Man, love can be cruel. And so can sisters. Combine the two and you have a particularly savage kind of betrayal.

A woman recently shared her story on Reddit, asking for commenters to weigh in on whether or not she can ditch her sister's wedding since the groom is her ex-boyfriend.

And not just any ex-boyfriend either, but the love of her life, who her own mom forced her to break up with. Buckle up, readers. This is a heartbreaker.

She begins:

This needs a bit of a backstory so bear with me a little. Three years ago, I was in grad school and I was working as a tutor for undergrad students, that's how I met Joe, who was 5 years younger than me. We had a whirlwind romance until I told my mother, expecting her to be happy for me because it was my first relationship where I felt more than just fondness towards my partner. However, my parents are a little on the conservative side and as soon as my mom learned about the age difference and his various tattoos, she was livid.

Five years is not that much of an age difference, and it sounds like they were both consenting adults. So for this mom to freak out over this pretty uncool. Nevertheless, moms have a way of getting what they want.

The woman continues:

My parents gave me an ultimatum: either leave Joe or they would kick me out and stop paying for my education. I nearly chose the latter until Joe told me that my education was more important. He said we could always get together after I'd had my degree and despite hating it, I agreed with him. We broke up but kept in touch over the next year. He graduated and moved to a city a few hours away where my sister Allie was at school. I got my degree and moved to a city nearby, earning my first taste of freedom.

This is where the story takes a turn from "that's a bummer" to "et tu Brute?" Because after the couple split, apparently distance made his heart grow fonder....for his ex's sister, Allie.

She writes:

Almost two years after our breakup, my sister Allie told me she'd been seeing someone for seven months and sent me a picture of her with him. It was Joe. I could not believe my eyes. I texted him, asking if it were true and got no reply. I called my mother, who told me that it wasn't a big deal and that they're letting Allie have her "rebellious phase," which is something I was never allowed to have but I digress. I threw myself into work, managing to avoid my family during every holiday and thinking maybe this would help me forget. I found out they got engaged through our mother and later received a wedding invitation, I RSVP'd yes.

Two years after their breakup, she learned that Allie had been seeing her ex-boyfriend for seven months.

Brutal. To make things worse, they are now engaged, which they didn't even tell her directly—she learned it from her mom. Eventually, she received an invitation to their wedding, which is now a month away.

She RSVP'd "yes" but has since had a change-of-heart, realizing that she's not over him and it would be too painful to go.

She writes:

Now, the wedding is less than a month away and I am clearly not over him. I tear up at the thought of watching him say "I do" to my younger sister. I don't think I can attend their wedding and I'm thinking about using work as an excuse again. My best friend says I'm being an asshole and I have to grin and bear it while other friends are saying that I should prioritize my health. I'm not sure what the right answer is and I thought I ought to ask an unbiased audience.

She offered this update on her sister Allie, who continues to sound like a more terrible person as this story progresses.

UPDATE: I called Allie earlier and to say I'm an idiot is an understatement. She knew who Joe was before they'd even been formally introduced. Our mom told her about him when we were still dating. She said that she never brought it up because it never seemed important to her and that since he "chose" her, there was nothing to talk about.

She still expects me to attend her wedding because we're family. I know this is terrible but I didn't tell her I'm not over him. I suspect she would just laugh.

Allie definitely knew Joe was her sister's ex before she started dating him.

This sister sounds awful for how she handled this situation. And Joe sounds awful for jumping into a relationship with his ex's sister, especially since neither of them communicated with her about it or apologized. My own advice would be to skip the wedding in the interest of self-care and distancing herself from these toxic people. It seems most commenters agree and have agreed that this woman would "not be the a**hole" if she decides to skip her sister's wedding.

mockingbird82 writes:

NTA. I read your update. Your mom caused you to break up by threatening you and then gave your younger sister blessings. Now they all expect you to get over it and put on a happy face. No. They wronged you. Joe also wronged you. Most people would not get involved in this type of a relationship, but 3 people pushed ahead. I mean shit, this is bound to go bad later. Joe and Allie have a fight and he comes to you for a sympathetic ear? I mean was anyone thinking when they decided to marry? You are well within your rights not to attend. Besides, what if you cause a scene otherwise? I am angry on your behalf.

And lnfno writes:

NTA - After your edit all I can say is that your sister is a POS, honestly. She knew who he was and started seeing him without as much as TELLING YOU, and now tries to pass it off as she didn’t think it mattered. In the beginning it was a dick move to date someone you used to date, but once they got serious and ENGAGED without as much as a phonecall or any recognition of your past relationship with him she passed into huge, gaping asshole territory. This makes me wonder - has something similar happened before? Where you wanted something and she got it instead? The fact that you can’t tell her about your feelings without her laughing at you is concerning to say the least. This is a display of power, and I’m willing to bet money that she is very satisfied with herself for being the ”chosen one” and sees herself as the rightful winner. I’m also curious; how did the two meet? Because there’s a chance she sought him out after hearing you weren’t ”allowed” to have him. I really feel for you in this situation and remember that you don’t owe anyone your time or attention just because they’re family. I would really minimize the time spent with this bunch of assholes.

I hope she skips the wedding and instead treats herself to a LONG spa day, and maybe a new family. She deserves it.

Amtrak's Coast Starlight, which goes from Seattle to Los Angeles, and stopping in the San Francisco Bay Area, travels through some of the most beautiful parts of America. The 35 hour train ride runs daily, and starts at $238, but can be lower during sales and promotions. This also doesn't cover a bed, which you might want for a 35 hour train ride.

The Coast Starlight train passes through Santa Barbara, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and Portland. The scenery along the Coast Starlight route includes dramatic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range and Mount Shasta, lush forests, fertile valleys and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shoreline provide a stunning backdrop for your journey.

This train features Superliner Sleeping and Dining Car accommodations and views from the renowned Sightseer Lounge Car. Coach passengers enjoy big, comfortable seats and plenty of legroom.

Many people consider the Amtrak Coast Starlight the most beautiful train ride in America, and we can see why.

If you're lucky, you may even run into this guy enjoying the view.

You can learn more about the Coast Starlight on Amtrak's web site.

"Laughter is good for you. Nine out of ten stand-up comedians recommend laughter in the face of intense stupidity. "

-Jim Butcher

Have you laughed today? If not, you're about to. These memes are silly, funny, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face this weekend.

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No matter how goofy you might consider astrology, its cultural influence is undeniable. I can't go to a Brooklyn party and NOT hear people, usually women and gay men, discussing water signs and moons rising. I'm a Pisces, which means I cry easily, am creative and intuitive, and space out sometimes...or something. Sorry, I have a hard time focusing on things that don't completely enrapture me which is SUCH a Pisces quality.

One celebrity revealed he's been dabbling in astrology and it's not who you might expect. Yesterday Channing Tatum posted a video to Twitter and Instagram detailing his experience with The Pattern, an astrology application. Apparently the app's got him spooked because it's been divulging information that hits way too close to home.

'I was just in therapy yesterday — and yeah, I’m in therapy, whatever, everybody should be in therapy — and I just get a notification on my phone this morning. BOOP! Pops up, and, using the exact words we were using in therapy.'

