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Ruth Gunneson-Poling
Community Member
1 posts
8 comments
132 upvotes
6 points
This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.
Ruth Gunneson-Poling • commented on 2 posts 2 years ago
Ruth Gunneson-Poling • upvoted 38 items 2 years ago
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
OneOfALifetime reply
Probably my wife (although we just had our 20 year reunion a couple years ago). We both went to middle and high school together, knew each other in a friendly way, you know, say hi when you pass in the hallway, but nothing more than that. Fast forward about 12 years, and I went on a blind date after coming off a glorious summer of bachelorhood. I saw her standing outside the bar, waiting for me, and I can still see it like it was yesterday. I kept on thinking, nah, this can't be her, I had seen a couple pictures but I was like this girl is drop dead gorgeous. We hit it off that night, and within a couple weeks we were dating. About a month after that first date, we were talking about where we went to school, and she mentioned that she went to the same high school I had. So I asked her what year she graduated and lo and behold, it was the same year as me. "What middle school did you go to?" I asked. Once again, same as mine. She had our high school yearbook from our senior year in her closet, so she brought it out and we looked up our pictures. "Wait a second, you're <so and so>?". I was in shock, in high school she was someone that was bullied on a lot because of her looks. But here I was looking at this gorgeous blonde, who was just stunning. We brought out her middle school year book, and that is when it pretty much hit us that fate had brought us together. There, in faded yellow marker, she had highlighted my name. The only boy in our entire class that she highlighted was mine. We still don't really know why, but she did, and it was the like the God of Fates opened up the clouds and sent a beam of light upon us. The best part was, my nickname starts with "Crazy". I was a party animal, but I was getting near 30, and I had been dating/hanging/whatever many a crazy chick over the last 10 years. All of them were pretty big into the party life themselves. She however, was grounded. She had a good job, dressed way above my pay grade at the time, and just was a good person that had a good family. She turned my life around, and while it hasn't all been roses, we have now been married for close to 10 years and have two wonderful kids. And most importantly, I still look at her almost every day and think how lucky I am to have such a beautiful woman, both inside and out. P.S. When she first joined Facebook way back in the day, I was already on it and had a lot of friends from high school. I made a post linking to her Facebook and just said, hey, if you remember <so and so>, we got married a few years ago so she needs some friends on here. My post was inundated with posts from high school friends, "that is <so and so>!!", "wow <so and so> you look so different", "No way that is <so and so>", including some of the very people that bullied her when she was younger. I am extremely proud of my wife for the woman that she is, both to myself and our kids. And I'm even more proud to know that this girl that grew up getting bullied because of her looks got the last laugh.
yolomaster2000 reply
I knew guy who failed all his math courses and had me tutor him in math then he became a mathematician guess I was a great teacher
cubosh reply
mega obese quiet kid (so huge everyone just exempted him from cruel remarks etc) - lost hundreds of pounds and also ended up being fabulously gay - showed up with his sassy little boyfriend -- i was so happy for him
nobody76 reply
My husband and I went to the same high school but met years later. He was the football player all the girls wanted in bed and all the guys wanted to be with. I was the one people threw against lockers and treated like trash. When my reunion came around, one of the girls I had kept in contact with asked me to help with the website, so I said what the hell. When we showed up, quite a few people asked why he was there. He had graduated 2 years earlier. He said he was with his wife and just and took his seat. I walked in and took a seat as they were thanking those who helped with the reunion. When they announced my name, people looked around slightly confused. I stood, like the others and you could hear a pin drop. Apparently I changed quite a bit in that ten years. My husband raised his glass and smiled again. It was awesome.
zapsharon reply
I used to pass notes to a guy in Algebra class... mostly song lyrics. I'd write a line pass it to him, he'd write a line, back and forth. He was a quiet kid and friends with some other friends of mine who were big into BMX bikes and skateboards. I took a bunch of photos of these guys for my photography class. At graduation, he said he was heading to California to ride BMX. He never came to a reunion... he was too busy playing rhythm guitar in Guns N Roses as Izzy Stradlin.
