Life can be really funny. Sometimes, you may think your life is over—but really, it’s leading you exactly where you need to go. The people of Reddit have shared the craziest near misses, meet-cutes, and coincidences that are so perfect they can’t be explained. If you’ve ever doubted that the Butterfly Effect is real, well, just read on and decide for yourself.
1. Life Saver
I recently had to update my insurance info with my heart surgeon's office. It all got held up because the person with my new details caught the flu, which threw a wrench in the works.
Just when they got better and I got those precious details, I got straight on the phone with the surgeon's office to let them know. That's when the lady on the other end sprang a surprise on me. She's like, "Guess what? We've had a no-show for this Friday, do you want to bump up your surgery?" I couldn't resist -- truth is, I was itching to get the whole thing over with. Waiting another long month was a downer for me. So, I thought why not, and agreed to an out-of-the-blue, early slot for my open-heart surgery. Talk about fast-forward - this was a whole month sooner than planned.
Now, here's the stunner. That quick decision turned out to be the best call of my life. The shock on my surgeon's face said it all. He was dead certain if I'd stuck to the original date, I wouldn't have lasted that long.
So, if that insurance clerk had not been knocked out by the flu, I would've passed on my new insurance info earlier, effectively nixing my chance at this surprise surgery slot.
Funny isn't it? Someone else's bout of flu indirectly gave me a life-line. A flu, of all things, ended up being my unexpected hero. In the bigger picture, it saved my life.
2. The Porta-Potty Of Destiny
I was thinking how much nicer it would be to go to the bathroom at home instead of a stinky Porta-Potty. So, off I drove, all the way back home. But, when I got there, it was like my worst nightmare had come true. I caught my wife cheating on me with another guy. That horrific moment gave me the push I needed to totally flip my life around. I packed up and moved states away. Fast forward seven years, and things have seriously improved.
Time was, I was barely getting by, scraping together $18 an hour elbow-deep in manual labor. But as I climbed my way up the professional ladder, so did my salary. Now I'm earning six figures, a total turn of the page from those early days when the idea of a career advancement seemed like a pipe dream.
There's another crazy chapter in my story. I remember this one time I ended up at the doctor's because I'd gotten a splinter hacking up some firewood. One thing led to another, and six months later, I was going under the knife. They had to take out a big chunk of my kidney due to Renal Cell Carcinoma.
It's pretty wild to think, that without that insignificant splinter, I probably would've never known about the cancer growing in my kidney and could've lost my life to it. It's funny how life throws you curveballs, huh?
3. The Facilitator
On the very first day of college, I asked my Chemistry lab partner if they wanted to grab lunch. I was just trying to make some new buddies at school. I had no idea the ripple effect this small act would have.
My only other friend from school fancied coming along for the casual meetup. Turns out, he thought my lab buddy was kinda cute and asked her to hang out with us more. But surprise twist, he completely fell for her roommate instead.
This unexpected romance turned into a marriage that's been going strong for over 20 years. Fast forward to now, 22 years later, they're blissfully married with two super cute kids. Who could've predicted that my simple lunch invitation would lead to such a beautiful, forever love story? Life's surprises just blow my mind.
4. Could’ve Had A Tragic Ending
A couple of years back, I lived in the beautiful city of Nice in the sunny South of France. Being a musician by trade, I used to make a bit of extra cash busking on the streets. One day, I figured I'd give the busy Promenade des Anglais by the sea a shot. That place was always teeming with folks, and honestly, it was a great place to kick back.
After setting up and tuning, I kicked off with a few songs. The audience was digging it, and the money was rolling in. Then bang in the middle of "The Scientist", unexpectedly, snap - two of my guitar strings broke.
I was totally bummed out, and decided to pack it in. In a bad mood, I headed home, annoyed at the unexpected end to one of my biggest busking days so far in Nice. Also, I wasn't looking forward to changing my guitar strings.
Roughly an hour after I got home, my phone started blowing up with texts from friends and family. They seemed freaked out, asking if I was still at the Promenade. It was then when the terrible news struck me about what had happened at the same spot where I'd been performing.
It was Bastille Day, 14th of July 2016. A truck had ploughed through the crowd I had been entertaining, leaving 86 innocent people dead. My back-then girlfriend's uncle was one of them. Even worse, two of my buddies were among the 458 people physically scarred by this dreadful incident. The trauma was unbearable, and I moved back home the following month, not having the heart to return to Nice since.
When I think back on the whole ordeal, a whirlwind of emotions engulfs me. At times, I feel incredibly lucky for avoiding such a disaster by a whisker. Yet sometimes, guilt and sorrow dominate — I find myself asking why was I saved when so many others weren't. Regardless of any sense of luck or survival, it's a deeply upsetting feeling that lingers within me.
5. One Look Changed Everything
You know, back in my high school days, I got curious about biology and signed up for this middle-of-the-road biology class. Up until that point, I hadn't really thought much about biology, but I knew I was good at science so it seemed like a cool idea.
But then, out of the blue, my science teacher from a couple of years before breezes into my classroom. She spots me, we make eye contact, and she comes over for a little chat.
With a bit of chit chat, she picks my brain about how I did in previous years at school, and I fill her in. She nods, heads out, but whips back around a few minutes later. She tells me to gather my stuff and follow her, and I'm left scratching my head, wondering if I accidentally messed up big time without realizing it.
Except instead of hauling me to the principal's office, she brings me to a different classroom. She finds an empty seat, plops me in it, and starts her lesson. Turns out, she was running the higher-level biology class that year and pretty much 'hijacked' me to be one of her pupils.
Little did I know, this was far from the end of my tryst with biology. This love affair chased me through my bachelor's degree, right onto my Master's, and boom...eventually, I was touting a PhD in Immunology. These days, I'm offering advice to mega pharmaceutical corporations.
