#1
#2
I was drinking a handle of bourbon every two days along with whatever beers i had.
i had decided i was just going to drink myself to death, and i got pretty close.
My wife convinced me to go to the ER and they immediately admitted me and kept me for a week or so. i have no memory of my time there.
anyway, i survived and on july 15th it will be four years since i had a drink.
#3
Many people don’t even think about that rough edge on the side of the road that makes a lot of noise when you drift a little.
They have saved my life.
I commuted over 50 miles one way for over 20 years. I also worked the night shift. I would be driving home after working 12 -16 hours. Isn’t that alone a recipe for disaster?
Well, it happened. I drifted off a little bit while driving. Rumble strips. Instantly alert and moved back over. Missed the edge of the bridge over the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas by only a few feet.
God Bless the engineer who came up with rumble strips. Because of them, I am alive today. I was able to raise my son, welcome my daughter-in-law, and enjoy my grandbaby. I was able to see Washington, D.C., Chicago, California, Europe, and move to Alaska.
Because of rumble strips.
There are days when you second-guess yourself over the smallest decisions, like whether to carry an umbrella or try a new dish at your favorite restaurant. And then there are days when that tiny gut feeling leads you to do something unexpectedly wise. Maybe you double-checked and went to the doctor for a mild stomach ache. At the time, it felt like no big deal. But later? It turned out to be life-changing.
That same principle applies to smaller moments, too, like when you take a little extra care with your resume. It might not feel urgent or dramatic, but that one document can shape your entire career path. Think about it: a resume is often the first thing a potential employer sees. It speaks for you before you ever walk into the room. So, investing time and thought into it? That’s not just smart, it’s a power move.
#4
#5
#6
To learn more about what makes a resume truly stand out, Bored Panda spoke with Erica Katz, a resume expert who’s helped over 500 people polish theirs to perfection. “We all want to land our dream job,” Erica said, “but people often overlook just how powerful the right resume can be.” According to her, many clients have amazing experiences, it’s just hidden beneath poor structure or awkward formatting. “The layout might be off, or the most impressive stuff is tucked away at the bottom where no one sees it.”
One of the biggest mistakes she sees is people sending out the same resume for every role. “Sometimes people forget to tailor their resume to the job they’re applying for,” Erica explained. “They’ll send one generic version everywhere, hoping it works.” But that approach rarely makes an impact. She recommends customizing at least your top bullet points and summary to match the job description. “That little extra effort shows you actually care about the role. If you don’t tell them why you’re the perfect fit, someone else will.”
#7
Fast forward a few weeks later and this dude is screeching to my boss's boss about the project taking so long. I just forwarded everyone on the email thread the original email where I proposed a faster solution and it was decided against.
#9
A scene from the old TV show Mannix flashed through my mind - the episode where Mannix is driving down a mountain and realizes his brake lines have been cut, and he repeatedly drives into the mountainside in order to bring his vehicle to a halt.
So that’s what I did. I repeatedly drove into the curb until the car finally stopped. So that useless bit of info probably saved my life and/or limbs, and maybe those of others, too.
(I called the brake place and yelled at them a lot, and they fixed the brakes. Being young, that’s all I did about it, aside from never going there again, and warning all my friends.)
Formatting issues are another common problem. “I’ve seen resumes that look fine in Word, but once converted to PDF, the spacing is a mess,” Erica shared. Her advice? Always double-check the final version in PDF before hitting send.
“Recruiters won’t fix your formatting, they’ll just move on.” She also recommends keeping your design sleek and mobile-friendly. “It’s tempting to get creative with fonts and columns, but clarity is more important than flair.”
#10
I carried the actual copy in on a usb drive which, for some reason, formatted itself when I put the USB in the college computer to print the project off. Think someone in the previous class in that room had set up some sort of script, thinking they were clever to try and s***w over whoever used the PC after them.
I'm sure considering the circumstances the college would have let me hand it in the next day or something, but it saved me from worrying, being able to just download it from my emails.
#11
#12
When I was 15 I was walking along the road on my way to my mother's office. This part of the sidewalk was very wide with a fence along one side. A car, Cadillac I think, did a u turn and drove up onto the sidewalk where I was walking. The car parked diagonally across the walk blocking my way. The driver rolled down his window and said he wanted directions. I knew something was up but I felt trapped. There was no where to go.