anon reply
This guy was poor. Nice kid, but really poor. Only owned 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants. People always donated clothes to school to give to family. Dirty, needed groomed, overall looked homeless. You know how most kids are, mean about it, but he was cool. Millionaire. Has started and sold quite a few businesses and is overall very successful. Invests in lots of real estate now.
anon reply
Not 10 but 5. This kid that everyone made a scapegoat in high school is LOADED. He was the kid that certain groups would pretend to be friends with and then do something horrible to him as a "joke" like depantsing him in front of the whole lunch room or teasing him about his small d**k till he cried (not sure if he actually had one or not just high school a**holes being a**holes) Turns out that he won some sort of contest/scholarship thing for this space engineering idea and ended up going to school in California for free. I guess he worked super hard and was able to graduate a year early and now is just like rich as f**k working for some sort of space engineering thing that works closely with NASA. It was funny listening to all the people who use to make fun of him just listen to his life story with their mouths hanging wide open. He has no debt, owns a beautiful home in California and another "cabin" home in our home state (MN), drives beautiful cars, hangs out with beautiful people. All at the ripe age of 24. You could practically smell the jealousy. Plus he brought his smoking hot gf. It made me so happy for him :)
specialdialingwand reply
Back in highschool we had a kid who has aspergers and was a little weird. He was, however, amazing at the yo-yo, having picked one up during middle school when we had that yo-yo trick assembly. After everyone else had stopped walking the dog in 8th grade, this guy was doing more and more elaborate tricks every day during lunch. He was bullied and teased but he continued doing what he loved. So, at our ten year reunion, people from every strata of high school popularity was there, including this guy. He was his same old self, but more confident. I asked him if he still yo-yos, and he busted out his custom made titanium yo-yo that he said he made on a CNC lathe. He then starts to do some tricks and a large crowd gathered around. It was quite the show, he had gotten very good. When he finished, people clapped and cheered, and even the jockiest dudes from back in the day fist bumped him and told him how badass he was. So I guess the biggest transformation was everyone else. Nobody teased him for being who he was anymore, they now admired him for being so passionate about something.
anon reply
One of my neighbors growing up was that super motivated Type A do everything types. Co-valedictorian, captain of the hockey team, gifted musician...just always working. 10 year reunion, went just how we all expected. Full ride to Yale, Harvard MBA, six figure Wall Street job, gorgeous fiance...and he seemed utterly miserable. 10 years later, 20th reunion. He got sick of it all, quit his job, sold his house, got divorced, and got out of town. He now owns a pig farm in Upstate New York, spends his days working the farm, brewing beer, and hiking in the forest...and I've never met a happier, more satisfied person in my life.
Lo452 reply
My boyfriend went to his 10 year over the weekend. Saw this woman he didn't know. Turned out to be one of his old football buddies... So, I'd say that was a very big transformation.
fluffywhiteduck reply
On the flip side I know someone who hasn't aged since high school. No extra fat, no wobbles, no gray hair, nothing. Even his voice is the same at thirty as it was at fourteen. I'm pretty sure he's a vampire.
Brianthelion83 reply
Twin sisters. The good one straight A student and a perfect angel is now 90 pounds soaking wet and just finished her 4th stint in rehab for drugs. The one who was a trouble maker and constantly in trouble even arrested a few times for drugs and shop lifting while in high school, is a doctor with a family.
Porrick reply
Nobody changed at all. I left Ireland three days after my leaving cert, and happened to move back a month before the reunion party. I hadn't seen a single person in the 10 intervening years, and everyone was basically *the exact same person* as they had been in school. Better-dressed, more confident, less awkward - but essentially the exact same people. I had been dreading it, because I was never a popular kid in school - but it actually felt wonderful to be among those people again. After high school, you never really get to know anyone that well again. Add that to me having spent 10 years being an immigrant in various places, and that made re-connecting with these people extra sweet. All of the people with massive chips on their shoulders - they didn't show up. So the only people who were there were the ones who were as excited as I was. There was one kid who changed massively, but he didn't come to the reunion. In school, he was the most dyslexic kid, worst at math, bottom of every class. His only love was making home-made bombs on his farm and blowing s**t up with them. He went to a college in Cornwall or Wales or something, that specialised in mining - because he figured that way he could work with explosives. So fast-forward almost ten years, and I am finally getting my bachelor's degree. I took a bit longer than most people do, but I had just got the results from my last few exams and I had finally passed. I was basking in that elation when my phone rang and it's this guy. He just got his PhD for building a f*****g robot that goes into mines and fires f*****g lasers everywhere to make a 3D scan of the mine without endangering any humans. He built a robot with lasers on it. And had a PhD. Way to take the wind out of my sails, James.
