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No matter what your home is like, that environment becomes your normal. You might be used to sharing a cramped bedroom with your siblings, or you may have a private wing in the house all to yourself. We know that everyone’s home is unique, but it can still be shocking to realize that even your friends might be living in drastically different conditions from you.

Redditors have recently been sharing stories of visiting another person’s house and being stunned by the way they live, so we’ve gathered some of their replies below. From being surprised that two parents can actually love each other to being disgusted by a clear lack of cleanliness, enjoy scrolling through these stories, and keep reading to find conversations with Michael Shaw, Founder and Managing Director at We Clean Homes, and the team at Maids in Brown!

Image credits: TheKhannunisT

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#1

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Went to a new friends house for the first time when I was in the 6th(?) grade. We walked through the front door.

Friend: Mom! We're home!

Mom comes around a corner: Oh my god! It's so great to finally meet you! Friend talks about you a lot! (Gives me a hug) How are you!?

Me: ^I'm ^fine.

Mom: Are you hungry? I was about to make us a snack. Dad! Come meet Friend's friend!

Dad comes around another corner: Hey kiddo! It's good to meet you. (Shakes my hand) If you guys are good, I'll take you guys to Fun Place later and we'll get some pizza. (Kisses Mom) I'll be in the garage. (Smacks Mom's butt)

Mom: (giggles) You guys go play in your room. I'll bring you something to eat.

I was stunned. They were nice to me AND each other! I mentioned it to my friend later, and he apologized because they "were so embarrassing". My parents weren't in a room together without at least insulting each other.

I really hope Friend's parents are still married and insanely happy.

Edit: Since this kinda blew up. They were really the nicest couple. They really loved each other and my friend, from what I saw. I hung out there for a bit, but I ended up moving (again) about a year later.

We indeed went for pizza that night, and his mom made a really big breakfast the next morning. The blueberry cake thing she made still lingers in my dreams.

They are the couple that I've most tried to emulate in my marriage of nearly 30 years. It really does help to have the right partner, but it is definitely worth the effort.

whatintheactualfeth , Askar Abayev / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Snazzy Smurf
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thirty years and still remembers the positive experience, that is amazing. He remembers it for all of the right reasons.

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#2

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I did homecare for a woman. She wasn't disabled, just really fat and lazy. She peed in a bed pan so she wouldn't have to get up, was just the epitome of disgusting. She has a cat, very sweet, no name. I saw cockroaches in it's food dish. It was wet food, and crusted over, it was old and disgusting. I took the cat the next time i was there. When I went back, she asked if I'd let the cat out, as he went outside occasionally. I said nope must have been someone else. She wasn't concerned at all. She just wanted her damn fried chicken. I'll never forget that cat, seemed so grateful for his escape.

Inevitable-Tank3463 , Wendelin Jacober / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#3

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Mom of my sons friend would always drop him off at our house to hang out and she would always comment how lovely our house was, which was a sense of pride for me as it was my dream home that I designed and built.

Then one day he was going to their house to hang out so I drop him off. Driving down the road to their house and round the corner to what looks like a French ski chateau, just grand and enormous. Let’s just say most of my house could fit in the garage.

She opens the door and my jaw hits the ground with the immense opulence and beautiful wood working. We exchanged pleasantries and of course I comment ‘this is a really really lovely place!’ She said thank you and off I went.

Picked up the kid later in the day, says how nice the parents and siblings are. Made me realize that not all rich people are a******s, only the ones who act like they have money but really don’t. Was eye opening for me.

btechpc , Iván Rivero / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Brian Droste
Brian Droste
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought this was going the other way. Where your kid friends house was a dunp. Glad turned out in a good way.

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While some of the replies to this post were uplifting, wholesome stories about encountering happy families, unfortunately, the vast majority of them weren't. So to learn more about the importance of taking care of our homes, we reached out to Michael Shaw, Founder and Managing Director at We Clean Homes in the UK.

Michael was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda, noting that "maintaining a clean and organized living space is crucial for both physical and mental well-being."

"A tidy home promotes a sense of calmness and order, reduces stress levels, and fosters a healthier environment for oneself and others," he explained. "Additionally, cleanliness helps prevent the spread of germs and diseases, contributing to overall health and safety."
#4

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Visiting my best friend on the other side of the country in his modest apartment where he has his cat and all of his instruments. He made me a very dude worthy meal instantly upon arrival without hesitation, I could tell it was something he didn't make very often as it came out questionable but I appreciated the thought and effort. I'll never forget the internal battle I fought for the first day to not judge his lifestyle... he did everything he could to make sure I was comfortable and worry free... and as the week progressed and the good times stacked I realized that I'd been overcomplicating my life which was leading to massive mental health battles.