Boop! So is the app 'eavesdropping' on Channing's conversations as he fears, or is it just scarily accurate? Fans responded with bemusement and hope that the 'Magic Mike' star is a potential astrology convert.

Others were skeptical and thought he might be an app investor, making the video a kind of marketing stunt.

What do you think? Is Channing invested in the app's eerie accuracy, or just invested in the app itself?

Pixar's highly-anticipated 'Toy Story 4' was released last month and is still showing in theaters across the globe. The franchise's latest installment has received positive reviews and grossed $677.8 million worldwide so far. But one parent group isn't pleased with the film and is calling for a boycott, as it portrays a same-sex couple and their child.

One Million Moms is circulating a petition to boycott the feature based on one element: it briefly depicts lesbian parents.

That nod to inclusion was enough to set off the interest group, which vows to eradicate the 'trash in today's media.' Said trash is, for whatever reason*, often LGBTQ-themed.

Their petition reads,

WARNING! Toy Story 4 has just hit cinemas, but one thing we did not expect to see was LGBTQ characters. No matter how insignificant to the overall story they were, Disney still felt it was necessary to include them.

At the start of the movie, when Woody’s new owner Bonnie goes for her first day of kindergarten, in the background there is a quick scene where one child is dropped off by two moms. Later, the moms return to pick up their child who gives them a hug. The scene is subtle in order to to desensitize children. But it is obvious that the child has two mothers, and they are parenting together.

A family doing family stuff? Quelle horreur!

The Gay Times praised the film, claiming the scene as a small but important moment as far as inclusion. 1MM agrees it was a noticeably small scene with the sole purpose of attempting to normalize this lifestyle. Some in the gay blogging community have agreed that the moment “was not groundbreaking by any standard” but continued to praise it as a “small moment of normalization,” which is exactly why 1MM finds this to be so dangerous. It has not been mentioned much in mainstream media, which could appear as acceptance when really it was because it happened so fast. But the scene was included and intentionally not announced prior to the movie release in hopes it would be kept quiet to expose as many children as possible.

So many families probably plan on seeing this movie if they haven’t already and will be blindsided by this subtle but obvious promotion of the LGBTQ lifestyle. Not to mention there was a brief comment made about not hiding in a closet also in the movie. Some children may not catch this reference, but it was extremely unnecessary as with the lesbian couple. Both were brief and didn’t need to be included since it didn’t add to the story plot at all. These “blink and you will miss” moments were included strictly to push an agenda.

Let it be known that I identify primarily as a member of the 'gay blogging community.'

Toy Story 4 is the last place parents would expect their children to be confronted with content regarding sexual orientation. Issues of this nature are being introduced too early and too soon. It is extremely common yet unnecessary.

Disney has decided once again to be politically correct versus providing family-friendly entertainment. Disney should stick to entertaining instead of pushing an agenda and exposing children to controversial topics.

TAKE ACTION

Sign our Petition stating you will continue to no longer trust Disney since their actions have veered away from family-friendly entertainment. And please share!

Of course these people** push for 'family-friendly' media as long as that media doesn't depict families different from theirs. Newsflash: same-sex couples raise children and create loving family units. It's not news and it's not something to be scared of, or discourage. Disney's inclusion of a same-sex couple wasn't central to the story, so...why challenge it so vehemently? One Million Moms doth protest too much, methinks. I'm not alone in that assessment.

*homophobia

**homophobes

Last year, Melin Jones bought a customized cake for her daughter's birthday at Walmart. There was a miscommunication between the mom and a Walmart employee that resulted in a hilarious 'birthday cake accident.' That accident was immortalized in a Facebook post that's making the rounds online, largely thanks to the child's inimitable reaction.

THAT FACE. Have you ever seen an expression convey disappointment so evocatively? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Jones provided the backstory on Facebook, writing,

Liz’s nickname is Lizard . I got her a cake at Walmart & asked the lady to write “happy Birthday Lizard” I did not look at it . Don’t ask me why 🙈As I’m unloading the car I look quickly at it and notice the lady didn’t hear “Lizard “ she heard loser . So here’s my baby & her loser cake 😭😭🤣🤣🤣 It’s funny now but I was maddddd. She did get a new cake !

Thank God Liz got a new cake. Babygirl didn't deserve that, hilarious as her response might've been. Her mom updated everyone with the correctly-decorated confection. Phew!

Lizard, don't change a thing. Your natural talent is gonna take you far in this cruel world. Mark my words: this kid's a star!

"Sex is the thing that takes up the least amount of time and causes the most amount of trouble."

- John Barrymore

You won't get in trouble for reading this post. That's what weekends are for. These hilariously sexy memes will make you laugh and make you extra glad you're not at work today.

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Last night the Upper West Side of Manhattan experience a blackout, and I don't mean the kind of blackout I experience in New York most Saturdays. This was a power outage, which left a chunk of the city without electricity. Subways trains were down, traffic lights were out, and Times Square was void of its bright lights.

So, what did the people of New York do during this time? Well, we tweeted (obviously). And a lot of those tweets shared videos of Broadway performers taking their shows to the streets. Ugh, I love New York.

Hadestown didn't let the blackout stop the show.

And neither did Hamilton.

Y'all know the cast of Waitress joined the party on the streets.

And of course, Rock of Ages rocked out outside.

Come From Away kept the show rolling.

And the theater district becoming a live street festival wasn't the only amazing thing that happened. Other New Yorkers stepped up from the plate as well, by doing things like helping direct traffic.

New York really is the best city on Earth. Sure, we may be crabby sometimes, but at the end of the day, we just want to have a party in the streets.

Summertime and the living is easy...except for when you're trying to read a book at the beach and can't figure out how to do so without feeling like either your arms or neck are going to break. That is, until now.

After doing some intense online shopping research, I found what is called The Ostrich Lounge Chaise, which is essentially a beach chair that has a hole for your face to go in, so you can read a book while laying on your stomach. Or scroll through your Instagram feed. Pick your poison.

As a bonus, these chairs also fold up so you can shantay away gracefully after getting in some quality reading time and working on your tan.

There are few different options available on Amazon, and they all come in fun n' flirty summer colors. I don't know why no one thought of this idea before. And by no one I mean me. I could have been rich by now.

Until then, you can find me at the beach, binge-watching Netflix in my Ostrich Laise. Netflix & beach, baby!

You can buy this chair on Amazon for $48.49.

Another day, another racist tweet from the president. This time, Donald Trump went as far as telling Congresswomen that they should go back to where they came from. You know, the thing that racist people say.

The Congresswomen he's referring to in the tweet are most likely AOC, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, who are all women of color. Telling these women, who represent America, that they should leave based on their race/background is...despicable.

Of course, AOC had some words for him.

Boom. Our girl sure knows how to deliver a clapback.

Ilhan Omar also had an amazing response.

Rashida Tlaib put Trump in his place too.

And last but not least, Ayanna Pressley fought back.

Trump tried to use racist, bullying tactics to shut these women up and he failed. As they pointed out, all he did was show his true colors.

These women, on the other hand, fight every day for America. They are as American as it gets and we need them here.