Oh, and get this. During my Master’s in London, I bumped into this amazing woman. Fast forward a decade, now we're living the homeowner's dream together.
Looking at it all, I can't help but feel like that unexpected meeting in that biology class kinda set my whole life into motion. Just because my old teacher noticed me and steered me in a new direction.
6. A Divorce Led To A Marriage
So, I made a last-minute decision to go to a pal's divorce party, right? And there, out of nowhere, I bumped into the woman who'd become my wife. You know what they say, right? When one door shuts, another one opens...
7. An Email That Wasn’t Annoying
When the missus and I came home from our honeymoon, there was this surprise email waiting for her from some old coworkers. See, they were cooking up a short movie, just for the fun of it, and they were curious if she'd be keen to jump in as the main character. She was totally psyched, and knowing my movie geek side, she wondered if I'd like to hang out with them. At that point in time, I was pretty grumpy, stuck in this dull life insurance gig.
Now, let's be clear, my love for film goes deeper than just being a 'fascination'. I'd been hankering to get my foot into movie production for years. But, making the right contacts was a major challenge, and I was pretty clueless about how to turn that dream into my day-job.
As luck would have it, tagging along with my wife on that gig was the best decision ever. I ended up making friends with the producer of that little film, and guess what? We're still buddies ten years later. Fast-forward to the present, I'm living my dream - making films and videos. Over time, I've put my touch on full-length films, shorts, plus TV and web stuff. I've also had the chance to travel the world, and all because of that one important email that popped up in my wife's inbox.
Funny enough, that first short film, the catalyst for this amazing life change, wasn't ever even completed. Life's pretty quirky that way sometimes, don't you reckon?
8. Love Across The Globe
After nearly 20 years, my other half found out he wasn't Mexican, like he thought, but actually of Spanish heritage. Curious about this, he updated the country on his MySpace profile to Spain, even though he was really kicking back in the United States.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet in Australia, I was helping my mate get to grips with Spanish. We thought it'd be a great idea to engage with Spanish speakers on MySpace to make her learning journey more involving and fun.
As if by magic, I came across my future hubby's profile during this search and we totally clicked. Skip ahead three years, we finally met face-to-face, and as they say, the rest is history. We've been attached at the hip for 11 years, out of which we've enjoyed seven awesome years of wedded bliss. The bonkers thing is, had he not changed his profile's country to Spain, even just for giggles, we likely wouldn't have ever crossed paths.
LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Pexels
9. A Chat Room Family
So, picture this, it's 1999 and I decided to plunge into the wacky world of the internet. Found this chat room, pre-installed on my computer, and thought, "Why not give it a whirl?" I had no clue at the time, but this random choice would change everything.
Over the next year, I gelled with the folks hanging out there regularly. It was like suddenly, voila. I had a whole new family. We gabbed about anything and everything you could think of.
All that time I spent chatting turned out to be more than just fun – it boosted my typing speed and let's not forget, sharpened my communication skills big time. It turned out to be such a huge influence that it even helped me in my university studies. Whenever I hit a brick wall, my cyber buddies were there to help me over it.
And get this - believe it or not - fate had it that the love of my life was hanging out in that very chat room. My hubby and I have been loving the married life for the past 18 years. And we're not the only ones. A bunch of our chat room gang also found true love there and we all still touch base to this day.
All this magic happened just because I randomly clicked to join a chat room one day. Isn't life wonderfully unpredictable like that?
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10. Gen Z, There Used To Be These Things Called Pay Phones
Back in the day, when my old man was only 20, he was in a bit of a jam needing a phone number. So he headed over to the closest payphone and gave the operator a ring. In no time, she handed over the number he was after, and he hung up. But, believe it or not, that's just where things start getting interesting.
Now, by some random fluke, the operator mistakenly dispensed the coins back into the payphone instead of into her system. Oops. Recognizing her goof, she rang up the payphone and asked my pop if he could do her a solid by dropping the coins back in. He did that right away, and hung up. But then, wouldn't you know it, the operator slipped up again and more coins clinked out. So she called back, made her request, my dad obliged, and the cycle repeated.
Poor thing must have been flustered because of her repeated lapses because, irritatingly, her system coughed up the coins yet again. Guess what? My dad gets another call at the payphone. By this time, they’d chatted enough to spark a conversation, and in the midst of it all, my dad bagged her number.
From that point, they agreed to grab a bite and a movie. Sadly she stood him up that first date, and even blanked on his name when he called back later. But they made it up over a cuppa. One coffee date led to another and then to another. Fast forward four years, they were saying "I do" arm in arm. Fast forward to this upcoming August, they’ll be tossing confetti celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss.
So, here’s why I'm spinning you this yarn - if my old man hadn't been in need of that number that fateful day, chances are I wouldn’t be here sharing this quirky anecdote. My father often looks back on that incident as "the priciest phone call he ever dialed". Hang the expense, he’ll tell you it was well worth it.
11. Pizza Is Usually A Force For Good
You know how sometimes you finish up a hard day at school and all you want is a giant cheesy pizza? That was me. We weren't exactly swimming in cash, so a spontaneous trip for dinner out wasn't common. Still, I cranked those puppy dog eyes up to full power on mom and begged for a trip to our all-time pizza joint. Well, it worked. She said yes.
So once we got there, I was just chilling, taking in the cozy vibe, when bam. There's my uncle. Which would be completely normal, if it wasn't for the fact he lived a few states over. Seeing him stroll around our hood with no heads-up was just plain weird.
Well as the story goes, off that random bump-in, I unearthed this huge family scandal. He'd been secretly romancing my other uncle's wife, an aunt who's known more for her love of green than family bonds. No wonder she wasn't our family's favorite person. This unexpected pizza-inspired reunion kicked up a storm of family drama so fast, we didn't even see it coming. Before we knew it, relationships were wrecked. Two decades have passed, and we haven’t spoken since.