He's still my brother to this day and I have largely simplified my life since that trip and I'm much happier for it.

ExpiredDairyProducts , Anna Shvets / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#5

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Going to a friend's house and realizing they have a fully stocked fridge and pantry with actual food, not just ramen and frozen pizza.

Sexylikequeen , Polina Tankilevitch / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#6

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Delivered pizzas in my very early twenties in rural NH and around the Massachusetts border in an area that tended to be economically depressed. I saw it all. Houses where I would gag the minute the door opened from the melange of cigarettes, cat p**s, dirty dog, old grease, mold, and other less identifiable odors. Garbage EVERYWHERE, often bulging garbage bags sitting out in the open that were clearly not new, often with visible holes from rodents. Seas of empties, with every surface covered in cigarette ash and unidentifiable stains and crusts. Yards with knee-high grass filled with trash, broken cars and appliances, dog s**t, and sun-bleached toys. Floors that felt disturbingly spongy when I had to step inside and walls that were sweating from the humidity.

This isn't even half of it, by the way. Rural poverty and the diseases of despair that accompany it is a fast path to the nadirs of the human condition.

wishforagreatmistake , Wendelin Jacober / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Sue User
Sue User
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"diseases of despair". It should be classified as a disease. So many people confuse despair with depression. No amount of Prozac is going to cure despair.

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Michael and his team have also encountered their fair share of homes that could warrant a spot on this list. "Over the years, we've come across various living conditions that have been truly shocking," he shared.

"From extreme clutter and hoarding to unsanitary environments, it's often distressing to witness individuals living in such challenging conditions. Each case serves as a reminder of the complex factors that can contribute to housing instability and the importance of compassionate intervention and support," the expert noted.
#7

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live When I was 17 I went to a girl's house... She and her mum were smoking in the room we're in... They proceed to ash on the carpart... I must've looked surprised .. as the mum said "oh.. don't worry . It's a rental..".

netpenthe , Jill Burrow / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#8

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Walking into my friend's dorm after they said it was super messy and realizing that it was nothing compared to the mess that was in mine. It was honestly a wake-up call.

AdorableRow7969 , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#9

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live When I went to a new friends house to teach him one of my recipes and found out the fridge contained nothing but butter and the carrots I’d asked him to buy. He was living on exclusively toast.

Several years later and I’m proud to report he actually knows how to cook now thanks to me 😆.

maxthefrenchone , SpotwizardLee / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Me Oh My
Me Oh My
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7 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How??? ETA: Some of you guys need to calm down. I'm not judging him for only being able to make toast, I'm simply baffled as to how someone can survive on toast alone, apparently without anything else (including vitamin supplements.)

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Michael also shared some advice for those who might be struggling to maintain a clean home. "It's essential to start small and focus on manageable tasks," he noted. "Breaking cleaning duties into smaller, more achievable goals can help prevent overwhelm and increase motivation."

"Establishing a regular cleaning routine, delegating tasks among household members, and investing in practical storage solutions can also streamline the process," Michael says. "Additionally, seeking support from friends, family, or professional organizers can provide valuable assistance and encouragement along the way."
#10

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live My GF/now Wife visiting me unannounced one day when I was living in my Grandmothers basement. It was embarrassing, as it was almost at a hoarder level of mess.

I was so ashamed at my situation that I changed. (Mostly) Hitting 30 years together this year, so I did something right.

Comm-THOR , Wallace Chuck / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#11

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Buddy just had a baby with some girl just as lazy as him....diaper mountains in every corner of their apartment. Smelled like one too. He also uses Dip tobacco so there were wads of dip on the carpet and in his bed.....I don't talk to him much anymore.

HeadFit2660 , Carlos Santiago / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#12

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I’m an HVAC service technician, so I’m in people’s houses all the time, every day. All walks of life, from extremely rich on down. I’ve seen the hoarders and the slobs, but the worst was a house that looked like 6 cats got together to buy a home, then decided to let an old man live with them if he stayed in the corner and put food out. Absolutely disgusting, with cat litter and s**t dusted literally through the entire house. I almost left and would have if it wasn’t just a case of his coil freezing because the filter was clogged with fur. Felt bad for him, obviously a mental health issue.

lost_horizons , zheng liang / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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firecrackershrimp
firecrackershrimp
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Six cats got together to buy a home ... The secret cabal ... Now I know

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While it can be shocking to encounter a home that's very different from your own, Michael wanted to emphasize the importance of empathy and understanding when addressing issues related to living conditions.

