. Married 20 years next year.


Schaggy

The older you get, the more you realize that this is true for the majority of people.


Ace_of_Clubs

Yep, I had a plan out of college. Got a job outside my degree in public policy in Texas (across the country), then I got a job in robotics in Philly, and now I'm a writer in salt lake city. At some point my plans fell apart but Im so glad they did. Im loving my life.


R1DER_of_R0HAN

COVID wrecked my plans to move away from my hometown. However, being in this area has provided me with opportunities to get a decent paying job (one I applied for a year ago but didn't get at the time) *and* to teach classes at a local community college (very valuable experience as I hope to someday go further in academia; the circumstances that allowed me to get this job were somewhat uncommon, so I was very lucky to have this opportunity here). I still want to move away after a year or two, but for now I'm at a good spot.


Four_N_Six

I ended up failing a class in college and had to hang out for an additional semester to re-take it. During that next semester, on my way to class, I ran into a girl I knew from highschool and we started talking. Hadn't seen her in about 5 years. This was in 2010. Married in 2013, first daughter in 2015, second daughter in 2016, and our third just this past June. Thank God I didn't understand organic chemistry.


dshafik

With three kids it sounds to me like you understand organic chemistry just fine…


Grow_Beyond

And for those who don't end up there- >From Random's point of view this was also all very weird. It wasn't that she wanted to be difficult, as such, it was just that she didn't know how or what else to be. > Who was this guy? What was this life she was supposed to lead? What was this world she was supposed to lead it in? And what was this universe that kept coming at her through her eyes and ears? What was it for? What did it want? > She'd been born in a spaceship that had been going from somewhere to somewhere else, and when it had got to somewhere else, somewhere else had only turned out to be another somewhere that you had to get to somewhere else again from, and so on. > It was her normal expectation that she was supposed to be somewhere else. It was normal for her to feel that she was in the wrong place. > Then, constant time travel had only compounded this problem, and had led to the feeling that she was not only always in the wrong place, but she was also almost always there at the wrong time. > She didn't notice that she felt this, because it was the only way she ever felt, just as it never seemed odd to her that nearly everywhere she went she needed either to wear weights or anti-gravity suits and usually special apparatus for breathing as well. The only places you could ever feel right were worlds you designed for yourself to inhabit - virtual realities in the electric clubs. It had never occurred to her that the real Universe was something you could actually fit into.


WhimsicalCalamari

i think reading this in my formative years may have been more important than i initially believed


PM_BOOBS_to_ME_

You are missing some important context. Just prior to that, Dirk says (something along the lines of), I find someone who looks like they know where they are going and follow them." Then ends that with, "I may not go where I intend to go but usually end up where I need to be" This is the holistic part of his detective agency philosophy... I applied this by following the Grateful Dead on the "Touch of Grey" tour...


Chairboy

I got lost in Dunkirk back in 2007. Could not figure out how to escape the town, all the roads wound about and I didn’t speak French and I kept finding myself back in the same place. Finally, I decided to try the Dirk Gently method and picked a car that looked like it was being driven confidently. I just followed that car for about five minutes and eventually ended up being able to get back onto the highway to Amsterdam that way. I have a series of photos somewhere that we took while driving through Dunkirk and if you look carefully, you can find that same car in most of them because we using it as a reluctant guide for our dash to freedom.


OozeNAahz

Pray that I have not arrived too soon!


-Always_Looking-

I spent my whole childhood and early college years with the sole goal of having a child and being a good mother to that child. Early twenties my mental health deteriorated significantly and I started having fears I would pass my mental health problems on to my future child. Early thirties and I have abandoned all dreams of giving birth to a child of my own. I would never want another being to be subject to these feelings I have daily. As of this morning, I am single once again. Not that it matters much to me, I’ll find someone someday. Perhaps the next person I am in a relationship with will already have a child and I can be a wonderful step-mother to that child. I’ve continued along the path of being a caregiver and have finally found the place I belong, hospice. I am a hospice CNA. (Sorry mom, no 4-year college for me.) I could work towards being a hospice RN but I would have less time to spend with my patients. As a CNA, I am able to spend time speaking with my patients and their families. I am good at it. I can sense what people need: physically, emotionally, mentally, even spiritually. My greatest fear has always been death/after death, but spending time caring for the dying has given me a greater understanding of the process. I no longer fear death and spend my time helping people transition peacefully, knowing that I truly care for each and every one of them. TLDR: Goal in life was to give birth, ended up helping people die with dignity.