All this ruckus, and to think it all started 'cause I was jonesing for a pizza.
12. A Last-Minute Decision That Turned Out Well
Picture me back when I was a young 13-year-old in the eighth grade. Every day, I'd make the long bus trip back home more enjoyable by diving headfirst into a good book. But one day, I hit a bit of a roadblock: I had read everything I had. With only a minute to grab something from the library, I found myself holding an astronomy book. I can honestly say, I've never been so hooked on a book in my life. The realization that all the great astronomers I was reading about were once 13 and came from places like my own hometown, Pittsburgh, lit a spark of possibility in me.
Zooming to the now, you'll find me living out that same spark – I'm an astronomer, spending my days delving into the mysteries of giant space explosions. To get from that "aha." moment in the library to where I'm standing now, it definitely took heaps of sweat and elbow grease. But no matter the obstacles, I can't help being forever grateful for that day I randomly picked up that intriguing book on astronomy.
Galina Zhigalova, Shutterstock
13. KFC Actually Being Good For Your Health
A little while back, I was heading home from work and there weren't many cars on the road. Just one car was in front of me, with the odd "KFD" on its license plate. This got me thinking about KFC, and how it'd been ages since I had those irresistible salty fries. So, out of the blue, I swung into the KFC drive-thru for a little treat.
But the service was kind of sluggish. It took about ten minutes or so. Now, that might not seem like a big deal, but when you're starving, it's like forever. Eventually, I had the salt-laden fries in my grip. But when I looked up, the formerly empty roads were now jammed with cars.
As it turned out, the bridge up ahead was the cause of all this hold-up. What was usually a six-lane bridge was now squeezed down to just one lane. Why, you ask? A colossal car accident involving numerous cars had thrown the road into disarray.
As I got nearer, I spotted something that grabbed my attention. There, in the midst of the wreckage, was a license plate that sent a shiver down my spine. It was the "KFD" plate. The same car I was behind earlier.
The realization made my blood run cold: if I hadn't made that unexpected detour for fries, my car might have been part of that mess. So, that agonizing wait for a bag of fries might just have been a lifesaver, steering me clear of a potentially fatal accident.
14. The Benefits of Working From Home
So, in March 2020, I found myself in a bit of a pickle. You see, my new job gave me two possible start dates. The first option was to jump in early and spend a week in the office. The other choice was to kick things off a bit later, right around the time the company was starting to work from home because of the whole COVID-19 situation. I chose the second option and had my work computer shipped to my place so I could start my job from home.
Now, here's where things get a bit wild. I found out that the colleague who was supposed to be my desk buddy in our cozy shared office space got hit with COVID-19. He's just a bit younger than me, and the virus hit him hard. Months later, the poor guy was still so wiped out he had to cut down to part-time hours. Talk about a close shave - if I'd chosen that earlier start date, I'd have been in a tight office space with him for a whole week.
15. Shopping Carts and Course Changes
So, before I kicked off my school adventure, I thought to shake things up by reshuffling my class timings. This landed me with more travel time, and I had to jet off to a different branch of my school in another town. It wasn't part of my initial game plan, but alas, that's how the chips fell.
On my first day at this new location, I bumped into this girl. She was having a tough time since both her arms were out of commission. Turns out, she got into a bit of a pickle with a shopping cart which led to her breaking both arms. At least, that's the story I later gathered.
Life's got a quirky sense of humor, right? If I hadn't shuffled my class timetable, our paths might never have overlapped. And now, that same girl is my better half. We've been coasting through a blissful marriage for a pretty awesome 14 years.
Krakenimages.com ,Shutterstock
16. Love Finds A Way
I used to get along super well with a woman from HR - we just clicked, you know? But it was always just friendly teasing. Both of us were seeing other people, and the thought of dating a coworker just didn't seem like the smart play. So, when she left the company, it kind of bummed me out.
Fast forward a year or two, here's a guy at work asking me for a favor. He wanted me to dig through all my old emails to find some info he needed. Can you believe that was a regular thing back then?
Anyway, while I was digging around in my email, I stumbled upon a farewell email from the HR gal. What really caught my attention was that she had sent it from her personal email. So, I thought, why not give it a shot? I emailed her, we grabbed a coffee, which turned into a date, then a few more. Next thing I know, we're confessing our love for each other and I'm asking her to marry me.
Fast forward again to today - we've been happily married for 12 years. We've got two energetic kids and a pair of playful cats. She puts up with all my quirks and weirdness, always sporting a sweet smile, making each day a crazy fun ride.
17. Sometimes The Old Fashioned Way Is The Best Way
Once I wrapped up college, I dove into a serious hunt for a job. I can't even begin to count the hours I spent obsessively digging through job sites online. Then, one ordinary day, there was this newspaper, just hanging out at home. The odd part? We never subscribed to this paper, and I still have no clue how it ended up in our place.
But there it was, just lying around. On a whim, I figured, why not take a peek at the jobs under the career section? As luck would have it, I found myself scoring a job in a totally new city, miles away from my comfort zone. It was surely a huge leap but I didn't shy away.
In that fresh city, I bumped into someone who quickly turned into a dear friend. This friend introduced me to others, and these folks connected me to even more people. It was a never-ending series of introductions that kept expanding. The icing on the cake? One of those meet-ups led me to my future spouse.
Looking back, God forbid if I ended up in a job close to home as I initially intended, I can't believe I'd have missed out on meeting all these amazing people. And of course, I wouldn't have met my wife. Life's randomness definitely has a way of surprising us, right?
18. Don’t Judge A Book By Rumors
Around four years back, I got this invite from a classmate I barely knew - he wanted me to tag along to Six Flags. At that time, I was kind of a loner and had heard stuff about him being a bit offbeat. I wasn't really into hanging with him. Little did I know, I was narrowly on the brink of making a huge mistake.
