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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to ask you to tell me things that you learned way too late in life *lighthearted*.

238 replies

Tinkofhousepan · 24/02/2018 06:43

I started talking with a friend who emigrated to the states a few years ago for work. He lives in New York. We were discussing me going over for a holiday as I've never 'done' NYC. Started discussing the time difference between there and here 5 hours which surprised me as when I went to California the difference was larger 8 hours I think.

This lead to me being informed that the two states are on totally opposite ends of the country.

This is my thing I learned late, ive gone 26 years assuming florida and California were next to each other, And i have learned today that Florida is on the same side as NYC. AND IS AS FAR SOUTH AS TEXAS??? I also learnt that Washington is the most northern state on the side of California, where as Washington DC is just below Maryland and right next to Virginia, which is not at all in the middle part of America where I assumed it to be Blush. I didn't learn USA geography at school, but surely I should have picked this up before now, especially considering I have been to both California and Florida!

Anyone else never realised this? Or is it just Me!

OP posts:
MrsLinManuelMiranda · 24/02/2018 09:54

Hotel I have never even heard of the expression '. cracking the flags' perhaps K2p could enlighten an obviously thick me!

LakieLady · 24/02/2018 09:53

Also that Michael Gove is on Mumsnet

OMG! Surely not.

Does that mean that if I post on here what I really think of him, there's a chance that he might read it? Grin

ChickenDinnerChecky · 24/02/2018 09:47

Another one, getting a massive tattoo in a really obvious place at 41 is extremely liberating despite working in a 'professional' role where I should really cover it up! Fuck it!

Huldas · 24/02/2018 09:45

Was surprised to learn recently that cows have to keep having babies to make milk. I thought they just had the one and then they were away. And I have grown up in a country whose major export is dairy.

ChickenVindaloo2 · 24/02/2018 09:41

Also I bet you there are a fair few Americans who couldn't plot Florida and California correctly on a map...

ChickenVindaloo2 · 24/02/2018 09:41

Albadross - who the hell are you following on Instagram? Seriously - are they 2 different things????

woodhill · 24/02/2018 09:39

That dressing thing is hilarious with the stiff ended tape.

I thought it was extra material allowance too Grin

woodhill · 24/02/2018 09:36

Didn't know that either Punta

MachineBee · 24/02/2018 09:35

That giving lots of information at the first question is not a good thing. I’ve constantly been accused of talking too much and could never understand this, as when watching family videos I’m the one hardly saying anything. A good friend finally explained why just recently. I was gobsmacked that it was considered annoying to give a full answer.

But my revelation is now causing great hilarity (for me) as people are unexpectedly getting only the answer to the question they ask. Nothing more and they’re constantly asking if I’m ok. Grin

wanderings · 24/02/2018 09:34

Learning to play netball aged 37. It's the first time in my life I've enjoyed a competitive sport, and sometimes I wish I had got into it more at school and university.

Also that Michael Gove is on Mumsnet (I'm sure it's he who's trying to destroy all the fun of this thread, just like he did to schools).

Northernknickers · 24/02/2018 09:33

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER oh my goodness YES! People who do that really grate on me ...no, actually, I won't bloody enjoy jumping out of a plane/hiking through bug infested jungles/or cycling naked through Amsterdam 🙄🙄

CharisMater · 24/02/2018 09:30

I learnt that it's ok to have your own agenda / plan, ok to walk away, ok to give up, ok to have a boundary. Ok to say no. Ok not to have my parents approval. Ok to be single forever.

Albadross · 24/02/2018 09:30

I only learned this morning (because of instagram) that female ejaculation and squirting are different things - I'm 37...

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 24/02/2018 09:28

I learned rather late from a couple of spectacular cases of evidence to the contrary, not to invariably believe those women who are always gushing about how perfect their Dh/dcs/life in general is.

And saying no to events/activities you know you won't enjoy - very liberating! Also learned rather late that the kind of people who say, 'Go on - you'll enjoy it!' are the sort of people who would enjoy it, and think anyone who's not like them is weird and needs to change.

Loonoon · 24/02/2018 09:27

I learned in my late 40s that culture doesn't have to be worthy to be enjoyable. My mum has always been snobby about light entertainment/culture and I unconsciously adopted that attitude so avoided prime time tv as 'not for me'. I have totally changed and am greatly looking forward to Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway this evening. Watching something silly and popular and light hearted can be a total joy.

HotelEuphoria · 24/02/2018 09:27

Not me but some southern friends (I'm northern) announced a week ago that they thought cracking the flags meant getting the flags out and that it was windy.

They obviously get more sun down south. They are now enlightened and really impressed with the real meaning.

ChickenDinnerChecky · 24/02/2018 09:26

I am so making leek and potato soup today now seahorses!

ChickenDinnerChecky · 24/02/2018 09:25

Read on here that satellites do not emit their own bright light that makes them visible as they whizz across the sky, but that the sun is reflecting off them which is how we see them. I thought about this new nugget of information last night as I looked up!

Alltheprettyseahorses · 24/02/2018 09:23

Have you stopped learning, k2p2k2tog ? Do you really think you know everything now? Every day should be a learning experience: if it isn't, it shows not intelligence but the opposite - a sadly closed mind.

Anyway - I've learnt to make soup. All those years of getting it horrendously wrong and buying crappy tins, but now I can do it! I'm so chuffed with myself.

whoareyoukidding · 24/02/2018 09:19

If someone asks you a question, you have an option not to answer it. I always felt duty-bound to answer anything anyone ever asked me, when I was younger.

Original poster
Tinkofhousepan · 24/02/2018 09:08

k2p2k2tog that was not the intent of my post. It's neither designed to be ditzy or oooh look at me. It was something that I learned that I didn't know before, but as my OP suggests I feel like I should have. Sorry I am not on the same level of intelligence as you, but you don't have to call me names to prove your point.

OP posts:
Damnpeskykids · 24/02/2018 09:08

That narwhal's are real (this was a few years back!) I thought they were a mythical sea creature...! Blush

Northernknickers · 24/02/2018 09:04

You ok Hun? 🙄 @k2p2k2tog

k2p2k2tog · 24/02/2018 09:01

I don't get what's "lighthearted" about declaring how thick you are. "Ooooh look at me! I'm so DITZY and SILLY! Isn't it FUNNY how I didn't know California and New York weren't the same place!! Hahahahah."

Hmm

Not funny. Not lighthearted. Not something to celebrate.

MrsGrindah · 24/02/2018 08:58

Snippy comments

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