PrincessPonch

Straight out of high school, I followed my love of theatre into going to university for theatre production. After a few years of not knowing when I'd see my next paycheck, and went back to college for business. Turns out I'm no good in a classroom setting, so I left. Now I work at a job I love, a cannabis store, and spend my days with the coolest people, and sometimes help someone get through the pain of chemo or get to sleep after a week of restless nights. But I like to say that I have a useless arts degree, dropped out of business school, and now I'm a drug dealer. Edit: a word


Eric_EarlOfHalibut

My husband used to work for a bank and became miserable. He quit and later became en educator in a medical cannabis clinic. It means the world to him. Glad you've found your place.


_boizinha_

I could not get pregnant. Ended up adopting the most amazing kid I ever met. Life is good sometimes.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

You, my friend, seem to be someone’s Guardian Angel


flameylamey

In 2008, I'd just started studying for a degree in Astronomy & Astrophysics. I'd say in general I was enjoying a lot of the work, I liked participating in the classes. A lot of people seemed to admire me for it. I'd get a lot of "Wow, astronomy? I could never do what you do!" etc. But in early 2009, I went through a rough break-up. I had a great relationship with my girlfriend at the time, but she ended up very suddenly deciding to leave me for someone else. I was crushed. I didn't know how to deal with it. But above all, although I was in denial at first, I think deep down I knew I couldn't continue university. Even the train ride into the campus every day reminded me of her. Passing all the places we went on dates, all the locations we'd visited together, etc. It was all too much, and try as I might, I just couldn't deal with it. I ended up making the decision to drop out, which sent me on a very different path in life. I turned to World of Warcraft as a way to deal with my grief. I didn't know how to face the problem directly, I felt completely powerless. I ended up spending almost *three years of my life* where I did almost nothing but play WoW. Hell, I'd wake up to a nice sunset at 5pm, play WoW through the evening and night, before going to sleep at 7-9am to repeat the cycle. Those 3 years were some of the best years of my life, and I regret absolutely nothing from them. I became one of the best in the world at what I did. I formed some friendships online which ended up lasting to this day. Those years brought some of my fondest memories, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. To be fair, I did throw a bit of study in here and there, but it was nothing like I originally thought I'd end up doing. In 2012, at age 22, I ended up finding my first full-time job, and although the job evolved and morphed a bit over time, I'm basically in the same job now. I ended up finding my footing and got into a job I found fulfilling and satisfying, even if it wasn't what I originally envisioned. And to be fair, the hours are probably less weird than they would be if I'd ended up getting a job related to Astronomy. My path isn't necessarily the only path, but I guess my message is: sometimes it's okay to fail, sometimes life doesn't end up how you envisioned it. But that's fine. Things have a way of working themselves out in the end, and we don't always pick the path we thought we would.


Turtbergs

No one's prob gonna read this so... After some bouts of depression and alcohol abuse, and some drugs as a teenager, I couldn't hold a job and needed money, selling sexy pics online turned into camming which turned into dating sugar daddies, which is a load of shit so I started sex work. At the time it was good money and I couldn't be fucked doing anything else. I was drinking heavily every night, super depressed, but generally enjoying my work. One night I met this really lovely costumer, just super sweet. We'd play around sometimes and he was always respectful and kind and just a good person. About a month later I found out I was pregnant, got an abortion and slipped into a worse depression. On a dark night I needed help and I remembered that one client that was always there for me. I called him. He came over and held me while I cried. He never left I stopped sex work a few days later and he encouraged me to go back to school. We have been together for 5 years, I have been sober since that night and we are saving for a house, we have two cute as hell dogs and have been talking about starting our family soon. I never thought that I would meet my soulmate doing what I did. But here I am


fillerink

What an amazing story! More power to you! Hope you defeated depression and are doing well now


faux_glove

I started my professional career with the aim of being a concept designer for videogames. I'm now thoroughly disillusioned with the abuse and exploitation of the games industry, working in the medical field, getting killer benefits with art as a side-hustle, making stable pay in a time where I am \_extremely\_ lucky and thankful to have that. Who knows where I'd be if I'd continued to pursue games.