"Behind every cluttered space or unkempt home, there may be underlying challenges such as mental health struggles, financial difficulties, or physical limitations," he told Bored Panda. "By approaching these situations with compassion and offering support rather than judgment, we can create a more inclusive and supportive community for all."
#13

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Realtor here. One time, I went to an older couple's home to answer some listing questions. Place looked immaculate on the inside: it stank beyond belief though. And not any normal smell; imagine mixing gasoline with just a hint of flower scented air freshener.

And it was overpowering. Not a single room in the house was the smell not vomit inducingly strong. 7 years in real estate, and it is the only listing I have EVER had no choice but to make an excuse to leave early.

After the retired couple moved out (but before we put the home on the MLS) we hired a home inspector to find the smell. Turns out these people were keeping toxic mole killer in their laundry room. Instructions even specified to keep it outside, that it was too toxic to be kept inside.

It may be a miracle those two are even alive.

mrmonster459 , Davide Baraldi / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Sue User
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mother in law used naptholene (moth balls) all over the house to combat bugs. She was proud of the fact that they left no mess, "they just vanish".

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#14

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I was really into this girl, she invited me over to her house and it was almost traumatizing.

They had like a dozen pets with various smells and ailments, they were basically unattended and made the house stink

her 4 older brothers had been in jail, she had to keep her bedroom padlocked otherwise they would steal from her

Her little brother (maybe 12 at the time) was yelled at for smoking … in the house. If you were under 15 you had to smoke outside.

Finally her mother showed up and started telling us all about her health problems and I had to leave once the pro-lapsed a**s convo started.

klitchell , Helena Lopes / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Jiji The Cat
Jiji The Cat
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i feel bad for her above everything else - hope she had a good life after that :(

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#15

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Had a girlfriend for a long time who would always come to my place, no problem, not a big deal. She was great and had a really good job in the same area as me, pretty high up in the chain in dc. Anyways, we were always going to my place. No exception. So one night we were out at the bar and I asked her if we could go back to her place so I can get to know her better and see how she does things. Get a better sense for her. Well, that was the last night we hung out. She was a hoarder. Like DSM-5 compulsive hoarder. And she had cats. Like an unknown number of cats. So many that I asked her how many she had and she said it's kind of a rotating number and every now and then one of them dies so she hates to give a number and to be wrong. I tried to point out that giving the wrong number was the least of her problems. She wanted to insist that everything was fine and we could just enjoy relaxing after she cleared the bed. I told her I had to go home and she could call me again when she cleaned up. She never called, and I never missed her. In this literally at one point as we were walking through the house to let me out, I asked her how long it's been like this and how she could survive that way. She literally did not understand the question. It was extremely upsetting.

IllustriousLeader124 , Wendelin Jacober / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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KnightOwl
KnightOwl
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hoarders never see the problem, it's not just being in denial it's much deeper and they genuinely don't see it. My parents are hoarders and in complete denial, it's awful. They complain that none of their kids visit and they never get to have their grandkids to stay overnight (they have 8 kids and 16 grandkids) but if we try to explain why they go mad. They get very defensive, angry and insist that we're being dramatic and it's not that bad. We try to explain that it's dangerous for young kids to be in a house that has floor to ceiling piles of stuff everywhere (literally lining the walls, piled on top of chests of drawers, wardrobes, shelving units etc.) Not to mention my dad leaves his very extensive tool collection openly lying around the house, (including dangerous power tools) as well as boxes of computer parts. Hoarding is a disease that destroys lives but nothing is ever done to help these people, I literally have nightmares about loved ones being buried alive under their stuff.

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We were also lucky enough to get in touch with the team at Maids in Brown to hear their thoughts on this topic. "Taking care of your home and maintaining its cleanliness is paramount for several reasons, impacting both physical and psychological well-being," they shared.

"Firstly, a clean home is fundamental to health. Dust, mold, and other allergens can accumulate in a cluttered and dirty environment, leading to respiratory problems, allergies, and other health issues," the experts explained. "Regular cleaning eliminates these harmful substances, ensuring the air quality in your home is safe and conducive to good health."
#16

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I didn't even make it to his house. He was supposed to pick me up for a date, and when I opened the front passenger side door of his car, the floor was literally covered in trash. You could not see the floor matts, and the trash was at least three-four inches deep. I could not believe this dude didn't even respect me enough to clean out his passenger seat before picking me up. Just expected me to sit in his trash on the way to our date. Can only imagine what his place looked like.