The day of the supposed Six Flags trip rolls around, and out of utter boredom, I start thinking, "Why not take a chance?" And then, yep, I decided to join the gig, connecting with this kid and his two buddies at Six Flags. I had never met them till that day.
Now, blast ahead four years, and guess what? That somewhat quirky kid is now my BFF. Thanks to him, I've landed three super close buddies. Plus, because of my new crew's connections, I met my first girlfriend. I was pretty introverted once upon a time, but these friendships totally reshaped my high school life. I had this awesome circle I could lean on for just about anything.
In the future, my best bud is the guy I plan to ask to stand by my side as the best man at my wedding. And let me tell you, I'm full on committed to staying tight with this gang no matter what comes. Now that I've returned from college, I am pumped up to soak up all the fun I can with them. Looking back, that trip to Six Flags is hands down the best call I ever made.
19. Turning Boredom Into A Career
You know, about ten years ago, my computer didn't have any built-in PC games to keep me busy, kinda left me twiddling my thumbs. So, just to fend off the boredom, I ended up messing around with the movie maker on Windows XP. Little did I know, I was about to stumble upon something that I'd not only enjoy loads but also get pretty serious about.
Here we are now, and what am I doing? I'm working in a TV/Film production gig as a video editor.
20. A Game-Changing Decision
When I was only 15, I made this decision: Instead of heading out to babysit for my aunt and uncle, I decided to hang around at home and join a soccer game. Well, this led to my uncle needing to go out solo. He figured he'd take a shortcut to get home quicker. Sadly though, he ended up slipping into a river and, heartbreakingly, he drowned.
21. Passenger Seat Wouldn’t Have Been Empty
So, I had initially made plans to hitch a ride with my aunt to this family shindig. But, at the eleventh hour, I figured I'd be better off driving by myself. You know, in case I got an itch to bounce early. This whole shindig was happening out of town, and the last thing I wanted was to feel stuck there.
But, then my phone buzzes. It's a call that sends my nerves into overdrive. Apparently, while on her way to our family do, my aunt's vehicle veers into a ditch. Thankfully, she walked away without a scratch, but I can't say the same for her ride. The passenger's side was totally smashed in, a sight so shocking it left me shaken to the core.
22. Reunion In The Waiting Room
A couple years ago, it was time for me to renew my license plate sticker. Honestly, the thought of hanging out solo in the waiting room for what felt like forever didn't thrill me. So, I hatched a plan and roped in my mom to join me - I lured her with the promise of a nice dinner later.
Then boom: The plot thickens. Turned out the guy manning the counter was my mom's long-lost biological brother. Crazy, right? If mom hadn't decided to tag along with me that day, we would've stayed in the dark about this family tie. It's funny how life likes to throw curveballs when you least expect it, huh?
Oleksandr Rzhanitsyn, Shutterstock
23. It All Worked Out
I desperately wanted to take AP History so I could get into a specific college program, but it was full by the time I signed up. I had to go back to the drawing board and rejig my schedule. I ended up in this terrible gym class I never would have taken in a million years. I won't sugarcoat it, I was devastated. All geared up to be a teacher, and then this hiccup in my final year made me feel like I'd thrown a wrench in the works.
But this gym class wasn't a total washout. I struck up a friendship with this dude who'd just joined the volunteer firefighter ranks - swaggering around in his brand-new uniform during class, no less. According to him, it was a fascinating side hustle, and he casually suggested I check it out.
And guess what? All my EMT training expenses were covered, and before I knew it, I was hooked on healthcare.
Fast forward, and now, here I am, an ER nurse. A chunk of my work involves guiding students and newbie nurses - giving them the lowdown on how not to melt down when the ER gets hella busy. Off the clock, I'm also chatting with folks about injury prevention. And honestly, it's the bee's knees - I'm relishing every bit of it. Makes me see that flunking the history class wasn't the end of the world, eh?
24. Bad Wi-Fi
So, if you go back about two years, there I was, stuck in a hospital room for a week thanks to some pretty nasty and stubborn acne. To be honest, it was dreadfully dull, and the slow-as-a-snail Wi-Fi was no help in killing my boredom. So, in a desperate attempt to keep myself busy, I asked my mom to bring me a sketchbook and some pencils, thinking I'd pass the time drawing.
Now, bringing you back to the present, I'm embarking on an exciting adventure – kickstarting my career as an artist and animator.
Valentine Angel Fernandez, Pexels
25. A Special Surprise… Nine Months Later
One day, the rain was coming down so hard it was like nothing you'd ever seen before. It was so unbelievable, it ended up causing a little flood on the road that went to my girlfriend's house at the time. Poor girl had no other option but to stay put for the night.
26. From Juggling To Cycling To Traveling
When I was about eleven, my dad brought me along to a farmer's market. There was this juggler there, and boy, was I fascinated. Right then and there, I told myself, I've gotta learn to do that.
Later in the year, as I stepped into sixth grade, I found out my school had a juggling club. And guess who was the instructor? The very same guy from the farmer's market. I jumped headfirst into it.
Fast forward a couple of years, and there I was, a juggling-obsessed thirteen-year-old. I joined this online group, r/juggling on Reddit and stumbled upon this other subreddit, r/IAmA, and read this AMA that really got me hooked.
It was this dude who'd cycled from Alaska all the way to South America, camping out the whole way. Now, I was already into biking and camping. I'd just got back from this mind-blowing trip to Costa Rica – a place he'd visited too. Reading his story inspired me big time. I fell head over heels for this idea of bike touring.
By the time I hit 16, I plucked up the courage to pitch an idea to my folks. I borrowed my mom's bike (mine couldn't carry all my stuff), and off I went on a 40-mile trek to a state park near our place. I set up camp for the night, then rode back home. And let me tell ya, it was amazing.