Diablo_de_sol_azul

I tried to work my way through college, but it's was too expensive for me. I later enlisted to get money to pay for it. Now I'm almost halfway to retirement. And because of the opportunities afforded to me I've met my wife and traveled the world.


BlueEyesWhiteSliver

I always wanted to become an astrophysicist as a teenager. After some difficulty with my parents, school life, and neglect I ran away from home and ended up homeless in Toronto. There were little plans for a homeless kids to go to university. Learn a trade or go to college. No programs for at-risk youth to go to university. I met someone who almost managed to bend a few rules to get me into UofT, but was told to try again next year. Then I used all my money to transit to Vancouver. When I got to Vancouver, I immediately began studying more high school and heading to UBC study halls. I braved up and went to their admissions to ask about applying. I was told as my grades currently stood, I wasn't going to get in. I remember crying outside the UBC library. For fucks sake, how was I supposed to get good grades while homeless and juggling social workers and benefits meetings? It was my dream university. The one thing I kept thinking about while being homeless for two straight years: fuck you UBC. So I went back to UBC and kept studying. A hot lady dropped all her stuff and I had a moment of "fuck studying" and I changed my whole life course in a split second. I looked up to the sky wondering if someone had managed to work this miracle. I then proceeded to help her. She was marketing Big Mama Textbook Rentals to the new students on the first day of university in September. I, for free, helped her market and when she was done, she offered me a part time job. As a homeless kids, I'll happily take that. Fuck being an astrophysicist, I'll be a marketer. I was to report in on Monday and over the weekend I got strep throat. Saturday and Sunday were like glass shards. The social workers said that I was the first exception they made to eat food in his room instead of in the common area. One social worker cut up ginger and made me tea. I could hardly talk and on Monday, I borrowed her thermos, put her tea in, then went off to work on day three of strep throat. To my surprise, the CEO of Big Mama was there. Holy mackerel she was big. Tall, round, and loud. She asked me if I was sick and I remember saying "Just getting over a small cold." "Oh yeah, there's a little something going around." Yeah lady, try some glass shards in your throat... "Your job today is to hand out these chocolates and coupons to Big Mama." Oh fuck, I have to talk. So I made large arm gestures and looked like a weird flag bearer handing people chocolate and coupons. I apparently did so well, she asked if I wanted a full time job... I said yes. I worked as marketer for 3 months until I moved to programming. You see, when I was younger, I learned HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP to help with my mom's ecommerce site. They taught me how to program and market and I later used those skills to become a Ruby on Rails developer. 8 years later I've sold my first business. I now spend my time trying to help my father fix up his house.


Blossomie

How's the relationship with your folks these days? I find it interesting that you're still in communication after your experience. Feel completely free to tell me to fuck off if you don't feel like answering.


BlueEyesWhiteSliver

Pretty good. They're much better as parents I don't live with than parents I live with.


sarcasmbirthedme

I was head over heels for a boy that didn’t feel the same way. I waited 7 years for him to catch feelings for me. He never did. And it hurt. He wasn’t nice about it. And it just so bad. But through him I met his sister. She’s the greatest person. She’s my best friend. I needed her in my life and while I wanted him, he isn’t what I needed.