AnnamAvis , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#17

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live One of my tenants' shower was entirely black from mould, except 2 footprints where she would stand.

tonychen0816 , NordhornerII / wikimedia (not the actual photo) Report

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#18

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Client home visit. Opened the can of coffee and a mouse jumped out. And they made me a coffee without batting an eyelid.
We both saw it.
I then told them I only drink tea.

KittySpanKitty , David Bartus / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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While the Maids in Brown team says they've encountered a wide variety of homes, they're never startled by what they see. "We once had to take 15 bags of trash out from an apartment. You can barely find a spot to get in the apartment," they told Bored Panda.

"But for us it is not a shock. When we walk into such homes; we sympathize with the client," the team noted. "This is because most of the time clients that live in such homes have serious health issues. We understand that everyone has difficult situations, and different stories. We have no idea what challenges they have been through, and they need a support system that enables them to overcome their battles in life. Maids In Brown is passionate in promoting a state of well-being that everyone deserves."

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#19

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I went to a friends house that only had one downstairs bathroom. They had ‘p**s bottles’ in their room for when they were too lazy to go for a p**s in the middle of the night. 2 litre bottles of p**s just laying around their room.

Kothr- , George Becker / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Bisha Moten
Bisha Moten
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know someone who regularly urinates in 20 ounce coke bottles, and saves it. Though he has a curious reason for it. Specifically, he does a lot of traditional style wood working, and one of the earliest stains used by man to darken wood... was concentrated human urine. So the urine is kept, poured into this large drum outside, and wood that he wants to darken is soaked in it for several weeks to allow the compounds in the urine to react with the wood and darken it. Before you ask, yes, he sands and sterilizes it after it's been soaked.

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#20

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live A friends brother appartment.

Example.
When he was done with a pizza, he would throw the box (and possible leftovers) behind the couch.

There was 3 feet of trash behind his couch.

So imagine his appartment now, but ad more trash.

messeboy , Creative Vix / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#21

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Cleaning my hording grandmother's house. It had always been bad but it used to just be piles of stuff hundreds of blankets and bed sheets, cupboards over flowing with dishware and cookware, mountains of clothing, and piles of books and games. We would visit and argue about how unsafe it was and beg her to let us help her make space for herself and it would turn into a horrendous fight every time but as she got older she became less mobile and more senile.

We were cleaning out her space while she was in a nursing home for a broken leg and dementia and there was a bowl so full of maggots I thought it was rice we found cat and dog s**t petrified in the bedding piles (at this point it had been years since shed had any pets), they had a brown countertop and it took me a long time to comprehend what I was looking it. It was like looking at brown static eventually I realized I was looking at ants crawling around a slow cooker.

QuiteLady1993 , cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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And if you need some tips for keeping your home clean, Maids in Brown recommends considering the power of delegation and teamwork. "If you live with family or roommates, involve them in maintaining the home," they shared. "Assign responsibilities based on everyone's schedules and abilities, turning cleaning into a shared responsibility rather than a solitary burden. For those who can afford it, hiring a professional cleaner for a deep clean even just twice a month can massively reduce the load, allowing you to maintain a cleaner home with less effort."
#22

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Entering the room of the guy who rented the space in my house (a separate apartment attached to the main house)—he had tons of trash, food containers, half-empty cups of soda, hadn’t swept or mopped in the two years he’d been there, etc.

Absolute filth. Hoarder-level s**t. I was appalled, disgusted, and furious. Needless to say, his a*s is OUT. 56 year-old Man-child. Made my ovaries shrivel. Just…what the cockroaching f**k.

saaskje , PSRVSKY PI / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#23

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Knowing that where I live a lot of guys work 12 hours, scroll YouTube for some time and sleep, repeat this 7 days a week(yes, 7 days) and 12 months a year. This is hell. I'm somewhere close to that situation too and it's scary.

just_let_me_goo , George Pak / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#24

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I was in the Boy Scouts when I was about 10 and had this friend who obsessively collected every single badge available. I went to his house on the outskirts of town one time to pick him up. I was confused as the house had scaffolding outside and looked like it was still in the process of being built, so I asked him about it. He said, “Oh, we’re doing some renovations, so we’re sleeping out there for now”, as he points out a tent next to the house. I thought, “Wow, no wonder he has so many survival badges, he literally lives out in the woods.”.

links2000 , Ridwan Nugraha / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Ken Beattie
Ken Beattie
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I mean this one isn't so terrible. It's for a temporary period, it's not how they normally live.