When the driver asked me to step closer I did so because I wanted to keep him calm. He had already driven across my way close so I just stepped forward one or two steps. I stayed about 3 feet from the car. All at once the driver grabbed my arm and began to open his car door. Because I was 3 feet away, I still had the advantage and was able to wrestle my arm away. I took off running back the way I came as fast as I could.
This particular road was a raised road that had some stepped alleys down to a lower road. The lower road also led to my moms office. Her office was at the point where these two roads converged.
Anyway, there weren't many people around so I ran as fast as I could to my moms office. I ran in the door and started telling my mom what happened. But she had seen the car coming our way and she told me to hide. Meanwhile she used the radio to call her coworkers (gas line men) and then used the radio to contact police dispatch.
The man who tried to grab me came into the office screaming “where is that little bitch!” . The line men arrived back at the office and the police very shortly after.
According to the police no crime had actually been committed and so the best they could do was escort him out of town.
I am not sure my life was saved that day, but by staying 3 feet back from the car, I did save myself from something terrible.
Then there’s the length. “People either overstuff their resumes or leave out too much,” Erica said. “It’s either three pages of fluff or a half-page list of vague job duties.” Ideally, she suggests one page for early-career professionals and no more than two pages for experienced applicants. Use white space to your advantage. “It’s not wasted; it gives breathing room so your key achievements stand out.”
#13
#14
The novel was…rather adult for a ten-year-old to read.
I was introduced to the concept of in theory vs. in practice. This was used to describe Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. In theory, the orphanage was supposed to be clean, with the orphans well-fed and cared for. In practice, Miss Hannigan would starve the girls, abuse them, and work them like slaves.
That was the first time I learned that rules were only how things were supposed to be, not how things actually work out. For an autistic girl, that was very crucial information.
And I learned that rules are only for the unpopular and low-ranking. For the popular and high-ranking, rule-breaking could be done with impunity.
However, I also learned that popularity and rank could fluctuate.
So it was safer for me to always obey the rules. And not safe for me to pay attention when others broke them.
#15
In April that year, our 4 y/o was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. Cancelled the trip; and got all of our money back - including the cost of the insurance (!), which I think was an error on their part.
Speaking of achievements, word choice matters a lot. “Instead of writing ‘helped with social media,’ say ‘managed social media accounts and increased engagement by 25%,’” she advised. Action verbs like led, created, launched, or implemented instantly communicate confidence.
“They paint a picture of someone who gets things done. It’s the difference between sounding passive and sounding like a problem solver, and that’s exactly what employers are looking for.”
#16
It turns out I had cancer and if I'd waited much longer it probably would have been too late.
#17
#18
I just straight up walked out despite my credit cards being maxed and my savings being wiped out due to trying to live on workers comp for 6 months.
Best decision I ever made. If I hadn't quit that job I would have ended up k*****g myself.
Numbers are your best friend on a resume. “Anyone can say they’re a team player, but it’s more convincing to say, ‘collaborated on a cross-functional team of five to reduce turnaround time by 20%,’” Erica explained. Quantifying your work gives context and shows real impact.
“Even if your job doesn’t involve sales or stats, there are always ways to highlight results. Did you save time? Improve efficiency? Streamline something? Put it into numbers.”
#19
The fireball didn't last very long, maybe a second or two, but I have a big beard that DEFINITELY would have caught on fire and even if it hadn't, I don't like being burned even for just a second or two.
#20
Long version:
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 10. It's an autoimmune disease, meaning my immune system attacked the beta cells in my pancreas, k*****g them off. Beta cells produce insulin. Therefore, I need to supplement man-made insulin for the rest of my life. Basically, I must give exact insulin for whatever amount of carbohydrates I consume.
When I was a teen, I had been admitted to the hospital several different times for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). I barely survived each time. The reason that I got DKA was because I was a rebellious and stupid teenager. I wasn't taking enough insulin, sometimes completely skipping an insulin shot. All because I haaaated my diabetes.
A healthy HbA1c (a score that tells you your average blood sugar over the last 3 months) is 7%. Mine was literally off the chart, at 14%+, for a decade.
But when I was about 22, I decided I needed to take care of myself. My HbA1c is now 5.6%!! That's better than the recommended 7%! I've come to accept my diabetes. No use fighting it anymore.
So, accepting my illness has saved my life, as hating it only made me more sick and was putting me in danger.