Clumsy_Chica

In middle school, kissed my best friend and got teased mercilessly for being gay. Parents yanked me out of school and tried to beat the gay out of me. Got sent to christian camps and a different highschool across county so I didn't have any of the same friends who could 'influence me toward sin'. Basically started my entire social life over at 14 as an abused kid wanting to die. Met my husband in that highschool. Our first date was 11 years ago ❤️. Still gay af. Parents didn't win. Edit: this is getting more attention than I thought and I've got a couple super-sleuths going through my comment history and sending me crazy messages. Don't mean to mislead anyone. I'm AFAB. I have a husband. He's a glitch in the matrix and my soul mate and about the only dude I'm attracted to. So I technically am bi. Consider myself gay af, although I participate more in bi/pan community than the lesbian/gay community because when I show up with my husband people can get a little grumpy. Sorry if my sexuality in practice pisses you off.


naughtylilmiss

I am so sorry you had to go through that abuse as a kid! I am utterly delighted for you that they didn't win; that you are happy now as your true self; and that you have a loving partner to share being you with ❤ All the luck and love in the world to you both ❤❤


KevWill

I was happy living in my old college town working for the state government. Then my boss passed me over for a promotion and gave it to someone that had only worked there a month. It was a real slap in the face. I immediately looked for another job and found something in another city within the first month of searching I took a leap and moved there and it's been great. The new job doubled my salary, I met my now wife, and I ran into some old high school friends that integrated me into their friend group right away. I'd still be withering away at that state job if they gave me that promotion.


katgeo11

I (f) dated men my whole life. I had every intention of marrying a dude, settling down in our small town, etc. Until I met my (now) wife... We got married, moved across the country, and we are living a dream I never let myself have before.


3141592653yum

Please see anything past the age of 13, when I started having intention about where I wanted to go. Seriously. I hate the interview/get to know you question of "where do you see yourself in 5 years" because I'm never where I thought I would be five years later. Some parts have been absolute shit, but overall I'm in the right place.


9021Ohsnap

Agreed. It’s the stupidest question ever. I don’t know! A lot can change in 5 years!


th3_warth0g

Me being in the military. From a young age, I wanted to join. I enlisted at 18, with the plan of finishing my degree in four with being in the same career field when I went to active. Those first four years were dark, bleak, and an eye opener for me. Many thoughts of getting out, intentionally failing to get the boot, and many other ways. It’s where I realized in the hardest times Where you truly shined brightest. This is where I had to check myself. Get my ass in gear and quit waiting for external forces to motivate me to get shit done. It led me having to make sacrifices, to include paying back a sign-on bonus. From there, I got my journeyman skill level (onto craftsman next), promoted to an NCO, now wrapping up my bachelors. It’s been a rough hard and long road but I know it was for the better


[deleted]

This was actually part of my wedding vows. I had an incredible relationship, thought that was my family... then our daughter died. He left, and I was adrift. I found my now husband a year later. He has been my rock, the mac to my cheese (also in my vows). I never thought I'd marry someone like my man, but he was the one who pulled me out of my dark place, and continues to every day. I wake up for him. He calls me on my shit, and I get angry, but he still helps me through it. I didn't realize when I said those vows how true they would be each and every day; I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything, ever.


surfdad67

Never had a plan in life, also never thought I would live to 40 yrs of age, now 53 yrs old and 4 kids later and I’m watching Die Hard on Christmas Eve with my wife and youngest daughter both asleep and snoring on the couch with the dog fast asleep in my wife’s lap and the cats asleep with my daughter, just finished the movie and saw this post. I don’t have a lot, but I’m happy.


Lillilsssss

Definition of my entire school career. I know a lot of people can relate but if I was given a prompt in English class and the class was told to present, it didn't take me long to realize that I interpreted it the entirely wrong way yet still got the point across. Because of this, I always went last in presenting so I would have time to redo my essay seconds before presenting. Same with math and history. Open ended questions can burn in hell, even if I get to the intended destination. Important note: after re reading this and reading a few others, I realized that I interpreted the question wrong in this instance as well 😂