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"The goal is to make cleaning less of a chore and more of a manageable part of your routine," the Maids in Brown team says. "By decluttering, establishing daily habits, and sharing the load, keeping your home clean can become a much simpler task."
#25

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I once visited a dude I knew somewhat from middle school, I was with a friend who was friends with him. We were 19/20. He had only recently moved in, but there was already a small mountain of smelly dishes and a smell of sweat cause he was playing that VR rhythm game Beat Saber, which requires a lot of movement.

When we were leaving, I had to take a quick leak in the toilet and just said "I'll just borrow your toilet for a minute" His reaction was "ermm..." as I was entering the toilet. What that "ermm" had in store for me was to this day traumatic for me...

Pee stains on the floor, pubic hair ON THE SINK and a smell of moldy clothes from the washing machine. HE HAD LIVED THERE FOR LESS THAN A MONTH.

He has never worked a day in his life and was playing online slots. He often posted about winning something like 2000€, and less than a week later asking 20€ for food in snapchat mystory. A couple years passed and he sent me a message, just asking for 10€ loan for a pack of cigarettes, he said he'd pay back in five days when he gets his social assistance payment. Five days later I ask about the money, he reads the message but ignores me completely. Doesn't delete me or anything, just ignores.

I tell about it to another friend who knows him and some other common friends of theirs, and he says that I'm not going to see that 10€ ever again. He's apparently loaned from plenty of people and is in debt over 500€ to one friend. I almost feel sorry for him, but a lot of those mistakes he made without the use of common sense.

Dibblidyy , imustbedead / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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WindySwede
WindySwede
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never lend money in that case? It's like buying alcohol for an alcoholic? Sort not of, but..

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#26

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Worked on a 50 meter superyacht, It had the most hideous chairs in the dining room, each one cost $55k , I wouldn't have paid $5 for one, but it really opened my eyes to how the other half live!

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#27

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live A girl I was dating wanted me to come over to her parent's place. When I walked in, there were boxes of stuff everywhere. I said, "Oh, I didn't know you all just moved in?" They had not just moved in.

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We know these stories might not be the most enjoyable to read, but we hope they're providing you with some new perspective, pandas. Keep upvoting the tales that you find most surprising, and feel free to share any similar experiences of your own in the comments. Then, if you're interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing strange things people have encountered in others' homes, look no further than right here!
#28

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I went to this chicks house and opened her fridge and it was just full of rotting food. She said it was Thanksgiving food she never got rid of and doesn’t use the fridge that much.

O_Train , nrd / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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#29

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I once had an Arab foreign exchange student friend. She once was complaining that her dad didn’t send her tuition fee on time…she was already getting 10k/month allowance (from her dad), 2k for the apartment she was renting, rest was for food and whatever else she was using it for. He was paying her tuition on top of that. This was around 2014/2015.

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LakotaWolf (she/her)
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a friend in my 20s whose dad bought her an entire house in Southern California, all to herself. Well, herself and her 10+ cats. Her dad paid for everything. She wanted to be a cat breeder, and she had bought some VERY expensive purebred cats. The house itself was disgusting. The cats had ONE litterbox and they often peed in the bathtub / on the couch / on the carpet / wherever they could. My friend had NO idea how to take care of herself or do any housework or anything. She used to call me to come over (a 45 min drive) to help her change a LIGHTBULB that had burned out. I once had to help her haul her pee-soaked couch to the curb for garbage pickup. She had almost no furniture. The house smelled awful. Those poor frigging cats.

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#30

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live I've been a paramedic for 25 years. The things I've seen, I can't unsee.

That has nothing to do with any medical emergency, either.

