GirlFriday
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GirlFriday • commented on a post 44 minutes ago
GirlFriday • upvoted 23 items 3 hours ago
hmasing reply
When I was in 5th grade in 1975, my parents were divorcing and I was living with my abusive father. If I didn't get B+ or better on my report card, I got the belt. Not a little, mind you. A full-on beat down, and probably denial of meals for a while. The '70's with an abusive parent were a very different time. My father had quite a reputation in the small Pennsylvania town I lived in (McKean, PA). He was known as an incredibly strict person, and our neighbors all hated him. But this was a different time, and that sort of behavior was ignored in public. My 5th grade math teacher, Mr. Cunningham, scared me. He looked a bit like my father, and didn't suffer any nonsense in his classroom at all. I struggled with mathematics, and it just didn't make sense to me. We got our first report card in 5th grade. These were the days where you could carry a card with you for the day, and the teacher would write your grade on the report card. You would then have to take it home, and have a parent sign it to acknowledge that they had seen your grades. So far, through the day, the grades were good. A's, mostly, an A-, but all good. Math was my last class of the day before I had to catch the bus. When my report card came back to me, I froze in terror. I recall this moment like a photograph. The grade was a D, written in pen, right there on the report card. I knew what was coming. The blood drained out of my face. Mr. Cunningham dismissed the class, and I was frozen in my desk. Scared of what he would do, and even more scared of what my father would do. All the other kids had left the classroom, and my world around me was gone - just me, my books, and the D staring at me telling me that my 10-year old self was going to suffer. Badly. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I shook and started crying. Mr. Cunningham looked at me. He took my report card out of my hand, and walked up to his desk. He called me up there. I was still terrified, probably shaking, definitely trying to hide my crying and failing. He got out a black pen and changed the D into a B+. He didn't say anything, he just looked at me. He knew. He could see the signs, and he knew how terrified I was and why. I had no idea an adult could be so compassionate, and had no idea it was even possible to change something like that. He handed my report card back to me, and said two words that have stayed with me to this day. "Earn this." He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I know. It's not fair, and I'm sorry. You're a smart kid, and you can get this. Just ask me for help." He knew. It was a simple act of kindness, and it's stuck with me to this day. The math grade didn't matter - I'm successful enough in my 50's to not have that come up on my permanent record. But the permanent change of my impression of Mr. Cunningham is still very much with me. If you have power over other people, you have to wield that power with compassion. You have to tailor that power to meet the needs of the individual. That is the lesson I learned that day from Mr. Cunningham. The next terms I got a B+ or better. I assume it's because I worked really hard, and Mr. Cunningham helped me out at lunch - or, he was kind because he knew. Thank you, Mr. Cunningham. This was 45 years ago, and I still remember you.
pseudonymous_lemon reply
Had a highschool art teacher who would let me stay in his classroom during lunches. Always gave me half his sandwich and other extra food because he knew I didn't eat much otherwise. Edit: He would also keep a drawer in the classroom stocked with snacks so that I could swing by and grab something between classes if I needed. No, he never did anything "questionable", and no, I never "fell asleep" after eating the sandwiches. He was just a kind person :)
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GirlFriday • upvoted 13 items 1 day ago
hoesindifareacodes reply
Got a degree in finance, became a financial advisor, worked my butt off. Edit: I should also add, being frugal with money. If you are under the age of 35 and are gainfully employed, it is entirely possible to become a millionaire at some point in life. Take 10% (or more) of your pay, put it in your 401k and invest in s&p500 etf. Don't carry bad debt, & keep 3-6 months of expenses as an emergency fund. Lastly, think of spending money in terms of hours worked: If something costs $10, think about how long it would take you to earn that $10 after tax. Is it worth it for you to work that time for that purchase?hoesindifareacodes reply
Got a degree in finance, became a financial advisor, worked my butt off. Edit: I should also add, being frugal with money. If you are under the age of 35 and are gainfully employed, it is entirely possible to become a millionaire at some point in life. Take 10% (or more) of your pay, put it in your 401k and invest in s&p500 etf. Don't carry bad debt, & keep 3-6 months of expenses as an emergency fund. Lastly, think of spending money in terms of hours worked: If something costs $10, think about how long it would take you to earn that $10 after tax. Is it worth it for you to work that time for that purchase?