The following summer, I had bigger plans. A four-day, 200-mile biking-camping trip. And with my last year of high school looming, I started dreaming about a "mega-adventure" before college and all those grown-up responsibilities kicked in. So, I decided on a gap year after high graduation.
After high school in 2017, reality hit – my wallet wasn't as ambitious as my dreams were. After spending one last beautiful summer with my high school buddies, I went all out. A 20-day, 1,300-mile bike trip around Lake Michigan was up next.
When I got back, I was pretty much broke. Got myself a job and spent a couple of years in retail. Managed to squeeze in a vacation to Asheville, North Carolina, where I got my cycling fix cycling the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway.
Last summer, I felt I was ready. I quit my job in July and spent some serious time preparing for this big biking trip that had been on my mind forever. The gist of it was to cycle from Wisconsin to Seattle, and then along the Pacific Coast. For about seven months, I just cycled around, racking up a mileage of roughly 5,300 miles.
By mid-March this year, I was in Sedona, Arizona, waiting for the Grand Canyon to warm up a little. But then, the coronavirus crisis got serious. Not wanting to get stranded, I cycled the last 30 miles to Flagstaff, Arizona and caught a train back to the Midwest.
Now, I'm back at work, saving up for my next big adventure. I've explored most of the US and I'm thinking of cycling internationally. New Zealand's on my list, as soon as it opens up again.
I do intend to go back to college at some point, but there's no hurry. When I do, it'll be something that lets me keep traveling. I live to travel, and it all began with a simple fascination with a street juggler.
27. A Good Book Can Change Your Life
When I was in high school, I got really into this book, House of Leaves. So, there I was one day, enthusiastically explaining the book details to my friend when my drama teacher caught wind of the chat. His ears perked up, saying the book reminded him of Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov. His words piqued my curiosity, so I snagged a copy, got hooked on it instantly. That was the spark that ignited my love for Russian literature, each story feeding the fire more.
Armed with this fresh passion, I found myself stepping out of my comfort zone, always eager to discover new literary gems. This love for literature nudged me towards choosing English as my college major, which eventually shaped me into the teacher I am today. Walking this path as an educator has had a profound influence on my life and political views, especially my time teaching at a Title I school.
To sum it up, the me I am now, it all started with my drama teacher tossing me a book name. Looking back, it was a game-changing moment in my life.
And, I can't resist plugging Pale Fire. Seriously, it's a must-read. It's an absolute page-turner.
28. BFFs
About a year ago, I joined a study group with some really cool people who were into the same stuff as me. Not posh or anything, but we just clicked and soon became the best gang of friends I've ever had. They were proper lifesavers, always straight there to lend a hand when I was going through a tough time. Like when my car, my lifeline to college and the outside world, conked out on me. Or when money got so tight I couldn't even afford to eat.
However, I'm in a way better place now. Got myself a pretty sweet gig and things are really looking up. And get this, there's even more good news. It seems like a couple of mates from my study group and I might soon be sharing a flat. Quite exciting stuff, right? In the next few months, we're thinking of getting a place together.
29. An Interrupted Phone Call Into A Viral Video
After work, I was on the phone with my boss, talking about our to-do list for the next day. Out of the blue, he goes "What's that noise?"
Instead of explaining, I figured it'd be easier just to show him.
So, I made a quick little video of the noisy dinner time scene with all my farm cats. To skip that awkward moment of people huddling over your phone to see a video, I thought, why not put it on YouTube?
Next morning, I switch on my computer intending to show my boss the video. But to my surprise, my cat video had already scored 11 views during the night.
Then, all hell broke loose. The video blew up, with views shooting up into the thousands every hour. Soon enough, my phone was going crazy with calls and emails from all over. Some wanted to buy the video, others asked for permission to use it.
Ironically, during the pandemic, my little cat video got popular all over again, providing some extra cash when I needed it most. All this, simply because I didn't fancy the idea of wrestling with my phone to share a 30-second video.
30. An “Ace” Decision
Right before my freshman year of high school, the thought of joining the tennis team kinda tickled my fancy. I gotta be honest, though, I wasn't all in. Tryouts morning, my dad popped his head into my room and asked if I was going. To be frank, I wanted to stay cozy in bed and block out the outside world. But then, my dad asked me something interesting: "Are you gonna regret not going?"
His question forced me to face my shyness. I realized, yeah, I would regret it. So I kicked off my covers, geared up, and set off for the tryouts. Little did I know, it was gonna be one of the best decisions I ever made. It not only kick-started my love for tennis again, but it also led me to folks who would end up being my lifelong besties. Even more, I spent a crazy awesome three years on the varsity team. Joining the tennis team didn't just color my high school years, it ended up defining them.
Honestly, sometimes, even though you might not be 100% sure about something, it's still worth giving it a go. You never know what incredible surprises life has just waiting for you.
(Please specify the remaining text you'd like reworded. The initial text was quite short and I've converted it into casual and engaging conversational language as you asked for.)
31. It Just Took One Point
I barely passed my certification exam, squeaking by with just one point more than the failing grade. Who knew that this one tiny point would play such a massive role in deciding my future path? If I had missed that one measly point, I would've been trapped in a job I couldn't stand. But as luck would have it, things went down a whole different road - my company is now footing the bill for all my moving costs to a new country. It's incredible how life can pull a fast one on you.
32. A More Consequential Vehicle Than Doc’s Dolorean
When I hit eighteen, I took a wild leap and sprayed my hair with this crazy bright dye for a Halloween get-up. It looked so wicked cool that I thought, "Hey, why not rock this look permanently?" This pop of color caught a funky gal's attention and pretty soon, we were together. As the school year wound down, I realized I had saved up enough cash to buy a snazzy car of my own. This bad boy gave me the freedom to drive over to her spot whenever I wanted.