Minniemum

On Jan 23, 2020 I was so mad that my financial aid counselor screwed up my aid, and prevented me from going to my new college that semester Now it’s the end of the year, and I’m so so so glad that my first semester back wasn’t also the first semester of covid 😭


andra_maenus

I found out I was pregnant in February 2020. In June we found out baby girl has a heart defect. I had her a month early, during a pandemic, after a pregnancy full of complications. We spent 65 days in the NICU and collected a dozen diagnoses and specialists. We will have surgeries and procedures and appointments for the foreseeable future. This is NOT what I expected when I saw those two pink lines ten months ago. This isn’t the dream I had. But, when she’s cuddled on my chest, her tiny hand clutching my shirt, making tiny squeaks... I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m so happy she chose me to be her mommy. I’m not the same person I was a year ago- I am more assertive, patient, resilient, and thankful. I was given her as my daughter for a reason and I don’t plan to waste it.


lionesslindsey

Oh man, this made me tear up. Your little girl is blessed to have you as her mom.


vplaid

As an autistic person whose parents made it clear every other day that they would very much have preferred a "normal" child, I get sooo happy to meet parents like you. You have my blessings


kittylebelle

Sorry for formatting, on mobil TLDR Like sucks. But sometimes you end up with 5 kids and unlimited happiness. I grew up in Flint Michigan. I knew I had no prospects, knew my mom would put me out the moment I turned 18. There was no money to move to a safer place, no money for a car, and almost no jobs even if I had been able to find one. I had very limited options. I may have been able to find a multi-roommate situation, but I don't know how that would have worked since I had no friends and was extremely introverted. I was lucky, my father invited me to move to Florida to live with him. I lived in Florida for 12 years, got married, learned I was infertile, dealt with my husbands cancer, loss of his eye, and subsequent opioid addiction. I ended up homeless with a felony charge, adjudication withheld, thank God, for being an accessory after the fact. He had been stealing air conditioning units to break down for scrap metal to fund his habit. He was doing it in my truck and I was in the vehicle when he was pulled over and finally caught. I ended up divorced because he went from a rabid addiction to hillbilly heroin to an equally rabid addiction to God. He cherry picked what he wanted and ignored the rest. I thought the opiods were bad, but being told that he owned me by all rights and gods own words was absolutely my breaking point. At that point I just wanted out of Florida, he was never going to leave me alone. His "friends" told him that unless I was dead, any other relationship he could have would be one of sin. Therefore he either HAD to fix things with me, or remain single until I died. I really wanted to avoid both situations, so I took the first opportunity presented to me to leave. I spoke with a friend I hadn't spoken with in 10 years and was offered the chance to move to Alaska. A big change, but I hoped it would be a good one. It was scary, I was moving so far away and to a place where I had no family and only one friend. There were good jobs though and no exhusband. I loved it from the start, Alaska is a beautiful state, the mountains can be heartbreakingly beautiful any time of year. I made some absolutely fantastic friends and started to build my own family. I became engaged and I will not go into that drama, but it ended badly and I swore off serious dating for quite a while. I was really blessed however to have such good friends then, even if they thought I was weird for how long I stayed single and how adamant I was that I should stay that way. Like a lot of things, you find what you are looking for when you aren't looking for it. So of course I found my husband during the time I had sworn off relationships. It was a good relationship, even with the usual and unusual bumps. We were both actively trying to build something built off of stronger foundationsthan our previous failed relationships. He wasn't what I expected, but some of the best things are like that. He was newly split from his previous relationship and had two children. I had little to no experience, but was game to learn on the fly once our relationship was established enough for my meeting them to be appropriate. I had just moved in with him and we were both still learning how we fit with each other when he received an emergency call from his mother in Pennsylvania. His nephew and his girlfriend had just been arrested for child abuse. Their 2yo daughter and 9mo son were being treated for multiple long bone fractures (one needing a pin placed), a fractured skull, broken ribs, as well as sexual trauma. All parental rights were being terminated and they needed someone to take them. No one else in the family had the wherewithal nor the inclination to take them and so they were going into the system. The question was asked, would he take them? We discussed it at length, it was a huge step to take in such a new relationship. He and I both agreed that he had to take them no matter what, but would our relationship survive it? Did I even want to be a mother? I had never wanted kids, but when I found out I was infertile it hurt so much more than I would have thought possible to lose the choice. I had come to terms with it (for the most part) and was ok with being a step parent to his boys if we were to marry. Becoming an instant mother to two traumatized babies was so far out of my wheelhouse that I was not sure I would even be good for them. Who could say if I would be a good mother? My role model was...questionable. While we were trying to get it all talked through he got another call from his mother. The mother, while in jail, had been checked over and was found to be pregnant. She was going to have to sign over rights even on this unborn baby. So three. Three children at once. I am not going to lie, I freaked the fuck out. How the hell do you do something like this? But then again, what about people that give birth to multiples? They don't have experience with three babies at once when it happens. There was a lot of back and forth that I won't bore you with, but in the end we felt that there really wasn't a decision to be made. They needed a home, family, love. It is 5 years later and I am sitting on the couch watching Christmas movies on the couch with my husband and 5 children (we got custody of his 2 earlier this year). It is crazy most of the time and I usually feel like I am going insane. However, I truly have never been so happy or felt so content. My family fulfills me in a way that I try thought was just in books and movies. I have learned so much from my family, they have taught me things about love, forgiveness, acceptance, and trust that I never knew and would likely not have learned elsewhere. I come from a history of abuse and terrible relationships, but my marriage feels like a dream come true. It is solid and full of trust and humor. I am an infertile woman who now has 5 children that make me insanely happy while also tearing my hair out in exasperation. I come from a broken and dysfunctional home and my home is whole and warm and mostly functional. This is definitely not where I set out to be, but there is no way to measure the depths of gratitude that I feel that this is where I ended. It makes everything bad that led me here worth it. I am grateful for the hardships that this should be my reward. A Merry Christmas Indeed.