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
The day I was informed that my presence wasn’t necessary for the annual Christmas party. After I had spent what little money I had made that year into presents for the friends that I thought were supportive of me. I still have the presents.Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
My "best friend" moved out of state for college. She came back to visit but told me she was too busy for anything but family. A month later, a mutual friend asked why I wasn't at the party she threw. Every single other person in our friend group was invited. Still not sure why I wasn't. Oh well, she farted a lot anyways.
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
Had a tangential friend group. They were fine people and I was new to the city. Bought a boat and all of a sudden we’re BEST FRIENDS. The immediate rise to central friend made me step back and go “yah no.” So when I took notice of when I wasn’t invited to normal day to day stuff in the group like concerts and dinners versus when the Thursday flurry of texts came in about the weekend on the boat. I distanced myself.
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
Back in highschool, I thought I was best friends with a girl on my sports team for 3-4 years. Through thick and thin I've been there for her. I supported her through devere depression, bullying, abusive home life, multiple suicide attempts, giving her my clothes when her dad periodically burned hers, bringing her food from my house, spliting my bus tokens so she didnt have to walk home from practice late evenings(you have to qualify for them), letting her wash her clothes and bathe at my house so she didn't get ridiculed, stuck up for her during a time she nearly got expelled wrongfully, and just being a good friend to her in anyway I could. Long story short, senior year, between classes when I asked her where did she want my mom to take her out to eat for her birthday this year (my mom was doing this the past few years), she told me she was going to out with 'A' and 'B' this year because "I only want to hang out with friends, but I'll see you on Monday." I didn't even know what to say and stared blankly at her, then went to class then practice. I felt hurt and was so salty that McDonald's could've used me for their french fries for a long time after that. I haven't spoken to her since.
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
They all told me they had canceled their plans to go to a lake over the weekend, I found out they actually went, and had replaced me with someone else through their snap stories
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
I became friends with a group of women my own age, mid 20s, through a mutual friend we all shared and I thought we were getting along really well. We would meet up at least once a week and do dinner and movies at one of our homes, I was invited to weddings, hosted baby showers, we all belonged to the same social media group and chatted constantly. Then gradually I started noticing I was no longer being invited to things. I would show up at an event and be totally out of the loop as far as major life changes were concerned and no one would bother telling me anything or filling me in. I then found out through that mutual friend that the group had gotten tired of me and instead of saying anything they had created a new social media group without me and were just waiting for me to take the hint and leave them alone. So I did. I stopped trying to stay connected and just let the four years of friendship die. I saw them all at that mutual friends wedding recently and tried to have a casual conversation, catch up and everything, but not a single one of them even looked at me or said a word to me. I felt really stupid and confused as I stood in a group with them but was completely ignored. I eventually wandered off.
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
Got pretty sick and was in the hospital for a week. Not one of my friends in a small group (of supposedly close friends) reached out to see if I was getting better. They never visited, didn't even so much as get a text from them. We hung out almost daily for the past two years and they knew I was in the hospital. When I finally got better I decided it was time to get some new friends.
