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Sadness mixed with humor in a perplexing, chaotic, and confusing way—that’s what the r/FunnyandSad online group over on Reddit is all about. An old-hand on the net, having been founded in November 2013, it has since then grown into a community of nearly 700k members.

The subreddit does exactly what it says on the tin and documents posts from all over the net that are funny and sad at the same time. It’s a melange of laughing through tears (or is that crying while you laugh?) that will show you that life is far more varied and nuanced than the black-and-white we’re used to seeing on the news and on social media.

Sadness is a very natural part of life and we ought to embrace it, instead of running away from it. After all, we can’t be happy-go-lucky all the time (I would know, I tried). And while being sad can even have certain benefits, like improving our memory and judgment, getting stuck in negative thinking patterns and endless loops of sadness isn’t healthy for our mental wellbeing.

I had a quick chat with an expert in the field of psychology about how to identify what these negative thinking patterns look like and how focusing just on our failures, having black or white thinking, and holding ourselves accountable for everything that goes wrong all harm our mental health.

#1

Aw Man

Aw Man

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denzoren
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

First I was like "ohhh boy" and then I was like "okay that genuinely made me laugh" I really hope this was a joke right?

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Emma Morton, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, told Bored Panda that, for example, what we tend to focus on more, our successes or our failures, can influence our long-term mental health. For instance, hyper-concentrating on all the things that go wrong or could potentially go wrong can trap us in a perpetual loop of self-criticism and anxiety.

This, in turn, can lead to feelings of very low self-esteem and even depression which, in turn, can make us unwilling to ask for help and support even though we might desperately need both. However, there are other ways how we can end up trapped in negative thinking patterns, too.

#5

Found On Facebook

Found On Facebook

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Mazer
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m probably gonna repeat myself more than once here… Heartbreaking

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#6

10 Year Challenge

10 Year Challenge

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James016
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read somewhere that the person who created insulin didn't patent it so that it could be given to people who need it to live at no cost to them. I may not have that quite right though.

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“Negative thinking patterns can include only paying attention to failures and ignoring successes, black or white thinking (e.g., ‘If I get anything less than an A+ on this test, I’m a failure’), labeling oneself based on mistakes (e.g., ‘I’m a loser, an idiot’), [and] mind-reading (e.g., ‘Everyone will think I’m a loser for not getting this promotion’),” Emma went into detail with Bored Panda how we can end up being overly harsh with ourselves.

#8

Budgeting

Budgeting

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ZombieGirl
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband and I were curious a few days ago about how much rent we have paid to our current landlord. It's over 160k. The house we just found and got denied for is only 149k, lol

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#9

In Dystopia We Were Told To Trust

In Dystopia We Were Told To Trust

Hitlerism Report

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Marie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And when the garbage man clocks out for the day that's it, job is over till you clock back in.

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Viviane
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And they get a workout. I saw a woman doing the same job and she was great shape.

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DKS 001
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

why do people always insult the people who work the hardest? (Sanitation, custodian, waitress, etc.)

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Vicky Zar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Probably because it is cooler to work less while getting more money?

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Beatrice Multhaupt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once dated a truck driver whose dream was to attend university. When I told him that as an English teacher, I make half of what he does , had had a fit.

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Hermione
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s not all about money. I’d rather have an interesting job that pays less than a boring job that pays more.

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Rae Reyn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my city, garbage workers are employed by the city, which means good pay, medical AND dental, pension and retirement at 65.

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Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plus when you're a garbage man you find all sorts of cool stuff and you're allowed to keep it!

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K. Anderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plus not easy & very dirty. Also possibly hazardous if you end up sticking your self with used needles or come in contact with chemicals & hazardous waste

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Dave P
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends in which place. NYC teachers start at 57K a year and max out in 23 years at 115k with eligible for retirement at 25 years. DSNY starts at 48K maxes out at 105k (unless you move into management, and switch from trucks to a desk), and have to wait till 30 years to retire. On the other hand they get a lot of money from the double overtime they get paid for snow shoveling. A really bad snowy winter can net them 20k extra, which is why they pray for snow.

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QueenMiri
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Garbage workers have one of the most important jobs. They keep our cities clean. I do not want to miss them.

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Izzy_
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not to mention teachers work tons of hours extra without pay and have to pay for supplies out of their own pocket

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Vicky Zar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree with the not paid extra hours, but our teachers do not pay for supplies out of their own pockets.

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Shelp
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not true where I live. Actually, in my country, the teacher makes more than 2x what the garbage man does

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Vicky Zar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dito. Teachers at our highest (not Univetsity) schools start with 50000€ and can go up to 65000€ (according to the internet). While garbage men get around 34000€ at the beginning.