Meghan Markle had the best work day ever yesterday when she got to meet Beyoncé and Jay Z. And based on the look on Beyoncé's face, the feelings of excitement were mutual.

Meghan, along with her husband Prince Harry, met the unofficial American royal couple at the London premiere of "The Lion King." The whole thing was caught on tape, and it's incredibly endearing on all sides.

Meghan and Beyoncé have already established they're big fans of each other.

Meghan is a well-known Beyoncé stan, having requested Idris Elba (yes, really) to spin Beyoncé at her wedding. She also referenced Bey in many an Instagram quote back in her former life as an actress with influencer tendencies.

And after Meghan Markle became a princess by marriage, the feelings of fandom apparently became mutual.

Beyoncé and Jay Z stood in front of a portrait of the duchess while accepting their Brit award earlier this year.

So when the two couples met last night, it was a long time coming.

And it's a bit surprising Meghan and Beyoncé had never met before the premiere, no?

Bey and Jay allegedly broke royal protocol by arriving after Meghan and Harry. Somehow the world kept spinning, though, and a reporter from the Daily Mail noted that the music power couple had more security than the royals. Jay Z and Beyoncé don't mess around!

Meghan approached Beyoncé first in a receiving-line format. And adorably, Beyoncé gushed "my princess!" the moment she saw her.

Next Beyoncé apparently said to Meghan, "The baby, so beautiful."

Then Harry showed up and did a little impression of baby Archie holding his neck up.

There's something delightful about watching Jay Z make small talk about babies.

Jay Z also apparently gave the new parents some advice, telling them to "always find time for yourself," according to the Daily Mail.

Hopefully, Jay and Bey will soon be invited to bring their crew of kids over to Frogmore Cottage for a playdate with Master Archie.

The world is dark and full of terrors, but every once in a while it graces us with something to warm our icy-cold hearts. And that is what we have today, with a single dad who went viral on Twitter after his daughter posted the photos he sent her when trying to pick out and outfit for his date. You love to see it.

After seeing these heartwarming pics, people on Twitter started suggesting this adorable man date their moms. It was essentially a mom and date matchmaking frenzy.

Others found this to be very relatable content.

And then things took a brief turn...

...when Carli revealed that her dad had been stood up by his date.

And people were NOT happy about it.

However, things did work out in the end. According to Yahoo Lifestyle, Carli told her dad about all of the attention the tweet was getting, and it gave him hope.

Carli's dad, Jeff, told Yahoo Lifestyle that he didn't even know what Twitter was before now, but that he has made an account and is receiving date offers from all over the world. “I’m being asked out a lot,” said Jeff. “But I’m very private about that.”

We stan Jeff, the viral Twitter dad. Go give him a follow!

The singer Pink is no stranger to internet backlash, particularly when it comes to posting pictures of her children online.

In the past she's come under fire for posting a photo of her son without a diaper, posting photos with her children on the beach while on sick leave, and of course, her choice to raise her kids gender neutral.

While she is a master at shutting trolls down and not letting their words sway her lifestyle choices, the exhaustion of non-stop criticism has resulted in Pink deciding to post less photos of her kids online.

Over the weekend, Pink broke her fast from posting photos of her kids to share some photos from the family's trip to Berlin, including a shot of the kids running through the Holocaust Memorial.

The photo started to garner backlash, with commenters claiming it was making light of the atrocities of the Holocaust.

One commenter wrote: "Τhis place is not definitely a hide and seek place, dear Pink."

Another commenter wrote that they were "torn" over the picture because "the location should be treated with high respect."

When Pink read some of the backlash, she immediately changed her caption to respond, sharing why she felt it was okay for the kids to play in the memorial.

Pink wrote:

"Berlin, I love you. #holocaustmemorial#panamarestaurant#cocktailclasses#history#herstory#worldtour and for all of the comments; these two children are in actuality Jewish, as am I and the entirety of my mothers family. The very person who constructed this believed in children being children, and to me this is a celebration of life after death. Please keep your hatred and judgment to yourselves."

A good deal of commenters shared Pink's sentiments, writing that it was beautiful to see kids so alive and joyful in a spot commemorating such loss.

Missterrim8 wrote: "I love this photo. To see children play and bring happiness to a place that remembers loss and pain is a beautiful thing."

Markrovinsky wrote: "Just awesome. I agree 110%. My family suffered in the Holocaust and this memorial is to never forget, but also that life goes on. Let the children be respectfully free."

As Pink pointed out in the caption, the architect who designed the memorial, Peter Eisenman, intentionally wanted this space to be lighter than other museums and dedications to the Holocaust. He shared his intentions a few years back in an interview with BBC:

"My idea was to allow as many people of different generations, in their own ways, to deal or not to deal with being in that place, and if they want to lark around I think that's fine. A memorial is an everyday occurrence, it is not sacred ground."

Parenting is hard, and no one is expected to get it right one-hundred percent of the time. That being said, there are something that parents do/say that can really scar and harm their kids without them realizing it. Sometimes things with the best intentions have the worse effects.

Reddit user killcommander_ wanted to explore what some of these mistakes parents make are, so they asked people to share what things their parents did that hurt them. We picked out fifteen of the ones that resonated most. Spoiler alert: passive aggressive comments take the cake.

1. The Snitch (frankajc)

When you open up to your Mom on some private issue and she says “its only between us” but then she starts snitching to other people.

2.The Silent Treatment (Back2Bach)

The silent treatment:

It made my brother and me feel terrible when Mom wouldn't talk to us or explain what was wrong when we asked.

The "silent treatment" is demeaning - especially when you don't honestly know why you're being punished.

3. The Comparing (andyl1m)

When they start comparing you with the other kids

4. The Betrayal (Tizi_)

“If you tell me the truth I won’t be mad” Proceeds to scream at you for w/e the truth was

5. The Dissapointment (jrpp113)

“Wow, you got 90% on this test? Where’s the other 10%?”

6. The Competitor (onetruepairings)

constant one-upping. my siblings and I are all older (17-21) and we can’t say a word about having a long day or being in pain or anything because my mom will come out of the woodworks explaining how her day was much longer and harder and she’s in more pain, etc. just because you may have it worse doesn’t mean someone else’s struggle isn’t real to them.

7. The Condescender (xxPhoenixPrincesxx)

Pointing out their flaws. In a mean and condescending way. I pointed this out to my parents numerous times and they told me “you always take everything so seriously. We’re just trying to help you”

8. The Backhanded Compliment (killcommander_)

Something my mom likes to say a lot is "well it's so easy, even you could do it"

well thanks mom, thats a way of calling me stupid

9. The 'When I Was Your Age...'MicroPixel

Invalidating your child's feelings (usually by saying something along the lines of 'it wasn't that bad'. Or "when I was your age... So you have it easy', etc...

10. The Physical Appearance Comments (Kynsade)

Commenting on their appearance constantly, in either a positive or negative way.

If all the compliments you give your child (or let other people give your child) are about their appearance, they will begin to equate the way they look with their value as a person.

On the other hand, if you constantly nag at them about their appearance or their weight or the way they dress, they'll develop lifelong insecurities about (and related to) their appearance.