Having a car made my folks see things differently. They grew up amidst the city hustle but decided we'd grow up in a more chilled-out small town. Watching me take on grown-up stuff made them rethink staying. They realized they could leave behind the quiet small town life and rekindle their love for city buzz.
As they shifted back to their city roots, I found a work opportunity there. One of my colleagues made me see that my current relationship wasn't really built on solid ground. I seriously considered this and figured it was best for us to part ways.
After my work stint, back to school, a buddy of mine needed help with some paperwork in the city where my parents moved. As a proud car owner and city lover, I eagerly offered to drive her. The trip was filled with bomb chats that drew us tighter. We grew pretty close and from being best buddies, we started dating.
This fresh connection allowed me to see the clear difference between my previous relationship and this one. I realized what an authentic, healthy relationship really feels like.
And that, my kiddos, is the whirlwind story of how I met your mom.
33. The Brotherhood Of The Traveling T-Shirts
A while back, I grabbed a few band tees online. But, wouldn't you know it, they goofed up my order and sent me shirts that were a size too wee. When I gave them a shout about the mix-up, they were super nice and sent me another round of shirts - the right size this time, and even said I could keep the small ones.
Around that same period, my grandpa's place was getting a makeover, and I noticed one of the crew was a fan of the same band. I figured I'd hand off the tiny tees to him. But then, it completely slipped my mind…until a few of years buzzed by.
Forward to a random day at work, chilling on a smoke break. I was shooting the breeze with a buddy about an upcoming gig we had plans to hit up. Out of the blue, a dude overheard us and walked over. He remembered having some old band tees he wanted to pass on. I was all ears and caught up with him later. You wouldn't believe it, but the tees were the same ones I'd gifted to the dude at my grandpa's reno years back.
Before long, we hit it off. Come to find out, he was seeing a girl who had a friend she thought I'd hit it off with. Little did we know that this casual meet-up would kick off something really great. Nowadays, we're marking almost a decade of one heck of a happy marriage, with two fantastic kids to boot. And let's face it, it's hard not to point to those extra-small band tees as the wildcard in our love story.
34. Spontaneous Trip/Permanent Move
So, a couple years ago, my pals thought it would be a great idea to take me on a weekend getaway to Malaga, Spain. They felt I needed a fresh start after a tough time losing my mom. What they probably didn't realize was that their spur-of-the-moment plan would turn my life around. Fast forward four years, and I'm still here in sunny Malaga, happier than ever. When I think about how different my life is now, I always trace it back to that surprise adventure my friends arranged.
35. Constructive Criticism
When I was just a young teen, around 13, something happened that totally flipped my life around. I was chilling at home, just me and my tunes, when out of the blue my buddy popped by. Right away, he had a beef with my kind of music, even went as far as calling it garbage. Without batting an eye he takes control of the radio, flipping the dial to a station pumping out progressive house music.
Sure, my friend didn't stick with the genre for long, but I did. That chance encounter sparked a love for prog house that changed my taste in music from poppy dance hits to a deeper, meaningful house style. One artist really struck a chord with me that night. It wasn't just a shift from one genre to another, it was like I got catapulted into a whole new world where DJing, throwing music gigs, and podcasting became my thing.
During my college years, our shared music tastes helped me build tight-knit friendships. I even got the chance to hang out with loads of DJs on the scene. Even now, I still vibe with that song that changed everything.
Fast forward 18 years later, I found myself at a live concert of the very same artist that moved me when I was 13. At that gig, I bumped into this amazing woman who became a huge part of my life. Two years after that concert, we tied the knot. And now, we're talking about starting a family. Crazy, right? To think it all started that day when my friend rocked up at my house and moaned about my music.
36. Easy A
So, back in my school days, I thought, "Why not give this web design class a try?" Rumor had it that it was a chill class and snagging an 'A' was not too much of a sweat. Now, fast-forward to present day, I'm the head honcho of an Android development team. Trust me when I say, it's not a bad way to earn a buck.
37. When You Least Expect It
Back when I wrapped up high school, I was dating this guy who lived a crazy 1,000 miles away. The plan was to head to the same college he was at, post a summer of working back home. Even though we weren't doing great and I'd tried to end it a bazillion times, I had no plans to ditch the original idea. He was really good at messing with my head, and it was driving me nuts.
In the early days of summer, I interviewed for this job and didn't exactly keep my move-at-the-end-of-summer plan a secret. But when they seemed to prefer folks who'd stick around beyond that, I took it as a hint to explore more options. So I began job hunting far and wide, including a local grocery store just ten minutes from my digs.
Out of all the gigs I applied for, the grocery store really caught my eye so I pursued them like crazy. There was just one little glitch – they lost my first application. I quickly completed another and hawked them about it like mad. I bugged them so much, I was practically on speed dial, always checking in if they had gone over my application yet. Eventually, the hiring manager gave in and set up an interview. After doing the interview rounds and even going through a mandatory drug test, they finally gave me the job.
Around a week into the gig, things took a wild turn. One day, while double-checking my sales in the stockroom, I spotted this ridiculously good looking lad. Seriously, it was like my eyes got a visual treat. I couldn't help grinning like a loon and my heart gave the Indianapolis 500 a run for its money. Cutting to the chase, I asked my trainer who he was and got his name. Turned out, he'd also noticed me on a day off and was just as enthralled.
So here we are today, nine years since we got together and happily hitched for over six and a half of them. We're beaming parents of an endearing one-and-a-half-year-old munchkin and can't wait to welcome our twin girls soon. Life sure has a mischievous way of falling perfectly into place when you least expect it.
38. Procrastination Is The Path To Success
So there I was, one day during high school, not really feeling the whole studying vibe. So, like any teenager, I began a YouTube safari instead. I ended up finding this completely mesmerizing musical from another country. The tunes, the rhythm, especially the language - it was all so captivating that I found myself trying to learn the lyrics. And just like that, I was all in – trying my best to unravel the language's sounds, beats, and meanings.