CranberryImaginary29 , Mikhail Nilov / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#31

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Friend of mine who just... doesn't clean up. There was not even one moment. More lots and lots of them. The amount of plates with half-eaten meals in his appartment was baffling. (The fact that it was plural already means "a lot" in my mind.) I once saw him put one away in a drawer, just to make some space - WHY!? Apart from that: he clearly never cleans the toilet, so I don't dare to sit down on it anymore. Also, the seat is broken and repaired with duct-tape. No hand-soap, no hooks for his towels (they just lie on the edge of the sink) or a holder for the toilet-paper. No paper towels, no dishcloths... And with all this stuff missing I keep thinking: 'Why don't you just buy that stuff??? Don't you miss it?' Kitchen is full of dirty dishes; he only washes stuff up when he needs it. And even then he does a poor job: his glasses are just... I don't know how to describe them, but they just aren't clean. His stovetop is always dirty and so is his fridge. And once, I found some thick splat of sauce or whatever in front of it. Weeks later, when I came by again, it was still there. I just can't get why you wouldn't try to clean that up immediately.

I love that dude and we trust each other with a lot, you know. But last time I visited there, after a few years of lockdown, I was so disappointed that he still hadn't gotten better, while on many other levels, he has matured so much. Needless to say I prefer him to come over to our place.

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Zoe's Mom
Zoe's Mom
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Could be a sign of metal illness. A really good friend passed in 2023 and when we went in to clear the house, well, let's just say we had to use gloves and face masks. Sad really.

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#32

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Went to a party at a friend's girlfriend's house. My friends family was well off, his girlfriends though was next level. Huge beachfront house, worth 20m plus. My friend took me to the garage to see her dad's cars, it was under the house had about 10 cars, could have held about 20. Ferrari Benz, maseratti, rolls. F*****g unbelievable. .

shhbedtime , Keegan Checks / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#33

Back when Foxton's let homeowners do for-sale-by-owner with the Foxton's system doing advertising and setting up appointments, I looked at one old Victorian house in a nice suburb that was surprisingly inexpensive. Once inside, it was clear why. It had stacks of newspapers/magazines, etc, everywhere, leaving just a few paths through the house. Leaks were apparent, etc. The woman owner who was showing us the house apologized for the mess "as they were preparing to move out" (but it was obvious this was a hoarding problem, and not moving piles).

Then we got to a room that was locked, and she told us it was her husband's lock, and she didn't have the key. (So we couldn't see the room).

As she continued showing us around, she mentioned that she homeschooled her kids. That was the moment I realized the kids lived like this, and both parents were likely a bit mentally unstable. I still wonder if I should have called CPS to do a check.

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#34

Sisters room as an adult mortified me. She lives at home until she was 27, got pregnant, and of course she was told she has to find a place to live with the boyfriend. We have even younger sisters at were 20 at the time that ended up cleaning out her room since she out it off until she went into labor and they could barely open the bedroom door. The entirety of the floor was so full of clothes and trash it was at the same level of her high top mattress on its bed frame. It was like an episode of hoarders.

Sometimes I would think I’m messy as a single guy (even though my mess was the odd work piece of clothing on a chair here or there in my apartment), then I saw that room and immediately felt better about my own hygiene.

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#35

Went to a visit friend who just moved into a house with their partner, and how every room of their place is filled with trash, old pizza boxes and amazon boxes. Now, Ive never been one to keep my room or living spaces in order. Things get disorganized very easily, but at least try to contain it to my room where guests and my roommates dont normally venture into. But there, I was in shock it looked like they had never once taken out the trash, but just compiled it all together and threw it in a different room. It was like if my freshman dorm had invaded and concured a small house. I haven't said anything to them, and I haven't been back to their place since, even though they keep inviting me. I had a come to jesus moment staying there, and realized that I should get better at cleanliness.

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6 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Livin' in the bell tower like that, they got a lot of room downstairs where the pews used to be in. Havin' all that room... seein' as how they took out all the pews... they decided that they didn't have to take out their garbage for a long time..." - Alice's Restaurant.

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#36

I agreed to help a neighbor by babysitting her kids. She kind of gave me the tour of the place--and oh my God it was disgusting!

She literally had her child's poop smeared on the stairs. And she just said to walk around it. Like, actually acknowledge that it was there, and said to walk around it. I really should have turned around and left, but at that time of my life I wasn't really good about standing up for myself.. Worst four hours of my decade.

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Wielder of Yielder
Wielder of Yielder
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6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If four hours spent in a disgusting home were the worst four hours of your decade just because of the filth, you're a very fortunate person.

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#37

Horror stories from my social work days.

I had a client whose fiance died, leaving her and their 5 kids alone. She only got a beneficiary payout for the kids that were his (two), and she didn't qualify for other assistance. So she had to start working for the first time in years.