Kaden18356 reply
I sold 18% of my company for a large sum of money and we worked together to expand.
optiongeek reply
Through hard work and perseverance I established a reputation for honesty and competence. I was slowly promoted to increasing positions of responsibility and remuneration. I saved prodigiously and invested wisely. I married well to someone with similar values.
teacher-gained-respect
A girl in our High School English Lit. class was talking too much, so the teacher moved her next to me because I was quiet. I thought this little chatterbox was cute, so I asked her out. We've been married 54 years.
kitjen reply
I worked for an online banking help desk and this 18yr old lad phoned up saying he had seen a transaction for £7 to allpay.net and because he didn't recognise it, he decided the bank were robbing him of £7 and that I was in on it and I was a "thieving little prick." Then he gets his dad on the phone who stuck up for his s**t of a son, saying I was a pathetic scumbag for stealing £7 off an 18yr old boy, even though it was a debit card transaction and I simply worked in the department which helped people use online banking. But anyway, I phoned our debit card services to see if they could give any more information, and boy could they. I then had the pleasure of relaying back to this little s**t's equally shitty father the following: "Hi sir, thanks for holding. I've checked with our debit card services team and I now understand why your son would not have recognised the payee 'allpay.net'. That's a deliberately vague term used for discretion when the customer has subscribed to online pornography. That's what it was for. Your son has been paying for online pornography. Would you like to pop him back on the phone so I can tell him it's a payment for his pornography, or will you pass on the information?" The father just muttered that the issue did not require any further investigation, thanked me for looking into it and hung up.
faxinator reply
As a teenager I was working part time at a convenience store. I was being trained by the late night cashier. This dude comes in and grabs a bunch of cans of vegetables and such, and comes to the counter and stacks the cans in a very specific way, like a weird kind of pyramid on the counter. As the experienced cashier (my trainer) takes each can off the pyramid and rings it up, she reaches the end of the stack and we realize that the weirdo has his c**k out and has it laying on the counter behind the cans. Without saying a word, the trainer grabs one of the big heavy metal cans of beans and slams it down as hard as she can on the guy's d**k. He screamed an incredible scream of searing pain, grabbed his c**k, and ran out of the store. **She to me:** (calmly) "You get all kinds on the late shift."
Bootstrings reply
Repost as I've told this story before. It was about three years ago. An employee, we'll call him Dave, was working at my retail store when two customers walk in at about the same time, one black, one white. Dave was being trained on register after being there for only a month or so with the manager standing behind him. The two customers get to the register at about the same time, but the black man beat him there. The black man then has the audacity to ask how good the product was before he bought it, and the white man behind him said,"Do I really have to wait for this f*****g n****r to be done?" The black man was unfazed, but Dave said "Sir, please don't use slurs like that or I am going to have to ask you to leave." White man: "Oh, big man? you going to make me leave, big man? Because I called this n****r a f*****g n****r?" Dave(6"5'): "Yes, I am a big man, and you have to leave now." White man: "F*****g fight me then, big man! I'll f*****g destroy you!" Dave: "Alright, I will. Let me clock out and grab my stuff and I'll meet you outside." The white man was a little surprised by the fact that he accepted. Dave turned to the manager and said, "Thank you so much for the opportunity, but I'm afraid I have to quit." Manager: "Dave, I get it, but you don't have to do this." Dave: "Yes I do." The white man was getting himself pumped up outside as Dave clocked out, grabbed his coat and his Pepsi, and walked outside where he sucker-punched the white man in the cheekbone, sprawling him out onto the curb. Dave drove off. TL;DR: Dave politely quit so he could knock a racist customer out with a single punch.
millionaires-share-how-they-became-wealthy
I basically kept the same habits I had when my income was $12k a year for a family of three. I make coffee at home, I still forage for food, I still shop at thrift shops for clothing, my car is 14 years old and I try not to use it if I can use my bicycle instead - including biking to work when I wasn't carpooling. Even when I was a single mom on $28k salary I put what I could in my 401k and every raise I got went to that til I at least got the full employer match. When I got a new job and found out there was no similar retirement plan there, I met with the directors and a financial advisor and got one in place. I make my own laundry detergent and use cloth wipes/napkins. I spend about $20 a week for two adults for food. Yesterday I really really wanted an orange but didn't take it from the fridge because I paid for those for my husband's packed lunches, and pears from the yard are free. Oranges travel better in his bicycle bag so they are for him. Pears from the yard have occasional spots that need to be cut out so they are for me because I retired last year and he has another year or two to go. It's easier to cut off bad spots when you are at home in your own kitchen. I am so tired of pears, though. I have a million dollars but I won't eat an orange if I have a free pear. On the one hand, that's pathetic. On the other hand, that's why I have a million dollars and don't have to go to work anymore.