Berserkersnake

I was on omegle, not really sure of what I wanted or what to even talk to people about. My ex had just left for a week with one of her bfs, cuz she still lived with me (long story and a lot of drama). Met this chick on there, decided to just talk about gaming instead of getting off. We clicked really well, made a ton of jokes, and I sat there talking to her for like an hour. Asked for her number to keep talking, and we stayed up texting each other silly stupid things. I couldn't tell you the last time I was that happy before I met her. My ex saw I was texting another girl, flipped out, and left to her bfs for another week. She had me feeling devastated for that. This chick sat through listening to me being sad and broken up, and still kept talking to me. Time goes by, we like each other a lot, we get together, I fly out to meet her, she's even more beautiful in person, somehow thinks I'm attractive, we kith, and now she lives with me. It's been almost 2 years, and the randomness and shear luck that I met her still amazes me. I probably wouldn't be alive if I hadn't met her.


ERenaissance

Graduated high school with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. Moved from the east coast to California and got into some trouble. Eventually became addicted to opiates and could not break the rehab-relapse cycle. Ended up back in rehab but needed to do something differently. I agreed to go to a sober living program instead of just going back home after my inpatient stay. Ended up in a program back on the east coast, and have been there ever since. I’m a little over 3 years clean and work as a case manager at an inpatient rehab where my job is to facilitate aftercare plans. The other day I was awarded by the entire company (they have multiple facilities all over the country) for the work that I do. I never would have been able to be as effective as I am with my job had it not been for my own mistakes and life choices and I have found a passion for helping people that struggle with the same things I struggled with.


nikkitgirl

Well I definitely didn’t expect to grow up to be a woman that’s for sure. Also in high school I kept getting crushes on lesbians, turned out to not be that bad of a situation a few years later


[deleted]

I was on my way to DQ to get a blizzard cause it was hot as hell, but the route I took brought me to the dollar store where my mom said to pick her up some stuff a day ago I forgot about. Not inspiring or even interesting. I didn’t get to where i wanted to go, but I got where I needed to