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Perry
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A domino pizza driver makes more than my dad (7th grade reading and writing teacher)

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Annamay
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband is a retired garbage man. Nice pension. We're doing fine.

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John Topper
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Garbage man makes more than me. I'm a paramedic. Garbage man also gets way better benefits and a pension. I wish we were compensated as well as garbage people.

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Hermione
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish you were, too. Nurses and paramedics are underpaid in many countries and are important.

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Sergio Bicerra Descalzi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are two very unfairly underpaid jobs, tbh. Also policemen, at least in my country.

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Faith Hurst
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've never been told this by a teacher. Other adults? Yes. Not by a teacher.

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Seabeast
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where I live garbage collectors don't even have to touch it. Everyone has a plastic wheely bin and it gets tipped into the special truck with two mechanical arms.

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Bex
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am the garbage lady and street cleaner and proud of it! 😀

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Bubble Gum Bandit
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe in NYC, I knew a garbage man once in NYC and with overtime he made about 120K a year, he lived in NJ

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K. Anderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Plus great pension & benefits. Also, often able to retire fairly young. Since you don’t go to college you can start doing this job at 18 & have 25 years in at 45.

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Fencat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a teacher and I have NEVER EVER told students garbage men had a job that was a failure. They are the basic prerequisite for a good life!

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sharron lynn parsons
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love this, but as I told my kids, hope to find, a job you like, that also pays well, however, times have changed, now is not about having a degree, it depends more on the wages, to survive !!!

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Rei
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every single job is valuable and precious and should be rewarded accordingly!

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M the Lemur
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad was a garbage man in collage, and he made twice as much as one of his friends while working half the amount of time. Hard work, but pays well and is necessary.

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VidaLife
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Starting garbage men for a private waste management company in Chicago can make over 100k.

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Whitney Gal
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sanitation workers have one of the most dangerous and critical jobs in our society. They’re more likely to die on the job than members of the military, and unlike the military, their work actually keeps us safe. Honestly we should be thanking sanitation workers for their service.

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Jonathan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being a garbage man is a loyal job, cities run smoothly because of them. Take no shame in it. Thank you for all your hard work, early starts and dedication to any garbage men reading this.

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GenXandEarnedItAll
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being a "garbage man." Try living back a couple of centuries ago when everyone dumped everything in the streets. Those parents should be ashamed. It's sad that the jobs we need the most are paid so little.

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Leslie Burleson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't that some sheet ? We were pushed so hard to believe you can only be successful if you go to college . I'd never even heard of vocational colleges because they had very few where I lived ... by very few I mean one. Kids could go there and get their high school diploma while earning a certification for a career. The schools used it as alternative school basically. I never even knew about it until I was a junior.

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Brandy Grote
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apparently "sanitation engineers" in NYC can earn 6 figures annually within 5 years!

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Pryjmaty
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my area, the garbage man, literally, has the biggest mansion within 4-5 counties. He started collecting garbage in his pickup truck and now owns one of the largest trash services around East Tennessee.

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K. Anderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And don’t have student loans plus great benefits & vacation as they are mostly government workers… even if you make more than a garbage man you may work more hours than him AND you probably earn about the same when you subtract what you pay out in student loan (often interest if some loans are not subsidized). Also most government employees pay into a pension plan so the can retire comfortably & often young- 55-60. Used to work for NYC schools & at the time teachers could retire at 60% pay once they were (if I remember) 50 years old & worked for them at least 20 years. If you manage to have your mortgage paid off by this time 60% pay is good. Plus you can still work- maybe just PT as you have benefits thru pension. Plus once you hit 62+ you can also collect Social Security. My dad worked for the state for 30 years & retired at 55 & was getting 5k a month until death & no longer had a mortgage. PLUS for a few years after retirement he worked for some global corporations as a contractor

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K. Anderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He made $150,000 a year for a few years doing this basically working PT. These companies hired him because of his experience with the state DOT & his connection. They weren’t paying him to work but to get contracts thru his connections & knowledge of the system

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Neil Bidle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the UK at least, the garbage man is paid for their shift and often does fewer hours because they've cleared their route early so end up being paid to sit on their sofa

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Macaw
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing against garbage men, but you sure about that salary? https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/garbage-collector/salary

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iblowsheep
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah garbage men have it so bad. they have a pneumatic arm that picks up the trash totes, they don;t even have to touch them nowadays, let alone lift them, yet it still can't weigh more that 50lb.

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She continued, adding that another negative pattern includes “holding yourself personally accountable for things that go wrong and attributing successes to luck or the contributions of others (e.g., ‘I only got that award because nobody else applied’).”

