What commonly known thing did you learn at an embarrassingly older age?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When using a bobby pins you are supposed to put the shorter side with ridges against your scalp so it stays in place better. I always put the longer flat side.

OK I didnt know this but of course now it makes sense .

[Anonymous]

When in college, both male and females almost always experiment in same sex relationships and it’s not considered strange.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When in college, both male and females almost always experiment in same sex relationships and it’s not considered strange.

Almost always? I think you’re a little off with that assertion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When in college, both male and females almost always experiment in same sex relationships and it’s not considered strange.

Almost always? I think you’re a little off with that assertion.

Way off.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I thought Boston was south of NYC until I was well into high school ?

Don't worry, I dated a guy born and raised in the D.C. area, who thought that NY was part of New England. I don't think that many people from this area have actually been to the North East at all, judging from some things I read on DCUM.

Well it does share a very long Eastern border with New England. And many of the people who work in NYC live in Connecticut, so are New Englanders. It's pretty easy to see why people get confused especially since most people think of the Big Apple when they think of New York.

Wow I lived in CT til age 20 and always believed NY was a part of NE.

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It blows my mind that grown women go this long without knowing you aren’t supposed to flush tampons when signs EVERYWHERE tell you not to flush anything but toilet paper. Hospitals, schools, movies, libraries, malls, etc. all places where I’ve seen these signs. Are you just not paying attention?

To be fair, this is only "recent," and by recent I mean maybe the last 10 years? I swear, growing up there were no signs anywhere. But I'm old.

Agreed. Although it seems so 'obvious' to some now, the signs about not flushing haven't been around forever, and weren't displayed at all when many of us were younger. What actually seems to be more obvious and logical to many, and no one mentions on these threads (because it's TMI), is to FLUSH BIOLOGICAL WASTE down the toilet. It really is gross to have to discard a bloody, dripping, used tampon (especially on someone's heaviest days!) in the trash/receptacle rather than just flush it down.

I'm 43, got my period at 12, and have NEVER flushed a tampon (or a pad). This seems like total common sense to me. I can't recall whether or not there were signs saying not to, but I'm surprised anyone wouldn't instinctively realize that would be a bad idea.

I'm 60 and knew not to flush them when I was 20. I recall every single plumber back in the day warning us about it.

I think this may be regional. Just spent time over the holidays traveling around the Midwest and the signs in the ladies room said to not flush diapers, sanitary napkins or paper towels. Nothing about tampons. I grew up there and used to flush. Now I live in an old house in DC and never would do that again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When using a bobby pins you are supposed to put the shorter side with ridges against your scalp so it stays in place better. I always put the longer flat side.

I have never seen anyone do that. Are you sure?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole bowel movement posts are absurd. People poop at different times all over the world. Many counties have no public bathrooms and otherwise bad bathrooms. Here in USA, we can comfortably poop nearly any time of day. So why not?

That is the mindset of really unhealthy people. I am from Japan and people poop with regularity in the morning and in their own homes. Yes, we have awesome public toilets too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole bowel movement posts are absurd. People poop at different times all over the world. Many counties have no public bathrooms and otherwise bad bathrooms. Here in USA, we can comfortably poop nearly any time of day. So why not?

That is the mindset of really unhealthy people. I am from Japan and people poop with regularity in the morning and in their own homes. Yes, we have awesome public toilets too.

Related: I was in my 30s before I learned that some people are super particular about which bathrooms they poop in. Some folks will never poop at work. Others, never at someone else's house. Still others, never when they are on a date or at the home of someone they are dating. My MIL will only poop in her own house and only in a certain bathroom. This was all news to me. Apparently, I have been offending people for years completely unawares.

Feeling judged in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It blows my mind that grown women go this long without knowing you aren’t supposed to flush tampons when signs EVERYWHERE tell you not to flush anything but toilet paper. Hospitals, schools, movies, libraries, malls, etc. all places where I’ve seen these signs. Are you just not paying attention?

To be fair, this is only "recent," and by recent I mean maybe the last 10 years? I swear, growing up there were no signs anywhere. But I'm old.

Agreed. Although it seems so 'obvious' to some now, the signs about not flushing haven't been around forever, and weren't displayed at all when many of us were younger. What actually seems to be more obvious and logical to many, and no one mentions on these threads (because it's TMI), is to FLUSH BIOLOGICAL WASTE down the toilet. It really is gross to have to discard a bloody, dripping, used tampon (especially on someone's heaviest days!) in the trash/receptacle rather than just flush it down.