The apartment they were in was an utter shitshow. Mind you, the kids ranged from ages 1-8, so maybe only one or two *could* actually help with housekeeping, even though... well... they didn't. And she was so exhausted after every shift, she had no spoons left for housework.

Needless to say, the couches (er... frames with cloth on them) were a technicolor body-horror. The floors that *weren't* fossilized carpet were practically wooden flypaper, which... appropriate comparison, because ROACHES, MY GOD! If they weren't stuck to the aforementioned floor, there wasn't a single nook or cranny without a roach or a carcass in it. The dish pile was a nest, the inflatable kiddie pool on the kitchen table was a nest, I refused to TOUCH the garbage bags full of clothes and assorted other items shoved unceremoniously in assorted corners because... you guessed it, NEST.

Now... here was just the cherry on top. The water heater in this place blew on day, so ALL of that s**t got flooded out. Two inches of standing water, just rife with all those little buggy bodies and a soup of human neglect. I had to get full body PPE to help clean it out, because the slumlord property owner wouldn't do s**t to fix it (she was understandably behind on rent, so I almost suspected he himself sabotaged the tank to drive her out and bypass an eviction).

I felt so horrible for this poor woman, because she was doing everything she could to just keep a roof over their heads, and the s**t just kept piling on. I came back a week or so later to check in, and the f*****g place *STILL* had little puddles and swarmed with carcasses (oh, and the water heater *still* wasn't fixed... so f**k that landlord). I did everything I could to help out, but man... I could only do so much before having to change my job title to maid/handyman. I left that office a few weeks ago, and the other case workers were *still* working on trying to get her every subsidy they could to keep her lights on.

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Anxiousguest
Anxiousguest
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have often wondered about people having so many kids. I have 2 with a gap of 8 years in between. Even then I find it a full time job caring for both, and taking care of my job. How does people decide to have many kids. Before having kids, won't they think about how to take care of them.

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#38

Had a friend who went through about a rough patch for several months on booze and substance abuse and ended up getting his power shut off and then evicted a few weeks later. When we went through to clean his apartment out I found boxes with neatly organized 1/2 gallon iced tea containers all filled half way with chew spit. Thats when It really hit me how substance abuse can bring about mental illness that compounds the whole issue. He’s straight and sober now since that whole ordeal about 10 years ago now.

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M O'Connell
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As bizarre as this sounds, that stuff makes decent insecticide.

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#39

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live One of my fwb took me to a michelin star restaurant. The bill was something else. And he has a family who he treats same way. People spend more on one meal than my monthly grocery shopping.

manaal9 , Eugenia Remark / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#40

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live My ex literally lives in his room. He's got a minifridge, a TV on the wall above a desktop setup, a closet full of nothing but snacks, *and* a bathroom with a tub, wall-length mirror, and two sinks. He also hade game consoles, a fish tank, a plant he took care of, and a queen sized bed. Bro literally lives like a king.

I've vowed to live like that, one day. I'm in my own place now, so I just need...uhh...everything listed above! I'm getting close to living like a queen!

_Wolf_Runner_ , Charlotte May / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#41

My husband's parents are hoarders. I noticed the first few months we were dating, when he still lived at home, he did NOT want me coming over. We always went out or he came to my house. 


We had been dating about a year the first time I went into the house. This was more than 15 years ago and I still have only been in the house twice, about 2 months apart. 


I was standing next to a table for about 5 minutes before I realized it was a table, I could just barely see the table leg. It was just a mountain of stuff surrounding and on top of it. 


What I could see of the kitchen were counters piled high, table completely covered. There was seating for 5-6 people but room only for one person to sit down. Rest of the sofa was piled up. 


Living room was piled to the ceiling with boxes of VHS..could barely navigate the hallways. Bathroom was filthy and also piled up. 


I have heard from others it's even worse now. My husband hasn't been in the house in more than 10 years. 


My children have never been there and have no idea where their grandparents live. They're absent grandparents anyway, so...

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#42

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Cleaning out my dad’s house. He never was a neat person, but he had been sick for a while and things were worse than usual. I can’t unsmell it.

He religiously changed the filter on the AC, though.

Likewise, his car was a junkyard on wheels with meticulous maintenance records. Go figure.

JimBeam823 , Lisa Fotios / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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#43

Hs buddies got an apartment together. On the walk to the bedroom one wall was piled tits high with fast food bags. The paper bags when filled became a sort of brick in this ever growing monster.

The bathroom filled with so many three in one bottles you couldn't see the floor. Closing the bathroom door pushed them into the house so they often didn't.