11. The Body Image Issues (little-chili-baby)

Similarly, parents being aware that commenting on their child’s appearance is wrong, but focusing these comments instead on themselves.

“I ate so much today. [lists food] I’m so fat.”

“I feel so guilty because I skipped the gym today. I feel like a cow.”

“I’m so excited, I was able to size down in pants!”

These one-off comments aren’t too terrible, but repeatedly over years certainly models for a child how they should perceive their own body and worth.

12. The Uknown Study (paul_maybe)

Educator here.

When kids succeed or do well, many parents compliment them by calling them smart. As it turns out, studies have shown that calling kids smart motivates them to attempt easy tasks and avoid hard ones. The child is trying to fish for that compliment and wants to appear smart, thus only attempts things it knows it will succeed at.

It's much better to compliment a child on working hard, whether he succeeds or fails, rather than tell him he's smart when he succeeds.

13. All of the Feelings (MsAndie1)

“Don’t cry.” “Don’t be sad.” “Oh, just enjoy it!” All feelings are valid.

14. The Shamer (s_hinoku)

"Don't be silly" after a kid has expressed a fear or concern. You don't make them brave, you just make them feel ashamed.

15. The 'Smile More' UllsStratocaster

"You'd be so pretty if you put some makeup on/ got your hair out of your face/ wore different clothes/ smile more."

Scarlett Johansson quickly became a Twitter meme after her recent interview defending her often controversial acting roles.

Throughout her prolific career, Johansson has come under fire multiple times for taking roles written for minority actors. In the movie "Ghost in the Shell" she played Major Motoko Kusanagi, an Asian woman. Soon after, Johansson was also cast as a trans man in Rub & Tug, but she ultimately declined the role after major backlash.

Now, in a recent interview with AS IF, Johansson addressed the critiques she's received for these roles, and where she stands on the conversation around whitewashing and straight-washing.

Johansson defended her past choices to take controversial roles, claiming it's all part of her job, and even went so far as to say she should be allowed to play any "tree or animal."

"You know, as an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job. I feel like it’s a trend in my business and it needs to happen for various social reasons, yet there are times it does get uncomfortable when it affects the art because I feel art should be free of restrictions."

She also shared she believes society would be more empathetic and connected if people allowed others to think and feel differently than they do.

"I think society would be more connected if we just allowed others to have their own feelings and not expect everyone to feel the way we do"

Johansson's response quickly went viral and ushered in a wave of critique and memes.

Many of the critiques came from minority actors who struggle to find roles to audition for in the first place. They pointed out that Johansson's vision of "everyone playing everyone" would be welcomed and ideal if the road went both ways. However,for trans actors and non-white actors, the pool of auditions is often already slim, and they aren't offered the other casting opportunities that white, cis actors have.

Unsurprisingly, Johansson's comment about playing a tree generated a lot of memes in itself.

After reading the backlash to her comments, Johansson clarified the intentions of her original interview to CNN on Sunday.

She added she recognizes her privilege and how far the acting world has to go.

"I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actor should be able to play anybody and Art, in all forms, should be immune to political correctness. That is the point I was making, albeit didn't come across that way. I recognize that in reality, there is a wide spread discrepancy amongst my industry that favors Caucasian, cis gendered actors and that not every actor has been given the same opportunities that I have been privileged to. I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included."

Hopefully, this ongoing conversation about representation in acting will inspire more casting directors away from the trends of whitewashing and straightwashing.

https://twitter.com/nancywyuen/status/815387772965916672

https://twitter.com/nancywyuen/status/815387772965916672

https://twitter.com/nancywyuen/status/815387772965916672

In recent years, many teachers in the U.S. have chosen to leave their jobs in our underpaid and flawed public education system. And I can hardly blame them. Recently, one ex-kindergarten teacher's post about why she quit teaching went hugely viral. In it, she explained that her reason for quitting had a lot to do with her frustrations with the education system for prioritizing "technology training" over children's emotional and mental well-being.

But not every teacher is abandoning the profession. Fourth-grader teacher Tracey Pendley, who was recently named 2020 Georgia Teacher of the Year, recently shared a post on why she decided to return to teaching after quitting for a year to be a stay-at-home mom.

Pendley chose to share her reasons for returning to teaching in response to what she perceives as recent "poor PR" about the profession.

She writes:

There have been so many posts about why teachers leave the profession that have gone viral lately, that I wanted to share my reasons for returning to teaching. It’s important to uplift the power of the classroom and the impact that teachers have on students because that’s why we teach. I think the authors of these posts have valid concerns, and they’re not lying- teaching is hard, especially in schools that lack resources, are not well maintained, or have a challenging school culture. I get it.

Pendley, who teaches fourth grade, quit a few years ago after an "extraordinarily challenging" fourth year of teaching.

My fourth year in the classroom was extraordinarily challenging. I left my supportive, highly structured school and teacher tribe in Chicago to return to my hometown Atlanta and teach. I was at a new school and paired with a grade level partner who was not interested in co-planning or field trips because our students were “too difficult.” In my mind, that’s exactly why they needed engaging lessons and exposure to the world. So that year, I closed my door and delivered the best instruction I knew how. I built a family of scholars who made significant growth, but- It. Was. Hard. I made several teacher friends within the building, but I lacked significant professional development opportunities and I had a classroom of 31 students with very high needs and not much counseling, behavioral, or home support. When my husband and I were unsuccessful getting pregnant with our second child that year, I blamed my job. I decided to leave the classroom and be a stay at home mom with my then 2 year old daughter.

She says as hard as it was to leave her new baby with a nanny and drop off her 3-year-old at school, she missed being in the classroom.

I didn’t completely leave education. That year, I worked with the Pete Nance Boys and Girls Club in Greene County, tutoring students, attending board meetings, and providing management and homework-help trainings for staff members. However, I wasn’t in the classroom. And you know what?

I missed it. Tremendously. After one year away (and the birth of a beautiful, second baby girl) I came back. Was it tough leaving my 2 month old with a nanny and dropping off my 3 year old at school each day? You bet. I feel the evil tug between work and motherhood just like every other mom. So many mothers want to be at home who can not afford it, so a part of me felt like I was taking for granted my good fortune in being able to stay at home if I wanted. But, there was something that just kept tugging at me in the other direction.

I can only speak for myself, but in the midst of such poor PR about teaching, I want to share with you the many reasons why I came back to public education.

She lays out her reasons for returning to teaching after quitting:

1) She knows her own kids are going to be OK because they have a stable home, something many of her students don't have.

I came back to teaching because I know that at the end of the day, my own kids are going to be great, regardless of whether I spend my days at home with them. They have me, their dad, and educators whom I trust deeply. We read, do homework together, problem solve, and talk about the world. You know who doesn’t have that? Many of my students.

2) The everlasting bond she develops with her students.

I came back to education because in addition to the amazing relationships I have with my daughters, I cherish the relationships that I build with students. They are so active, bright, creative, funny, and engaging- my students bring me joy. I love the bond that we create over the course of the year, and it’s a bond that never disappears. Isn’t it the best when students return to see us and contact us later?