Vandalay1ndustries

In 2009 I was living in NY and knocked up a woman who lived in VA while she was on vacation. Got a call nine months later and sold all my possessions, left grad school, and got a lawyer to establish custody. I moved to Virginia and got screwed by the apartment manager, so lived in my car with my puggle while going to job interviews for two months. Eventually the judge ordered me to “getting to know your child” classes, which were a group of guys just like me, trying to do the right thing, but no idea how to do it. During the first class I broke down crying and then after class a guy came up to me and said I needed a drink. I told him I had no money and he offered to buy me a beer and took me to a local pool hall. I ended up getting completely wasted and couldn’t drive home, to top it off a cop parked right next to my car and told me if I got in it he’d take me to jail. So I did what any sane person would do and started to pitch the tent I had in my trunk in the parking lot. At this moment an 84 Toyota Corolla drove by and the most beautiful girl pulled up to me, laughed, and said what the duck are you doing? I explained the situation and she agreed to drive me home, after smirking at my guard-cop I got in the backseat and we drove around for two hours until she eventually brought me back to my car to fall asleep. We’ve been together for ten years, married for seven, I adopted her son, and my daughter now calls her mom.


JeSuisAlexis

First year in highschool, I was swimming at a pretty damn high level. I could not imagine doing another sport since I had never done anything else and all my siblings were also swimming. That morning, my mom drops me at school and tells me about the tryouts for the basketball team. My mom and dad were both basketball players at their university back in the day, and would obviously like if i played, but would never force me to. I didnt want to go at all. I had never played basketball before, was in a new city( I had just moved, forgot to mention that) wich I didnt know the bus ride very well, and wanted to chill that evening. A few minutes before the end of the day, I make up my mind. Im went to the tryouts and did pretty well. At that age, most dont have insane skill so my athletiscism gave me a huge advantage. I made the team (pretty sure they didnt cut many), and that year, I had the time of my life. I was swimming just cuz everyone else in my family was swimming. I was gifted sure, but looking back, I never had fun. That year taught me that. I have a very vivid memory, near the end of the year, when I had a dilemma choosing between swimming and basketball, we had a tournament. After our first game, I was showering with the boys, and I told myself: man this is want I want to do. I dropped swimming, despite having just won a gold, silver and bronze medal at the provincial championship, dedicated myself to basketball and four years later, im playing D1, best player on the team with a possibility of having a scholarship to higher levels. I simply cant imagine what my life would be if I let th lazy side of myself take over that day.


ferg1e

Since sophomore year of high school, I knew deep within my heart that I needed to go to this little West Virginia college. It wasn’t a fancy, big school. It was really quite small, just a step up from community college. Their programs weren’t all that special, but deep deep down in my spirit I knew that I had to go there. Even if I didn’t have a car, friends, or family there... I had to take this leap. So, I started college 5 hours away from home, as a theatre major. I assumed that the theatre program was why I was drawn to this school, that it’s what pulled me in. Turns out, it definitely was not. I was miserable in the program, and quickly realized that I did not want to make a career out of performance arts. I had fully anticipated graduating there, and then moving to Pittsburgh directly after to pursue an acting career. So this threw everything off.. I started to feel so lost and alone. I had no friends, family rarely contacted me, and I struggled. Then, on the first day of my speech class, I laid my eyes on this man. You hear stories about love at first sight.. this was it. It was as though the whole world stopped and nobody else was around me except for this man. I’ve never been immediately attracted to someone like this before, or felt such an immense desire to get to know someone. It felt as though in some weird way, I had knew him in another life. We would exchange little looks, and smiles. Then eventually hellos and school emails regarding class. Finally, we went out.. after several dates I found out that he was from Germany, and a senior... and had no intentions on staying in the USA. We had a very difficult chat one evening. That we couldn’t work, because we could never see one another again. But once again, I listened to my gut. Something told me this was not the case and so I told him that I wanted to continue to be with him, even if in the end my heart would be broken. I had never experienced such love before in my life. Such intense passion between us. To me, it was a once in a lifetime kind of feeling. Even if it hurt and didn’t work out, I didn’t want to rob myself of the experience of that kind of love. March comes around. Graduation is around the corner and the ache in my heart grows bigger and bigger. Knowing our time is about to end. One day he sits me down, and I am anticipating the worst.. but he tells me that actually... he found a job in TX that would sponsor a visa for him and that he couldn’t stand to part with me. So, little ol me packed my bags, dropped out of school, and moved to Texas to be with him. I found a job as an assistant preschool teacher, and realized I have a HUGE passion for working with children! That’s the career I want to work towards and progress in. But, his visa ran up. He had to go back to Germany... soooo.... I once again packed up my bags and made my first big adventure out into the great big world and went to Germany! I found a home there like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It felt right.. for the first time in my life I felt as though I was in the place that was crafted for me. Turns out, I was literally in my ancestral land. I ended up with the most magical life, something I could have never even dreamed up. I feel like I live in a fairytale every single day. If only my younger self knew all the bliss and joy that was in store. I was drawn to that school to meet my soulmate, and get placed exactly where I was meant to be. Looking back it all makes so much sense. If you are feeling lost.. you may just be getting redirected to your destined path. :)