Out-Of-Friend-Group-Realization-Stories
Went to a sleepover when I was about 12-13 y/o. It was for my best friends birthday. They said “let’s sit in a circle and list our favorite things about each other!” sounded wholesome, so I sat in the circle. When my turn came around, everyone in the circle had nothing positive to say about me. “buttwiped, you’re actually really annoying and we don’t like you”.... my best friend looked sad for me but didn’t say anything... damn kids are mean
Unbelievable-True-Stories
I went from homeless drug addict to a director position at a tech company in a span of 15 years.Unbelievable-True-Stories
I'm not sure if it's coincidental or not, but celebrities die after getting their pictures taken with me. First it was Storm Thorgerson. I met him at an art gallery in Chicago and got my picture taken with him. 9 months later, dead. Then it was Carrie Fisher. I met her at Chicago Comic Con and got a photo-op with her. 6 months later, dead. I'm trying to get a photo-op with Donald Trump, if anyone wants to help me test out my potential super power.Show All 38 Upvotes
Ruth Gunneson-Poling • submitted a list addition 2 years ago
Ruth Gunneson-Poling • commented on 8 posts 2 years ago
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
Ruth Gunneson-Poling • upvoted an item 11 months ago
Ruth Gunneson-Poling • upvoted 19 items 2 years ago
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
yolomaster2000 reply
I knew guy who failed all his math courses and had me tutor him in math then he became a mathematician guess I was a great teacherThe Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
OneOfALifetime reply
Probably my wife (although we just had our 20 year reunion a couple years ago). We both went to middle and high school together, knew each other in a friendly way, you know, say hi when you pass in the hallway, but nothing more than that. Fast forward about 12 years, and I went on a blind date after coming off a glorious summer of bachelorhood. I saw her standing outside the bar, waiting for me, and I can still see it like it was yesterday. I kept on thinking, nah, this can't be her, I had seen a couple pictures but I was like this girl is drop dead gorgeous. We hit it off that night, and within a couple weeks we were dating. About a month after that first date, we were talking about where we went to school, and she mentioned that she went to the same high school I had. So I asked her what year she graduated and lo and behold, it was the same year as me. "What middle school did you go to?" I asked. Once again, same as mine. She had our high school yearbook from our senior year in her closet, so she brought it out and we looked up our pictures. "Wait a second, you're <so and so>?". I was in shock, in high school she was someone that was bullied on a lot because of her looks. But here I was looking at this gorgeous blonde, who was just stunning. We brought out her middle school year book, and that is when it pretty much hit us that fate had brought us together. There, in faded yellow marker, she had highlighted my name. The only boy in our entire class that she highlighted was mine. We still don't really know why, but she did, and it was the like the God of Fates opened up the clouds and sent a beam of light upon us. The best part was, my nickname starts with "Crazy". I was a party animal, but I was getting near 30, and I had been dating/hanging/whatever many a crazy chick over the last 10 years. All of them were pretty big into the party life themselves. She however, was grounded. She had a good job, dressed way above my pay grade at the time, and just was a good person that had a good family. She turned my life around, and while it hasn't all been roses, we have now been married for close to 10 years and have two wonderful kids. And most importantly, I still look at her almost every day and think how lucky I am to have such a beautiful woman, both inside and out. P.S. When she first joined Facebook way back in the day, I was already on it and had a lot of friends from high school. I made a post linking to her Facebook and just said, hey, if you remember <so and so>, we got married a few years ago so she needs some friends on here. My post was inundated with posts from high school friends, "that is <so and so>!!", "wow <so and so> you look so different", "No way that is <so and so>", including some of the very people that bullied her when she was younger. I am extremely proud of my wife for the woman that she is, both to myself and our kids. And I'm even more proud to know that this girl that grew up getting bullied because of her looks got the last laugh.Porrick reply
Nobody changed at all. I left Ireland three days after my leaving cert, and happened to move back a month before the reunion party. I hadn't seen a single person in the 10 intervening years, and everyone was basically *the exact same person* as they had been in school. Better-dressed, more confident, less awkward - but essentially the exact same people. I had been dreading it, because I was never a popular kid in school - but it actually felt wonderful to be among those people again. After high school, you never really get to know anyone that well again. Add that to me having spent 10 years being an immigrant in various places, and that made re-connecting with these people extra sweet. All of the people with massive chips on their shoulders - they didn't show up. So the only people who were there were the ones who were as excited as I was. There was one kid who changed