3) As someone who comes from a rocky and unstable childhood, she wants to impact her students the way her teachers impacted her.

I came back to teaching because I want to impact students and student teachers the way that so many of my teachers impacted me. I was the kid in class for whom that teacher relationship REALLY mattered. The consistency, engaging lessons, and love that my third, fifth, sixth, and seventh grade teachers showed me kept me motivated and encouraged when things at home were unstable. If I can open up the world for and help even one child know that they are valued and loved, then I can deal with a lot of the stresses of teaching.

4) She wanted to work past the "professional isolation" she experienced in the past to build lasting bonds with other teachers.

I came back to teaching because I realized that a lot of the professional isolation I experienced that fourth year was self-inflicted. I could have and should have reached out more. When I returned to Atlanta Public Schools after one year away, I immediately plugged in. I found opportunities that helped to make me a more reflective educator and said yes to teacher leadership opportunities. I began working with a teacher residency program mentoring student teachers, I pursued conference opportunities, and I shared my ideas with my principal and colleagues. I also plugged in with bright, positive teachers in the building who have become truly great friends. I’m constantly in awe of the other teachers around me when I stop to listen in or see their hallway displays. Now, I ask questions, seek advice, and work to mimic the things I see working for students!

5) She loves watching a group of students "grow" and "flourish."

I came back to teaching because there is nothing like watching a group of students grow over the course of a year. I have the same struggles as any other teacher, and there are days where I come home feeling defeated. But one really cool part about teaching is that every day is a new day. If something doesn’t work- I have the power to change it. I control the philosophy of management, teaching, and learning inside the walls of my classroom. Yes, we have to take district benchmark tests and prepare for state tests, but I choose how I allow my students to feel about them and I choose how we prepare for them. We’re so quick to blame every behavior and academic need on students’ parents or previous teachers, but it does no good to harp on what we can’t change. We CAN speak up about concerns, we CAN collaborate and share resources with our colleagues within the building and across the country (literally- social media has made sharing the brain trust increasingly easy), and we CAN teach the group in front of us as if we’re the only teacher they’ll ever have. Teaching my students to take ownership of their learning and watching them glow as they achieve their goals makes teaching an incredible and humbling job. Students are capable of so much - we just have to model, encourage, and give them the type of space needed - which for individual students can mean more structure- to flourish.

6) She's good at that. And the education system needs more "effective" teachers who love their job.

Finally, I came back to teaching because I have come to see that I’m effective at it, and that our profession needs as many talented, committed, and equity-focused educators as possible. Our students deserve it. Partially because of my own experiences as a child, I am able to quickly connect and form trusting relationships with students, and I take joy in designing and sharing super fun lessons with my kiddos! We all have different talents and different passions when it comes to how we choose to show up in this world. For me, my heart is with growing a powerful generation of civically engaged, compassionate, knowledgeable, and open-minded critical thinkers, and in paying forward the kindness my teachers showed me.

Ultimately, Pendley says the benefits of teaching outweigh the challenged—such as difficult administrators, insufficient pay and students with inadequate support at home.

So, there it is. Yes, certain administrators are difficult. No, teachers are generally not paid what we deserve. Yes, many of our students lack adequate support at home which passes on more roles to the teacher. But, I’m always stuck here- it’s not the kids’ fault. And don’t they deserve every advantage that my own children have? If I can play a small role in giving a child even one great year in the classroom, and I know that I can do it, then that’s what I, me personally, am going to do.

Pendley shared her post on the "George Teacher of the Year" Facebook page, along with a photo of her surrounded by her students:

Her post has been shared hundreds of times and received dozens of supportive comments from those who appreciate, and share, her views on teaching. Comments like these:

The education system would be a whole lot different if every teacher shared this attitude. It's pretty clear why she won teacher of the year.

True Story- Over 500,000 people signed up for a Facebook event titled "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All Of Us." The event takes place on September 20th and the description pretty much says it all:

"We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry. If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let’s see them aliens."

Needless to say, the internet delivered in a hilarious way. Whatever planet you're from, you'll crack up at these ridiculously funny Area 51 memes.

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Think you're the only one dealing with a bunch of bullsh*t at your job? Well, if it's any consolation, you're not. Someone recently asked Reddit, "what BS are you dealing with at work right now?" And these answers prove that dealing with B.S. all day is basically the definition of having a job. These people (all of us who have to show up to work every day) deserve a support group, although I guess that exists. It's called Happy Hour.

1) Bad dads.

Via aoacyra:

Lately whenever the mother of one of my students pisses off the father (they divorced >4 months ago) he will send all three of their kids in mismatched clothes with shirts that have some variation of “I love my Dad” or “Daddy’s kid”.

I have not seen the same shirt twice and believe mom throws the shirts out and dad just keeps buying more.

2) USB B.S.

Via Prophet086:

"Do this task. What do you need?

- I need 30 computers and 20 USB3 flash drives.

- Here's 15 computers and 7 USB2 flash drives.

- What? I need 30, where's the other 15? And these flash drives won't do, the system won't even work with those.

- Budget cuts, sorry."

Later...

"How's this task going along?

- Everything is set to go, but as is it won't fulfill the task.

- What's keeping you from doing the task?

- I need 15 more computers and 20 USB3 flash drives.

- Ok, we'll order more ASAP, they'll be here in two years. Make sure everything's running by September though."

Are things like this everywhere or is it just at my job?

3) Vagueness.

Via SalemScout:

I have a vendor who gives me the same answer every day that I email him: "Let me check and get back to you."

His shipment has slipped by over two months at this point and it's driving me nuts.

He's doing the same thing to other people in my office on other projects. He's on a quick list to be blacklisted, but unfortunately, the clients love his stuff.

Edit: Furniture, he sells furniture. Why does everyone think it's drugs?

4) Scheduling B.S.

Via PIZZAspartan442:

Being scheduled on basically every day I was supposed to have off

5) Ghost employees.

Via SaltySolicitor:

A third party keeps insisting that an individual worked for my company. They did not. We have searched everywhere. We have punched in every variation of their name, birthday, social security number into our system. Dude didn't work here, and "Well this other woman says he did" isn't an argument.

6) When you're understaffed.

Via rTheWorst:

Bar manager and 20% of the staff quit. Owner hasn't hired anyone. It's been 3 months. No one can take unexpected days off or call in sick and inventory is at an all time low. (Except the kegs. So. Many. Kegs.) We keep running out of fuckin everything. I (and others) have offered to help over the summer and nothing has come of it. The restaurant is expanding and we need more employees but my boss is too focused on having us dust (during construction), replacing glassware with crystal, and setting up public accessible training courses to bother with actual management. Oh, and communication is non existent, so I regularly show up to work and have no idea where shit is or what the new procedures are.

7) Boss' birthdays.

Via funplans20:

It's my bosses birthday, not a lot of folks respect her. I'm new to the department and was asked by Don to collect money on Friday to get her flowers. He was going to bake a cake and bring it in. He was sick yesterday so didn't come to work. I collected a measly 19$ from others, awkward af because no one even likes her, topped it up with my own 10 to get a decent bunch of flowers, bought yesterday evening and brought in this AM.