This YouTube detour paved the way for me to stumbled upon the fascinating world of linguistics - the cool science behind languages and how they're structured. It felt like I had just discovered Narnia. I dove right into it, going as far as picking linguistics as my college major.
Looking back, I sometimes think about what could've happened if I'd just stuck to my books that day. Would life have been different, perhaps? Who knows, right? But I can't say that I regret it. That little fun detour led me to something I'm super passionate about and set the stage for my future studies and career. It's funny how life can toss you the best surprises when you're least expecting it.
39. Had Him At Hello
So, when I was in fifth grade, this new kid rolled into town. I saw him at school and thought, "Why not say 'hi'?" Little did I know, that simple "hi" would spark an amazing friendship. As the years went by, we ended up becoming total BFFs - experiencing all the highs and lows life threw at us. The connection between us was incredibly strong. Heck, I even met some really awesome folks through him who supported me during my coming out journey and so much more.
But then, this quarantine came along and it kinda felt like we began drifting apart a bit. Yet, deep down, I've got this unwavering belief that no matter what comes our way, he's always got my back.
40. There Really Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
I said yes to a free meal and, voilá, 18 months down the road, I turned into a dad.
You see, my buddy invited me to tag along to this job expo, luring me in with the promise of a free lunch. So, I took the bait. What do you know? Landed a job, climbed the ladder, ended up leading my own crew. One thing led to another with one member of said crew... and bish, bash, bosh - now I've got the raddest kiddo on the planet.
41. Next Time Just Call The Tow Truck
So there I was, living the dream and completely doing my own thing. Everything changed when my car decided to give up on me and one phone call seemed to snatch away my independence.
Back then, I was based in Minneapolis, living it up with my crew. We were just living for the day, totally chilling. My only duty, if you could call it that, was to take the odd trip to Milwaukee to hang with my family. I was pretty broke, but I didn't care, because life was like this amazing choose-your-own-adventure story where something cool could happen any day. Things were pretty wild and incredibly awesome.
Then, just around Christmas, I got sacked from my gig at Minneapolis. Rather than sit around feeling sorry for myself, I figured I'd head to Milwaukee to have a fun holiday with my family. After the festivities, the plan was to hotfoot it back 'to the Minne' for a New Year's bash with my buddies. But then, in the middle of the drive, things took a serious turn - a dreadful noise from my car's engine.
Turns out, my car belt had broken and something else called the tensioner was all messed up too. I was scraping the bottom of the barrel, cash-wise, so instead of reaching out to a tow truck, I called up an old buddy who lived close by. This led to a whole bunch of stuff going down, which somehow ended at his dad's place. And then, out of nowhere, his dad gives me this job offer and so, to cut the long story short, I packed my stuff and made a beeline for Milwaukee. My grandma was kind enough to rent me her apartment there.
And just like that, the whole ballgame changed. I became this rock in my sister's mental health journey. I got myself tangled up in some pretty unhealthy relationships, including this super-complicated love triangle. I even adopted this dog who had a serious case of separation anxiety. On top of all that, I became my dear old grandma's caretaker and got myself entangled into a relationship that was pretty much one-way.
Suddenly, life had stopped being about me. My day was mostly filled with taking care of others - my family, my needy friends, and my super-cute but overly-dependent dog. Plus, my new job wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
I was never one to enjoy the burden of chores that come with owning a house. Tasks like clearing leaves, mowing the lawn, shoveling snow, fixing stuff around the house, or getting my Picasso on weren't really my cup of tea. But here I was now, stuck with all this, for my sweet grandma and a house that wouldn't even be mine. Everything and everyone seems to need something from me, leaving me zero time or energy for myself.
And so, the life that I once had total control over, truly feels like a distant memory, all because I chose not to call a tow truck on that one life-altering day.
42. Worked Out In The Long Run
I was super hesitant about letting go of a $300 item for just a measly extra 10 bucks. All thanks to my dad's advice to not counteroffer the buyer. Then, out of the blue, that same buyer hooked me up with a new customer right on the day of our exhibit. And holy cow, this new guy brought in over $50,000 worth of business.
And guess what? The story doesn't end there. This new chap put in a good word for me to another company that was at the exhibit - bam. Scored a straight-up cash sale of a whopping $500,000. Crazy, right? And these three clients have stuck around, racking up sales north of $5 million in the past three years.
Dad's lesson was worth its weight in gold. He always said - treat every deal with respect, no matter how big or small, or who's on the other end. And boy, did that theory come through. That initial tiny loss of maybe a $50 profit inflated into a humongous gain—netting a profit that's easily over a cool million in the long run.
43. It All Comes Back To Factorio
So, one time, I was watching this Sandra Bullock flick where she lived on a houseboat. I thought it looked pretty enticing, certainly more so than my current situation, cohabiting with my folks. And so, I bit the bullet and bought myself a houseboat.
As time passed, I fancied a bit more adventure and added a sailboat to my lifestyle. During a cruise up the Intracoastal Waterway, the sailboat sadly conked out. As I tried to fix it, which included a few jaunts underwater, I unintentionally collected some nasty germs usually found on barnacles.
At first, no one could really figure out what I was down with. So, I ended up spending a good few weeks in the hospital. Some time after, I found myself replaying this story, and out of nowhere, a lady exclaimed, "Sounds like you've got mycobacterium marinum." And she nailed it, that was exactly what I had. This diagnosis had me poppin' heavy-duty antibiotics for a bit.
And would you guess what happened next? We tied the knot. The marriage later ran its course, and we ended up splitting. We did, however, bring two incredible kids into the world. We spend heaps of time bonding over gaming sessions on Factorio. I've gotta say, I wholeheartedly love these moments with them.
