“I feel like I gave up my childhood way too soon.
Now, I’m a burnout adult with very little motivation to do more than the bare minimum.”
We recentlyaskedtheBuzzFeed Communityto share what they learned after a childhood mishap.
Here are some of the most memorable responses:
1.
“This is going to sound both very lame and very dramatic.
I didn’t love going to friends' houses or talking on the phone.
The story was she had pneumonia she couldn’t shake.
I never called her back because I hated phone calls.”
I have a permanently deformed hand that can’t be fixed."
mauraudingbeastmachine
4.
“I was 12 or 13.
This was the dawn of the internet when chatrooms were a big thing.
The conversation turned sexual quickly.
I gave him my address and phone number so he could call or write me.
He did call one day, and he sounded old, which freaked me out.
I made an excuse and got off the phone.”
“The next time he called, my dad answered.
He went through the roof and threatened the guy.
So many terrible things could have happened that didn’t (thank goodness).
I learned to be more careful with my interactions online and imparted that to my children.
Mo, California
5.
“Don’t chew on pens, pencils, or rubbers.
I hope I don’t need to explain why.”
tylertravers
7.
“Always ensure your shirt doesn’t just pop open.
Long story short, my shirt popped open, and I didn’t notice.
I accidentally flashed my crush.
“Magnets and televisions do NOT mix!”
hobbitgirl96
9.
“Accidentally using a knife to try and fish out jammed bread from the toaster.
This seems like such a no-brainer.
But for a kid?
It seemed like a feasible solution.
When my mother screamed and lunged toward me in horror to prevent electrocution, it traumatized me.
Now, I can’t make toast without recalling that day.
It permanently scarred me, and I’ll never do it again.”
“I really wish I had not given into peer pressure.
God, what an idiot I was.
It’s OK to say no.
It’s OK to not be cool.
hey know your worth and stand up for yourself, especially when it comes to your health.”
“You’re young once, but you are not young and ‘invincible’ forever.
You do grow up.
morgan_le_slay
11.
“I lied to my third-grade teacher.
It was over something minor he slightly scolded me for.
My mom emailed him, and the next day the lie was uncovered.
I had to apologize which was embarrassing and had him as a teacher for the rest of the year.
Our relationship was damaged, and I felt he didn’t trust me.
I learned to tell the truth, not be so dramatic, and that lying hurts people.”
runerlove
13.
“Honestly, I wish I had been less worried about school and getting good grades.
I wish I had done more fun stuff and enjoyed life more.
I also wish I hadn’t started working as early as I did.
I feel like I gave up my childhood way too soon.
Now, I’m a burnout adult with very little motivation to do more than the bare minimum.”
“I screwed up so much of my life in high school and college.
Years later, I’m just now reaching a point where I’m neutral about my body.
Anonymous
15.
“The whole ‘just ignore the bullies and they’ll go away’ is the worst advice.
If you ignore them, they will not go away.
They will double down until you have a nervous breakdown.
It happened to me in middle school.
This taught me that I must stand up for myself no matter the cost.”
“I wish I’d been able to transition to life in America easier.
I don’t think I had a close friend at any point in my school days.
It somewhat messed up my life and my ability to carry conversations with people.”
staylevelheaded
17.
“I was afraid after a ride, and my mother laughed and mocked me.
I was 5 or 6.
Her laughing at my legit fear showed me myemotionswere ridiculous and she could not be trusted.
“I missed the entirety of sixth grade for medical reasons.
I guess the lesson is to do what you have to do, even though it might suck!”
refaelreichmann
19.
But having most adults think that about me as a kid has affected me as an adult.
People who knew me as a child are shocked when I do adult things.
I wouldn’t have expected that from you!'
You could have some fun once in a while.”
My best friend and I had a massive falling out on that day.
I wrote her name on my list, but she didn’t write mine on hers.
This meant we were split up into different classes and didn’t have any lessons together for two years.
However, the damage of all that bullying was already done and didn’t go away.
She is massively apologetic for what transpired, and we are still best friends today.
What matters is I have her now, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