Don is in and says "I couldn't find the money you collected, do you have it" I said "I used it yesterday to buy the flowers, wasn't that the plan?" He replies with an attitudey "well no..." I ask why it matters and he says "well I couldn't bake the cake because I was sick so I don't know what we're going to do now if the money's used up, we can't get a cake now"
Another girl nicely chimes in that she will run out and grab a cake and don't worry Don it's all fine. Don's a snippy guy so I don't bother asking him how I was to know he's too ridiculous to go get a cake himself.

Others are running around asking me if I've seen the money because apparently Don's making it well known that I was supposed to collect money but no one has seen the envelope (obviously, I took it yesterday), then I have to explain that I used all the money so I look stupid. Keep throwing in that I was doing exactly as was asked of me but Jesus Christ Don would it kill you to communicate your change of plans to people???

8) Why plan when you can improvise?!

Via Much_Difference:

Everything is done in an improvised fashion even when it's identical to something we've done a hundred times before. They refuse to create any kind of system or structure for doing anything and it drives me up the wall. Every single time, every question, every form, every action, everything, needs to be run through a hundred different people and approached as if it's a brand new thing, even if it's routine paperwork we do multiple times a week. It's the most incredible waste of time.

Let's say I traveled from Phoenix to Tucson and I need to be reimbursed for gas.

I'll go pull out the exact same piece of paperwork I used last time. I'll fill in the extremely basic blanks that I did last time. Name, travel date and time, mileage, gas receipt, sign and date. Submit the form.

A day later, I get an email. Oh hey here you put "Tucson" but you need to put "Tucson, Pima County, AZ."

Make the change. Ask if there are any other changes. Nope, looks good. Resubmit.

A day later, I get a phone call. Oh hey here you put "Jay J. Jameson" but you need to put "Jay Jonah Jameson."

Make the change. Ask if there are any other changes. Nope, looks good. Resubmit.

A day later, someone pops in my office. Oh hey here you put "Pima County, AZ" and "Jay Jonah" but it needs to just say "Tucson, AZ" and "J. J. Jameson" oops.

Make the change. Ask if there are any other changes. Nope, looks good. Resubmit.

It finally goes through.

Two weeks later, I travel from Phoenix to Tucson and need to be reimbursed for gas.

I pull out the final version that finally went through last time, just two weeks ago, after all the changes. I change nothing except the date/time and attach the new gas receipt.

A day later, I get an email. Oh hey here you put Tucson, AZ but now it just needs to say Tucson. Oh hey here you put Phoenix but you didn't include the zip. Oh hey here you put J. J. Jameson but it needs to say J. J. Jameson Jr, Esq. Oh hey here you put that it's 113 miles but we decided to start rounding to the nearest five so it should should 115 miles. Oh hey here you put 115 miles but an hour ago we decided it needs to be rounded to the nearest ten-thousandth of a mile. Oh hey we decided to do away with zip codes on these forms.

Every. Single. Time.

9) Last man standing.

Via iFlyHighh:

Trying to move this fuck ass 40ft fiberglass ladder on my own since everyone called in

10) Helicopter bosses.

Via Ganglebot:

I work with a woman who cc's her boss on all emails. Her boss follows up on all of the emails 5-10 minutes later. They looks like this:

Woman: "Hey Ganglebot, we're starting this new thing so can you send us X, Y and Z when you have a chance - thanks!"

Her boss, 5 min later: "Ganglebot, as per [woman's] initial request, we need these things to move forward. In our previous meeting on May 4th, at 2pm you indicated you could send these to us. I ask you to please send these along ASAP as our initiative depends on good information. Please confirm receipt and indicate when we can expect these documents."

11) Mandatory meetings.

Via Raichu4u:

Girlfriend took the time off in advance to see a best friend she hasn't seen in two years for literally one day. Work is currently telling her that they're scheduling a mandatory employee meeting everyone needs to go to or else you get fired. Keep in mind there is barely anything important that ever gets announced at these.

12) Silent treatment.

Via OSB2018:

I handed in my notice at work and my boss suddenly stopped talking to me. LOL...

13) Waiting for that raise.

Via SouthernGirl2016:

I was offered a job at another location. I told my boss about it and my current company offered me a raise to stay. I took it. It’s been 2 months and I haven’t seen the raise in my paycheck yet.

UPDATE: I emailed my boss and asked for an update. They assumed I understood that the raise would begin at our new fiscal year which starts July 1. So it will be in my next paycheck.

14) Cleaning up your co-worker's mess.

Via tonderthrowaway:

I manage all the tools, parts, and materials for a small electrical company. We have a ton of little fittings, couplings, and such that are very small and have multiple parts. We recently let one of our journeymen go, and I'm in the process of clearing out his van. Turns out he was hoarding tens of thousands of fittings in his van, all mixed together with absolutely no organization. To top it off, at least 60% of them were completely disassembled before being just chucked in to drawers, boxes, and bags along with mixed bolts, nuts, fasteners, etc., so it is now my job to take these collections of assorted hardware and dump them out, separate them, and reassemble as many as I can before restocking them in my already overflowing shop.

15) Boss B.S.

Via HumanoidRobot:

Boss doesn't understand how time works.

16) Co-workers from Hell.

Via Costner_Facts:

Jeff cuts his fingernails every fucking day in his office. How do they grow so fast? Is he a werewolf?

Also, he scrapes every last tiny fucking bit out of his yogurt container. It's so loud and he does it for like 3 minutes straight.

17) Internships.

Via sevenplytoiletpaper:

I'm at an internship I was extremely excited to have and learn from. I haven't done any work the past 2 weeks :/

18) "The Peter principle."

Via Col_Walter_Tits:

I wasn’t able to hit the target goal for the cancer screening program I work for this year. Basically my head office asked me to increase the number of people we screen for breast cancer this past year. I agreed to the increased goal but they then didn’t increase my budget enough to actually cover it. So come the end of our fiscal year and I’m having to explain to them over and over why it happened. And my boss JUST called to ask if I can increase my goal more for next year with no additional funds. The Peter principle alive and well.

19) Just be a robot, mmkay?

Via FuzzyElf47:

Two of my co-workers were promoted out of the department and no one was hired to replace them, leaving me to do the work of three people (minimum). Upon expressing that my own hours weren't enough time to get the work done - even with overtime, I was told, "You have to get it done. If you can't get it done it means we'll have to find someone else who will."

Robot. What you're looking for is a robot willing to work 24/7 for a barely living wage. Got it. Glad to know the company values my mental health.

20) Occupational Satan & Hell Administration.

Via saban45:

Sharing an office with OSHA* specialist. He has literally nothing to do,each morning he fills up the three band aid dispensers that we have and then stares out the window or sits in front of a blank computer screen all day and keeps fucking clicking with his pen and annoying the shit out off me. Meanwhile I have so much stuff to do shits falling off my table, have tons of emails, people constantly asking for help and he then he leans over the monitor and comments "busy today eh?" I swear to god I hear one more pen click or stupid comment we will have our very first work accident and there will be noone to claim it to.

*Occupational Safety and Health Administration

GAHHHHHHHHHHHH. And to think it's only Monday.