I'm 43, got my period at 12, and have NEVER flushed a tampon (or a pad). This seems like total common sense to me. I can't recall whether or not there were signs saying not to, but I'm surprised anyone wouldn't instinctively realize that would be a bad idea.

I'm 60 and knew not to flush them when I was 20. I recall every single plumber back in the day warning us about it.

I think this may be regional. Just spent time over the holidays traveling around the Midwest and the signs in the ladies room said to not flush diapers, sanitary napkins or paper towels. Nothing about tampons. I grew up there and used to flush. Now I live in an old house in DC and never would do that again.

It's not regional. Any plumber anywhere will tell you not to do this. This has been known for many decades. I knew about it 40 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Flying home after New Years I remembered my first airplane flight (coming home from college my first year for xmas break, flying was something only our relatives who worked for the military in a very remote location and 2 other relatives who were much better off than everyone else did). I didn't know what the flaps were and was afraid the wings were falling apart.

Also, I grew up in flat country and did not realize people from other places routinely put on the emergency brake when they parked (IDK if this is still something people do). So on a college trip through mountains in my car and I took over driving after one of the other people had been, I wrecked my rear brake drums driving with the emergency break on for 50 miles (I'd been sleeping before that and probably didn't even recognize that the emergency brake was on--we just never used it). Had to drive through a mountain pass with the brakes grinding loudly before getting to where they could be fixed.

I had never direct dialed before I was a sophomore in college--long distance was a very, very rare thing in my family and although direct dialing had been around for a few years I have never used it before being told I didn't have to do a person to person call from a home where I was a guest (so I wouldn't waste a station to station and end up talking to my little brother).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It blows my mind that grown women go this long without knowing you aren’t supposed to flush tampons when signs EVERYWHERE tell you not to flush anything but toilet paper. Hospitals, schools, movies, libraries, malls, etc. all places where I’ve seen these signs. Are you just not paying attention?

To be fair, this is only "recent," and by recent I mean maybe the last 10 years? I swear, growing up there were no signs anywhere. But I'm old.

Agreed. Although it seems so 'obvious' to some now, the signs about not flushing haven't been around forever, and weren't displayed at all when many of us were younger. What actually seems to be more obvious and logical to many, and no one mentions on these threads (because it's TMI), is to FLUSH BIOLOGICAL WASTE down the toilet. It really is gross to have to discard a bloody, dripping, used tampon (especially on someone's heaviest days!) in the trash/receptacle rather than just flush it down.

I'm 43, got my period at 12, and have NEVER flushed a tampon (or a pad). This seems like total common sense to me. I can't recall whether or not there were signs saying not to, but I'm surprised anyone wouldn't instinctively realize that would be a bad idea.

I'm 60 and knew not to flush them when I was 20. I recall every single plumber back in the day warning us about it.

When I was a teenager or young adult they did not have disposal other than the toilet in stalls. Nobody was going to wrap up a tampon in toilet paper and take it outside of the stall to throw it away.

I think this may be regional. Just spent time over the holidays traveling around the Midwest and the signs in the ladies room said to not flush diapers, sanitary napkins or paper towels. Nothing about tampons. I grew up there and used to flush. Now I live in an old house in DC and never would do that again.

It's not regional. Any plumber anywhere will tell you not to do this. This has been known for many decades. I knew about it 40 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Moved to DC as an adult durin Marion Barry. Years later encountered a dessert with "marion berry ice cream" !?! Thought it was a play on his name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When using a bobby pins you are supposed to put the shorter side with ridges against your scalp so it stays in place better. I always put the longer flat side.

OK I didnt know this but of course now it makes sense .

Just learned this today, always did the longer side too. Almost 40yo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Despite both being Christian, white people and black people don't go to the same churches

Nor do they use the same funeral services. Found this out when my white father died and used a black funeral home. His family from rural VA was surprised, to say the least.

Yes, to all of the above, and we sing our gospel songs differently. We yell obnoxiously and dance everywhere, our white Christian believers like Christian rock. But my eyes are opened to the entire world of Christian music now, thanks to the internet and not being limited to Southern Baptist churches where everyone gets the holy ghost and starts sweating at 12:30PM.

- A black Christian

Not all black Christians are Protestants. You were this many days old when you found that out.

Wait what? Did I miss the Protestant part?

They can be Catholic. A Protestant is a non Catholic Christian.

Pp here, my dad was black catholic, mom was black southern baptist

There are also thousands of Ethiopian Christians in this area. They are both non-Catholic and non-Protestant. It’s an ancient Orthodox form of Christianity.

Interesting. What do they believe? Is their worship different?