thenewwayfarer reply
Helium balloons; helium is a finite resource of immense scientific value and we use it for party decorations
mcflurvin reply
Assisted Suicide. I was against it, but after seeing my uncle suffer with extreme Rheumatoid Arthritis for a few years before eventually dying from it, I’m all for it now. If we put down our pets when they’re suffering, why can’t we do the same to our humans with their written consent?Show All 13 Upvotes
GirlFriday • commented on 3 posts 1 day ago
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GirlFriday • upvoted 20 items 3 hours ago
wbotis reply
Mormons. My ex-wife’s sister married one. Before they met, my opinion of Mormons was “oh they’re basically just Christian’s with a couple wacky beliefs. They have multiple wives! How kooky yet ultimately harmless.” The more of his family & community I met and interacted with, the more clear it became that Mormonism is a cult that preys on weak people like my ex-SIL. She converted within three months. His temple wouldn’t allow her own mother or father inside during the wedding. They had to sit outside in the sun, alone, then pay for a separate “ring ceremony” they were allowed to attend. Learning more about a different culture or religion usually makes me more accepting, but maaaan f**k Mormons.
Face021 reply
Turns out girls don't have cooties. It's actually pretty great to spend time with one. You don't even have to pick on them to get their attention... Who knew!
KevinAnniPadda reply
Working Hard. More specifically, working hard in a corporate environment. I like to work hard for things that I own and maintain, my home, my family, my body, my hobbies. But I've worked for almost 20 years for big tech companies. I've started at entry level jobs and worked up to middle management. Support jobs. Sales jobs. I've made 6 figures. What I've noticed is that they want to pay you less and keep training and experience as a reward. That is to say, you are not working for a paycheck. You are working towards the next thing. But they convince everyone to work hard in an entry level position, working unpaid overtime and you might be rewarded with a higher job. Statistically, you will not be promoted. There are 30 people on your team who all have that same goal and you can't all be supervisor or manager. Now, I just work for my paycheck. If you would like me to work harder, you can pay me more. I'm not going to go above and beyond for 2 years just to get passed over again.
GarciaNovela reply
Horse racing. I come from an area that takes great pride in it. I've recently learned more about it and feel that it is animal abuse. They are shot up with steroids and other drugs and die more often than you would even think.
tychobrahesmoose reply
That case where McDonald's had to pay a bunch of money to a woman who spilled hot coffee on herself.
ILUVFLIPFLAPS reply
Jehovahs witnesses. I grew up as one and when I finally started doing research outside of their publications I couldn’t believe what I saw, and I left. EDIT: I was disfellowshipped because I didn’t have the balls to disassociate myself. There were a lot of horrible things that happened to me in the religion in 2017-2019, so I felt my only way out was suicide. I failed my attempt in January of 2020, and was disfellowshipped in August of 2020, about four months after I got out of rehab. I lost my home, my job, my family, and my friends. Pretty much my entire life foundation. But I’ve built a support system from scratch and now I have friends who love me for me, and not just based on religion. It’s sad but not many people get to start a brand new life in their 20’s so I’m grateful in many ways as well as grieving those I lost. ANOTHER EDIT: Thank you for all of the love and the awards! It’s so heart warming to see so many people going through the same experiences. We are never alone and I’m sorry so many of you have been effected by this too. FINAL EDIT: If you are a Jehovah’s Witness, I really don’t need you commenting on this to tell me I’m wrong and you’re not in a cult. What I’ve been through speaks for itself. So please let me be.
chuckychuck98 reply
Climate Change. Looking at the evidence it's clearly a hoax. Just kidding, I was a firm denier until I had to do an assignment proving or disproving it in highschool. Realised I couldn't find any decent source to back up my claim. Basically changed my mind on the spotthenewwayfarer reply
Helium balloons; helium is a finite resource of immense scientific value and we use it for party decorations
Chiefnastynate reply
Abortion. Grew up Christian (not anymore). I started shifting more left but didn’t know if I could call myself pro-choice. So I researched it. 70%+ of abortions are done by women who live below the poverty line. 60% of those (45% of all) are done by women who also already have a child. So its a mother who already struggles to feed her child making an impossible choice. Maybe instead of telling her what to do, we can figure out how to provide her basic needs and healthcare and educate her so she can get out of poverty.mcflurvin reply
Assisted Suicide. I was against it, but after seeing my uncle suffer with extreme Rheumatoid Arthritis for a few years before eventually dying from it, I’m all for it now. If we put down our pets when they’re suffering, why can’t we do the same to our humans with their written consent?This Panda hasn't followed anyone yet
GirlFriday • 91 followers