5. Scarlett Johansson, because she was the victim of "clickbait" after appearing to compare trans people to trees.

RIP Scarlett Johansson, who not only died in Avengers: Endgame (the spoiler embargo was lifted long ago!!!) but was canceled yet again for saying some extremely stupid stuff.

Last year, the Japanese manga star pulled out of playing a trans man in the (seemingly now-canceled film) Rub and Tug. There are so few roles available for trans people in Hollywood, so to see one of the few opportunities handed to a cis women was disappointing, to say the least. Johannson, however, sounded bitter to As If magazine about everything she has been denied as a beautiful cis white woman.

According to The Daily Mail,ScarJo said, "You know, as an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job."

She continued: ‘I feel like it’s a trend in my business and it needs to happen for various social reasons, yet there are times it does get uncomfortable when it affects the art because I feel art should be free of restrictions.’

‘I think society would be more connected if we just allowed others to have their own feelings and not expect everyone to feel the way we do.’

The comments were not well-received, and people were hilariously casting her as any person, tree, and animal.

The backlash was so powerful that ScarJo put out a statement, explaining that she didn't mean what she said and was rather another victim of the clickbait-industrial complex.

"An interview that was recently published has been edited for click bait and is widely taken out of context," her publicist told Page Six. "The question I was answering in my conversation with the contemporary artist, David Salle, was about the confrontation between political correctness and art."

"I personally feel that, in an ideal world, any actor should be able to play anybody and Art, in all forms, should be immune to political correctness. That is the point I was making, albeit didn’t come across that way."

"I recognize that in reality, there is a wide spread discrepancy amongst my industry that favors Caucasian, cis-gendered actors and that not every actor has been given the same opportunities that I have been privileged to," she said. "I continue to support, and always have, diversity in every industry and will continue to fight for projects where everyone is included."

How generous. She'll make a great Giving Tree.

4. Mike Pence, because clergymen are calling his blank stares at caged immigrants ungodly.

Vice President Mike Pence's whole schtick is that he's a conservative Christian. That's why President Grab Them By The Pussy put him on his ticket (and also to look tall. Pence is under 6 feet).

On Saturday, he visited one of the camps in which immigrants are kept against their will, and stared blankly over detainee's heads and insisted that everything is fine.

Remember Matthew 25:35-40 where it says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me"? Pence doesn't.

Among the many critics of Pence's sociopathic behavior were ministers and priests, who know a thing or to about Jesus's teachings.

Laypeople also criticized the vice president, calling him a #FakeChristian, and sharing a photo that compares Pence's reaction to his wards to that of Heinrich Himmler.

Here's hoping that there really is a hell.

3. The New York City couple who had their white wedding during the blackout.

On Saturday night, a Con Edison malfunction caused a chunk of midtown Manhattan to be without power. Broadway shows relocated to the streets, subways were stopped, and people were stuck in elevators—which lead to either meet-cutes or nightmares. There are no in-betweens.

Almost as frustrating as having the blackout cancel your tickets to Hamilton was if the electricity went down during your wedding, and that's what happened to Amy Rosenthal and Craig Silverstein. The couple were in the process of getting married when the room suddenly went dark.

"A lot of people thought it was on purpose," the bride's brother told The New York Times,"like some kind of mood-lighting situation."

Everyone whipped out the flashlights in their pockets (aka phones) and the couple proceeded to pledge themselves to one another, in sickness and in health, in darkness and in light.

The reception went on to. The 12-piece band improvised with instruments that don't require power (saxophone, trumpet, violin), and without a microphone, the singers stuck to easily belt-able classics.

Sure, it sounds romantic, but not even the most enlightened couple in the world won't be at least a little bit disappointed that they had to throw their party without electricity. Especially when they shelled out the money for a 12-piece band and The Plaza Hotel.

May the marriage be brighter than the wedding!

2. R. Kelly, because he faces not one, but two, federal indictments.

R. Kelly spent the weekend in federal custody and it's only just begun.

The notorious sex criminal once known as a singer has been faces two federal indictments in two different time zones, and it's a tapas plate of disgusting crimes.

In New York: 5 counts of racketeering, transporting for prostitution and coercion or enticement to engage in criminal sexual activity.

In Chicago: 13 counts including child pornography, enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity and obstruction of justice.

Bye forever.

1. The guy who was caught with a rattlesnake, uranium, and whiskey in his stolen car.

Behold, the Florida Man of Oklahoma.

A man in Guthrie had an eclectic mix of crimes when he was pulled over driving a car that was reported stolen. Police say that they found a rattlesnake, a canister of radioactive powdered uranium, and an open bottle of whiskey.

It's a medley of items so eclectic that a witch must have told him to go into the woods to fetch them in order for him to break a curse.

Police did not say how he acquired the uranium, but you can get just about anything on Amazon these days.

Is there any place more fascinating than the deep ocean, where sharks and skeletons coexist?! Most of us only see the depths of the ocean through the camera work of Planet Earth or if lucky, brief snorkeling excursions on vacation.

Luckily, the people who regularly dive have enough stories to spread around for the rest of us. Since aquatic life is rich and fascinating, and humans can be sinister and love to drop secrets in the ocean, there are a lot of experiences to be had underwater.

In a recent Reddit thread, divers and people who regularly explore the depths of the ocean shared some of their scariest tales from the deep blue. These only confirm that the ocean is its own world completely.

1.FuckSirah got more than they bargained for.

"I dropped my goggles and was trying to reach down in the river and grab it but I pulled out a sheep skull by its sockets. Wasn’t as creepy in hindsight but 10 year old me was scared."

2. UrethraFrankIin has a friend who found watery graves.

"You can dive in man made lakes and check out what's left of old flooded homes and communities. It's pretty dark and spooky down there no matter what, especially when you think of all the big fish swimming around that are barely silhouettes until they're close."

3.ThePowerfulHorse almost got eaten by an Orca.

"My buddy likes to dive in lakes. He said the creepiest thing, by far, is finding cemeteries 100 ft + beneath the water in the dark, eerie quiet."

4. liquidtacomeat and his buddies were stalked by a shark.

"When living off the coast some buddies and I would take regular fishing trips out to the oil rigs. We would always have some lines out and a few would dive down and try to spear some mangrove snapper or cobia. Once while I and two others were diving down checking out the structure we decided we needed to move due to lack of life around the rig.. we all get back in the boat and as one of my buddies is reeling in a line we had a red snapper baited on.. an easily 8-10ft tiger shark starts chewing on it right behind the prop, so close I could have poked his eye out. The idea that massive animal was in the water so close to me and two of my friends but no one saw it is terrifying. I bet he was watching us the whole time."

5. camberto5's dive master discovered an underwater crime scene.

"I had a dive master that told me once he was diving somewhere and found a full skeleton wearing diving gear with the air on the tank turned off pretty deep down. If I remember correctly they said they reported it to the police and it was found out the man's wife turned off his air while they were on a dive to murder him."

6. dandylahma has a real creepy one on deck.