44. Probably Should’ve Seen This Coming
You know, if I didn't get caught up playing The Witcher 3 a couple months back, I bet I wouldn't have totally flunked all my exams.
46. Need To Thank The Quiet Kangaroos
So, there was this one time where my girlfriend, now my better half, and I planned this massive trip that was going to last a couple of years. Right when we were about to hit the road, I was stuffing the last of our stuff into our bags when I thought, "Why not bring out the old camera?" I had this SLR that I didn't take out much - it was a bit clunky and we were tight on space.
During that grand adventure, we found ourselves helping out in a wildlife rescue center. It was pretty chill during our stint - not many little Joeys around needing our attention. But we knew the calm could flip into chaos in a sec. Like, if three more lil guys showed up in a day, there went our downtime. It was during these laid-back periods that I got to really know my camera, learning the ins and outs of photography.
Fast forward to the present time, and you're looking at a full-time wildlife photographer. Just think, if I hadn't decided to stuff that camera into my bag that day, I wouldn't be where I am now. Sure, it often means freezing my tail off in a shed for ages, just waiting for an animal to do something picture-worthy, but man, I wouldn't trade it for anything.
49. I’m Sure They’d Say You’re Whale-come.
When I was finishing up sixth grade, we had this awesome field trip where we got to see whales up close. That very night, I saw a commercial advertising a TV show all about whales. It was then that it clicked - I wanted to spend my life protecting these incredible animals from being hunted. Fast forward to today, and I'm living that dream. As part of the military, I focus on Marine Preservation.
45. Getting A Surprise Sibling
My mom always rocked high heels at her job. But one day, she took a tumble on a carpeted staircase. Her heel snapped, and wouldn't you know it, she broke her leg too.
So, she was stuck at home, healing from the fall. But then, she hit another streak of bad luck. She kept having allergic reactions that required her to take penicillin.
Here's the kicker - this antibiotic interfered with her birth control pills. And what do you know, nine months later, out pops my baby brother - an unexpected sibling born 13 years after me.
38. Fired After Being Burned
About ten years back, I was hustling in a New York City restaurant when I scorched my hand on a piping hot plate. We had a fresh-face manager at the time. He didn't take kindly to me letting him know we were fresh out of the necessary towels for gripping those hot plates. Things got awkward after that and he seemed to harbor a grudge against me. Turns out, I was VERY right.
True to form, he dredged up an excuse to can me half a year later. In the wake of all this, a good buddy of mine pulled some strings and got me a spot on a penny-pinching movie set. This is where I met a gal named Dorothy. She was the top dog Production Assistant and she left a mark. A year later, I ran into Dorothy by pure chance. She checked in to see if I was still hustling in the production world. That run-in paved the way for her helping me find a gig in reality TV, behind the scenes of a fixer-upper show. After nine go-arounds, I became a whiz at finish carpentry and eventually landed a spot in front of the camera as the show carpenter.
During my stint there, a brand new Production Assistant rocked our world. She was absolutely radiant, infectious, and completely uplifting. I mustered up the courage to ask her to dinner. Fast forward a couple of years, she and I packed up and gave New Orleans a shot. A year after that, we went back to the Big Apple, but this time as a trio - we brought along our first bundle of joy. Three years down the track, we got the itch for a change of scenery, leading us to Montreal where we've been happily putting down roots for the past three years.
Looking back, it's crazy to think how that painful moment of getting third degree from a hot plate spun my life in a completely new direction. Ten years fast-forwarded, and I've got a beautiful wife, two cute-as-a-button kids, and a thriving contractor business—something I owe, in a weird way, to that ill-fated day at the restaurant.
23. $4,000 Footage
So, I'm hunting for a parking spot. I'm just about ready to cut the engine, then - boom. - I remember how messed up my car got from leaves the last time I parked beneath this particular tree. Normally, I wouldn't sweat it, but not today - I moved up a spot. Just imagine my horror the next morning: my car's back suspension is trashed, and the tires look like pretzels. Some jerk had crashed into it and skedaddled. In a desperate move to sort out this mess, I ended up digging into my savings to the tune of $500 for repairs. As if things couldn't get worse, my insurance peeps refused to shell out unless we could ID the culprit.
Hold on, though - it's not all bad.
I was, like, super bummed, right? Couldn't even drive to work. But here's the thing: as my poor car was being towed, the tower clocked that one of my neighbors had some security cams. How about that? I didn't waste any time knocking on their door. Crossed my fingers and prayed they'd caught the whole thing on tape. And guess what? The very next day, my neighbors pinged me the footage - driver and vehicle in plain view and loitering just a few doors down from mine. In the end, it didn't turn out so bad. I bagged a cool $4,000 from the culprit's insurance to fix up my ride.
50. Good Reminder To Stay Hydrated
In the wee hours of the morning, while I was getting ready to head off to work, my mom noticed that I had left my water bottle resting on the table. I was already late and I was annoyed, but I frantically ran back inside to grab it. This little detour probably cost about ten seconds of my time.
As I hit the road to work, the heavens decided to pour down heavily, seriously messing with my field of vision. I noticed the glittering brake lights of the cars in front suddenly flare up, with some veering off to the side of the road.
Sensing trouble, I eased up on the pedal and flicked on my hazard lights, a universal signal to those trailing me to also ease off the speed. The sudden panic brake was apparently due to a pretty severe four to five car pile-up that had just taken place. The cars were scattered all over the freeway, with some stranded on the left and right shoulders, and one that had slammed into the barrier. To put it mildly, it was total bedlam. The bewildered drivers, likely still taking in the shock, stayed put in their cars.
Later, it hit me that had I not wasted that precious ten seconds to fetch my water bottle, I could have been tangled up in that mess or at least closer to the eye of the storm. This sobering realization had me rattled for the rest of the day.
Sources: Reddit,