#12

He's Right

He's Right

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As such, having unrealistic expectations of what we’re capable of and being unreasonably demanding of ourselves can lead to “feelings of depression and worthlessness” that in turn “make it harder to reach out for help.” So while it’s perfectly fine to feel sadness, we all need to know when to ask for a helping hand if we find ourselves constantly stuck with only negative thoughts.

#13

Mysterious Ways

Mysterious Ways

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Raven Sheridan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Technically he only had eleven true friends. The other one was a toxic backstabber who literally sold him out.

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#14

I Feel We Are There Already

I Feel We Are There Already

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Lola
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s sad that we have to make jokes out of our healthcare system in order to cope with it.

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#17

You’re Not From Around Here Are You

You’re Not From Around Here Are You

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K Witmer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is right on the nose. It was incredibly sad to see how many people really don't care about anyone but themselves

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#19

"Cries In Millenial"

"Cries In Millenial"

imagimeemee Report

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Bama Belle
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Every generation blames the one before..." Good song, true too.

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#23

Sad Truth

Sad Truth

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River Webb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they are literally permanently embedded into your head, theres no getting rid of them

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#25

Useless Job

Useless Job

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H Edwards
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A 29 year old professional footballer had a cardiac arrest last week on the pitch in the middle of an international game. You never know when people are going to need assistance.

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#28

London

London

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ElenaK
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If everyone in the train clapped their hands it wouldn't be London. It would be a Disney movie!

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#29

Please

Please

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Monty Is Fiennes
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Totally. I am now halfway through my second health degree and my father still tells me what medical advice he got from the TV, and when I say, "No that is not correct info" he gets irritated, "I watched the thing on TV!!" Yes coz 6-8 years education on the subject has taught me absolutely nothing....What can you do...still love him...

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#30

Is Being Short Really That Bad

Is Being Short Really That Bad

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t get it why are we so upset about people who are shorter or taller or fat or skinny or just different in any way??? Snap out of it people

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#31

Sad Truth

Sad Truth

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J. F.
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Germany there is the discussion to raise it to 68 and step by step to 70.

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#32

And Don’t Forget Student Loans

And Don’t Forget Student Loans

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Deborah B
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's also because in the US you have to pay thousands of dollars in medical bills for prenatal care and labour and delivery, even if nothing goes wrong. You also get 2 weeks maternity leave, if you're lucky. A lot of people literally cannot afford to *have* a baby, let alone raise a child.

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#33

Motivation Is The Leading Cause Of Death On The China/Nepal Border

Motivation Is The Leading Cause Of Death On The China/Nepal Border

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#34

Life Can Be So Rewarding

Life Can Be So Rewarding

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Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So bloody true. The last couple of years has been one hit after the other and we aren't classed as poor. Struggling yes, poor no.

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#35

I Don't Know If I Would Trust Him With My Pets

I Don't Know If I Would Trust Him With My Pets

areohseawhy Report

#36

"Millenials Are All Lazy And Entitled!"

"Millenials Are All Lazy And Entitled!"

The_Inedible_Hluk Report

#37

Student Loans Put You Through College But Put You Through Debt For Much Longer!!

Student Loans Put You Through College But Put You Through Debt For Much Longer!!

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#38

It Was So Beautiful

It Was So Beautiful

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#39

How

How

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because if we don’t have ice cream we know we will all die a slow horrible agonizingly painful death!!! You’re more than essential

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#40

Welcome To The Show

Welcome To The Show

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Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am a millennial (vowels are too expensive to rent) ' 'm ' m'll'n''l? (Ma'am you can't afford those apostrophes) mmllnl :(

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#42

Spent $11.75 Growing Tomatoes This Year. Here's My Whole Harvest!

Spent $11.75 Growing Tomatoes This Year. Here's My Whole Harvest!

reddit.com Report

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Mishte Tine
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My single beet was a little bigger, but I planted Aton of veggies - got sick and all it takes is one day of neglect for everything to die in AZ summer temps (I’m new at this). I’m surprised your little tomato turned red so soon! Don’t they stay green in early growth? But what do I know - I get oddball things in my “garden” regularly. Going to try a fall planting this year. Your tomato is adorable. Keep trying!

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#44

Hmm

Hmm

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Tiny Dog
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love my cast iron skillet that belonged to my husband’s grandmother. It took 75 years of seasoning to perfect, and I will cut anybody who dares come at it with dish soap!

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#45

I Know It Hurts Sometimes But You'll Get Over It

I Know It Hurts Sometimes But You'll Get Over It

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Note: this post originally had 59 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.