"I dive myself but heard this story from a garda diver. In 2010 a man took a test drive in a car with the salesman and in a suicide attempt he drove the car off the pier into the sea and drowned. The salesman managed to escape by breaking the window and swimming to the surface. The divers were dispatched to retrieve the other man's body."

"This isn't in the news report which I have a link to below for anyone interested. Simply, through working in marinas at the time I was able to be part of the conversation with the diver in question. When he got to the car, he said,the man was still facing forward, hands on the steering wheel, eyes wide. He'd been there a a couple of hours now, where it gets creepy is when the driver opened the driver door, this combined with the smashed window caused the currents to flow through the car and the man's wide eyed head turned around slowly with the force of it to face the diver."

7. sidetrack38 got charged by a humpback.

"Got charged by a mother humpback, her curious calf had swum around us and we were between her and the calf. Two of us never saw it coming, we were watching the baby, but our third diver watched her come. She kicked down and swam under us last minute. We didn't see anything until that 60 ft freight train passed just underneath us."

8. Handsomekiwiboy knows a story about giant eels.

"I got told a story once by a Maori Language teacher of mine during my time at High School. We didn't learn much Maori, just listened to stories. A dam in the Waikato, New Zealand had begun to have visible cracks in the concrete on the outside part of the dam and some drivers were organised to dive down and check the inside submerged part of the dam for damage on that side."

"While they were down there, there was the usual debris you would find behind a man made wall which prevents the water from flowing as it would normally if there wasn't a dam there."

"Turns out what they thought were large logs were in fact huge eels which had gotten to the size of logs due to being prevented from migrating to the sea, where they breed and die. So from being prevented from doing their natural life duties, they just get larger and larger. That would be creepy seeing eels deep down in the water just floating around..."

9. RCMW181 met a moray with a love of seashells.

" An old WW2 ammunition ship off the south coast of England was full of brass topped shells. Most had been taken by divers over the years and it was now very rare to see them, apart from a pile in one corner of the ship."

"This pile of shiny brass metals was miraculous untouched and remarkably clean after spending years underwater and you only found out why if you swam near them."

"Out of the murky darkness the largest moray I have every seen snakes forward, without exaggeration this thing had a head the same size as a horse's head full of jagged teeth. I could not see the body as it looped into the dark and deeper into the ship. No one got near those shells."

"Turns out for years this thing had been guarding the shiny brass shells, slithering over them making them shine. We found out at the bar later that he was famous in the area and many people went to the wreck just to see him. No idea why this giant creature was guarding them like a dragon and its horde, but some said morays are like magpies and shiny things."

10. username_redacted was spied on underwater.

"When I was a kid swimming in the lake at summer camp, I dove underwater and I swear I saw someone in SCUBA gear hiding underneath the dock watching us. I told the lifeguard but he wasn't able to find anyone."

11. Khary19 found a hospital gurney.

"I used to teach canoeing lessons to Boy Scout troops at a local neighborhood lake. Super small lake that's not very deep but the bottom was hella thick with vegetation. The water was "dark" so you couldn't see your hands in front of you for more than like 5 inches under the surface. There was a small clubhouse, an open pavillion, and a playground all on the property. When doing lifeguard work in the water during a swim test, my sunglasses fell off my head. I dove down to find them and shit you not - I found a sunken, entangled hospital gurney at the bottom of the lake. It took a few people to untangle it but how the eff it got there was beyond me. Clearly it had been there for years."

12. Digestivesrule had a real scary in-the-dark moment.

"I'm a commercial diver, and was once on a job cleaning a potable water reservoir. I'd been in other reservoirs before, but this was by far the biggest, at 40x80 metres. To get in you had to open a hatch in the ground (the whole reservoir was underground) and climb down a ladder. The hatch was in a corner, so when you were in the far corner of the reservoir, it was completely pitch black, and you just had to hoe your light didn't go out. I was about half way through a three hour dive when the batteries in my torch started going flat."

"I watched the beam get narrower and dimmer until it cut out completely. It's not a huge problem if you lost light, as you can just follow your umbilical back to the hatch. Just as I started walking back, some obnoxiously loud banging started in the reservoir. I was the only diver in there, so it both confused and scared the shit out of me. Needless to say, I ran back to the hatch as fast as I could. I ended up getting my torch changed out and doing another hour in the water, but didn't hear the noise again. I still have no idea what it was, but the combination of my torch going out and loud banging coming from somewhere gave me a hell of a fright."

13. op2mus_2357 knows of catfish the size of vans.

"Not a diver but heard from the old divers that worked for the core of engineers, that there's some huge catfish around the bottom of the dams, like the size of vans."

14. count_dynamo found a freezer full of dolls.

"I've done a number of dives, and the strangest thing I ever saw was a large deep freezer with a heavy industrial chain wrapped around multiple times with about 5 cinder blocks attached. It was very very rusted and the deep freezer itself had to have been about 30+ years old, probably more. This was about 90 feet deep just off Vancouver Island, Canada. The situation gave myself and the other divers the newbie jeebies. Logged the gps and depth coordinates and notified the police. We were able to find out what was inside, since one of the divers had friends with local police. 10 porcelain dolls..."

15. Erkjoh knows the feeling of a haunted house underwater.

"I used to do a lot of night dives hunting for lobster off the coast of California. We'd start at 9 or 10 at night so everything is obviously pitch black besides when we were pointing our lights. Every so often I'd get this unshakeable feeling that something big was watching me or following me. Sometimes I could quiet that part of my brain and continue with the dive. Other times I couldn't shake the feeling and would end the dive after a few minutes. It's a hard feeling to describe but I guess I'd compare it to being in a haunted house but 50ft underwater in complete darkness."

16. chaantayx went head to head with a shark.

"I once went diving in Port Elizabeth, South Africa where it is quite popular to see sharks. We begin diving and we are quite ar from the shore, there's a cool looking structure under us, we swim towards it to get a closer look and I just start getting this cold cold cold cold feeling running through my body, and that's when a shark appeared and I shat my body in fear."

17. teamu's dad has some scary stories.

"This isn't my story but my dad's. So when he was in grad school he did some field study classes some of which involved diving in Monterey Bay. One day he was diving counting something off of the Santa Cruz Pier and he finds a shopping cart with bricks and cinderblocks and a chain attached to the handle. He naturally followed the chain and found a bare foot wrapped in the chain. He assumes something probably ate the rest of the body and apparently his friends had seen similar things too."

"Also not mine but my dad's friend. He says he was on a shelf counting mussels when he felt something tap his tank and he looked around and didn't see anything. He figured it was a seal cause they like to play. When he was nudged again he saw it was a great white. He says he thought to himself "if it gets me it gets me I can't swim out." Now I don't know if he was actually that chill I sure wouldn't be but that's how he tells it."

18. K1ngNightmare47 and their friends found a murder scene.

"I do not dive often but I had gone to a lake with a couple of friends and we were all diving in different parts of the lake to look for others lost belongings. I was bringing up an ammo box I had found I looked over to a group of my friends at the dock and one was holding what looked like a small cloth bag so I didn't really bother walking over to check it out. Turns out it was a bag full of small urns with the same name on it. It really spooked us so we figured whoever put it there wants it there so we put them back and left almost immediately afterwards.