massively, but he didn't come to the reunion. In school, he was the most dyslexic kid, worst at math, bottom of every class. His only love was making home-made bombs on his farm and blowing s**t up with them. He went to a college in Cornwall or Wales or something, that specialised in mining - because he figured that way he could work with explosives. So fast-forward almost ten years, and I am finally getting my bachelor's degree. I took a bit longer than most people do, but I had just got the results from my last few exams and I had finally passed. I was basking in that elation when my phone rang and it's this guy. He just got his PhD for building a f*****g robot that goes into mines and fires f*****g lasers everywhere to make a 3D scan of the mine without endangering any humans. He built a robot with lasers on it. And had a PhD. Way to take the wind out of my sails, James.anon reply
This guy was poor. Nice kid, but really poor. Only owned 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants. People always donated clothes to school to give to family. Dirty, needed groomed, overall looked homeless. You know how most kids are, mean about it, but he was cool. Millionaire. Has started and sold quite a few businesses and is overall very successful. Invests in lots of real estate now.nobody76 reply
My husband and I went to the same high school but met years later. He was the football player all the girls wanted in bed and all the guys wanted to be with. I was the one people threw against lockers and treated like trash. When my reunion came around, one of the girls I had kept in contact with asked me to help with the website, so I said what the hell. When we showed up, quite a few people asked why he was there. He had graduated 2 years earlier. He said he was with his wife and just and took his seat. I walked in and took a seat as they were thanking those who helped with the reunion. When they announced my name, people looked around slightly confused. I stood, like the others and you could hear a pin drop. Apparently I changed quite a bit in that ten years. My husband raised his glass and smiled again. It was awesome.The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users
zapsharon reply
I used to pass notes to a guy in Algebra class... mostly song lyrics. I'd write a line pass it to him, he'd write a line, back and forth. He was a quiet kid and friends with some other friends of mine who were big into BMX bikes and skateboards. I took a bunch of photos of these guys for my photography class. At graduation, he said he was heading to California to ride BMX. He never came to a reunion... he was too busy playing rhythm guitar in Guns N Roses as Izzy Stradlin.Brianthelion83 reply
Twin sisters. The good one straight A student and a perfect angel is now 90 pounds soaking wet and just finished her 4th stint in rehab for drugs. The one who was a trouble maker and constantly in trouble even arrested a few times for drugs and shop lifting while in high school, is a doctor with a family.anon reply
Not 10 but 5. This kid that everyone made a scapegoat in high school is LOADED. He was the kid that certain groups would pretend to be friends with and then do something horrible to him as a "joke" like depantsing him in front of the whole lunch room or teasing him about his small d**k till he cried (not sure if he actually had one or not just high school a**holes being a**holes) Turns out that he won some sort of contest/scholarship thing for this space engineering idea and ended up going to school in California for free. I guess he worked super hard and was able to graduate a year early and now is just like rich as f**k working for some sort of space engineering thing that works closely with NASA. It was funny listening to all the people who use to make fun of him just listen to his life story with their mouths hanging wide open. He has no debt, owns a beautiful home in California and another "cabin" home in our home state (MN), drives beautiful cars, hangs out with beautiful people. All at the ripe age of 24. You could practically smell the jealousy. Plus he brought his smoking hot gf. It made me so happy for him :)fluffywhiteduck reply
On the flip side I know someone who hasn't aged since high school. No extra fat, no wobbles, no gray hair, nothing. Even his voice is the same at thirty as it was at fourteen. I'm pretty sure he's a vampire.Lo452 reply
My boyfriend went to his 10 year over the weekend. Saw this woman he didn't know. Turned out to be one of his old football buddies... So, I'd say that was a very big transformation.cubosh reply
mega obese quiet kid (so huge everyone just exempted him from cruel remarks etc) - lost hundreds of pounds and also ended up being fabulously gay - showed up with his sassy little boyfriend -- i was so happy for himanon reply
One of my neighbors growing up was that super motivated Type A do everything types. Co-valedictorian, captain of the hockey team, gifted musician...just always working. 10 year reunion, went just how we all expected. Full ride to Yale, Harvard MBA, six figure Wall Street job, gorgeous fiance...and he seemed utterly miserable. 10 years later, 20th reunion. He got sick of it all, quit his job, sold his house, got divorced, and got out of town. He now owns a pig farm in Upstate New York, spends his days working the farm, brewing beer, and hiking in the forest...and I've never met a happier, more satisfied person in my life.This Panda hasn't followed anyone yet
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