If I pissed in the middle of their living room it would have been an improvement.

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#44

Walking into the house of the guy I was dating. He had told me it was messy, but I assumed it was the usual bachelor level messy.

No. No it was not. There was a layer of dirt on the floor, you couldn't see the pattern of the rug due to cat hair, the kitchen counter was covered in literal trash because he couldn't figure out how to take the garbage to the bin. You couldn't see the floor in his bedroom because it was covered in clothing. The bathroom floor was covered in cat litter. There was c**p all over the couch. It was literally unlivable. I tried to be nice and stay for a bit, but I made up a reason to leave after an hour. Disgusting.

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Upstaged75
Upstaged75
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6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If people want to be disgusting in their own home that's their right. But once you bring a helpless animal in to the situation you have the responsibility to take care of them. Kids too. That makes me incredibly mad.

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#45

My sisters house, I love her dearly but the place smells of dirty dogs, rotton food, let their dogs s**t on the deck and never clean it, and there are so many projects her and my brother in law started years ago that never finished. I'm not saying I am the cleanest person ever but when we visit my bothers kids always have an allergy attack within 30 min of staying there.

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#46

Dated someone whose studio apartment was infested with cockroaches. They were everywhere. When I went into the bathroom at night and turned the lights on they scattered. He also had a dog so there was dog hair everywhere on top of that… to be fair he tried really hard to get rid of the roaches with stuff from Home Depot and I think it was the building’s fault? So I tried to cut him some slack but it was… a lot.

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M O'Connell
M O'Connell
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mice and ants are generally pretty easy to get rid of because they won't stick around if there is nothing for them to eat. The problem with roaches is that they can eat most things, including hair, fabric, glue, etc. The building should definitely be involved, since his apartment is doubtfully the only one.

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#47

Walking into my best friends newly done bathroom. His old bathroom was nasty, looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. Recently he nearly completely renovated it, almost everything was brand new; including the toilet which, after just a few months, is just as dirty as the old one. As is the rest of the bathroom. I was honestly very suprised since his gf moved back in after living in a different country for a while. I figured that she did the cleaning and the old bathroom got super dirty because she was gone but that is not the case, turns out neither one of them cleans it.

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#48

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Girlfriends apartment was so messy....looked like a homeless horder. I decided right there that she was crazy. She had ripped the carpet out to the raw floor....

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#49

Moved into a friend’s condo days after they got a job in a new state and moved out. It was disgusting. We even had a conversation where he asked “how do you want me to clean it” before I moved in. All I said was “how would you want a place to be when you move in. Do that.” I had to spend a week cleaning.

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#50

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live Visiting any pet owner who doesn't vacuum at least once (!) a week.

Schville , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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Rachel Ratty
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish I had the time - luckily my mates are not quite so judgmental (and we have hard floors so that probably helps!)

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#51

My best friend all growing up had the messiest house. She had a couple of cats, so it always smelled like cat pee. That said I got used to it because I was over there so often, kind of became my second home.

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Upstaged75
Upstaged75
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6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cat pee is one of the worst substances on earth! It's so hard to get rid of the smell, even if you clean obsessively. After our old cat died we had to tear up and replace quite a bit of carpet since she had trouble making it to the box when she got senile. I do highly recommend Angry Orange though. It's the best thing I've ever used.

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#52

“The Things I’ve Seen, I Can’t Unsee”: 30 Times People Were Shocked By How Others Live My brother dated a girl that put f*****g Ketchup on a $90 filet mignon at a very nice restaurant....they had to find a bottle for her since that's not normally something required.

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sbj
sbj
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7 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They had a bottle so she's obviously not the first person to ask for ketchup with their meal

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#53

When I moved in with my host family to be foreign exchange student they had so much Christianity stuff around their house and my host parents always had a bible verse to share whenever me or my host siblings had a problem we couldn’t solve and it got to point I had to call them out saying, “what the hell happened to you two?! my parents said you were so much hippies in the sixties but now you’re just super religious!”.

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Michael Largey
Michael Largey
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6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Like the announcer said at Woodstock, the brown acid was "specifically not too good.

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#54

Walking into a friends bedroom and they have just a mattress on the floor ….

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Upstaged75
Upstaged75
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6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As long as they don't also have someone chained to the wall! ;)

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#55

I work for CPS. The things Ive seen cannot be described. Too many to count, but if you've never witnessed how some people live, you would lose your faith in humanity.

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