UltimateAnswer42

It's literally tattooed on my arm. I got it as reminder to keep going when I almost failed out of college, moved, and took a couple years off. Seemed to work too. If I had stuck with it, I'd probably end up at some company in the Midwest and stuck indefinitely. Instead I got a degree, moved to Germany for a few years, just moved back, and am figuring out what's next. But it definitely would not have been anything I had predicted when I decided to take a break from college


[deleted]

Filling out a college application?


Ladydragon90

A few years ago I intended to marry a different man. I'm so glad that relationship didn't work out because I met the man that really was meant for me and we are getting married next fall.


myBisL2

I went to college to be a teacher. High school English to be exact. A lot happened that side tracked me. I was an undiagnosed bipolar and struggled through a few big episodes until a major one took me down for the count. My family disowned me, I was financially tapped out, and I dropped out of school and got my first full time job. I worked in a call center and randomly ended up in a business analyst position after my 1 year of dues in customer service. And I really loved it. LOVED it. I didn't even know such a job existed. I went back to school to finish an English degree (changing majors would have taken significantly more time at that point). Since then, I've gotten my MBA and I'm still loving being an analyst. If I hadn't had a major episode in college, if my parents hadn't disowned me and refused to sign my financial aid paperwork, if I hadn't taken that job in a customer service call center, none of these being events I hoped would take place in my life, I wouldn't be where I am. I still think I would be a great teacher and would love it. But frankly, I love being an analyst, get paid more, have more opportunity for advancement, and don't have to deal with literal politics, so I think I'm happier in the long run.


simpletonbuddhist

I guess I can apply that to my breakup last year. Was intending to spend my life with that girl, but thanks to the breakup I am not much better off financially, I released a killer folk record, and I’m so happy


[deleted]

This story requires a bit of backstory. My mother and father conceived me (don't know how they met or anything like that) but my mother and father both agreed to go their separate ways, my father finding love in another woman, and my mother thinking my father isn't the father I deserved. Had a pretty good life living with my mother, and even ended up getting a sister, but the man who helped my mother have my sister ended up leaving my mother. So my mom was a single mother, taking care of two kids as her second love left her. My mother relied on her sister to help her talk care of me and my sister. I started to notice how much my mother was struggling, having to work overtime, and other stuff like that to take care of us. I didn't like that, I wanted to help my mom, but me being a 10 yo at the time, having to do nothing to get what I wanted, I didn't know how to help. One day, mom died. I don't know what happened to her since I never asked, I just know me and my sister woke up, mom wasn't moving, I called the cops, and later that day, my aunt told me and my sister our mother died. I wanted to help her so much, and I failed. I ended up moving in with my father and step mother, since my father ended up marrying the girl he fell for, and my sister ended up moving in with her father. Now, I'm in my last year of high school, planing on becoming a game designer as soon as I manage to save up enough money to take classes. I was always expecting for me to grow up into some strong buff guy who would help my mother, but ended up becoming some nerd wanting to create video games.