Life is precious and fleeting and it can change in a split second. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is guaranteed and anything can happen. A car accident, a layoff, an unexpected global pandemic—all of these things can come out of nowhere and totally screw up your entire life. But sometimes, with just one small mistake or misstep, you can really screw up your own life. Especially if drugs and/or alcohol are a part of the equation.
Recently, u/Random-Dead-Dude-2 took to AskReddit with this question: “What’s the fastest way you’ve seen someone ruin their life?” and the replies proved that it really takes no time at all to lose everything you have.
1.
New guy at a factory celebrated finally finding a job by doing a shot at the bar next door during lunch. Got fired after 4 hours of work for it.—u/DonOblivious
2.
I had a friend years back, always kind of an odd guy, but he had a good heart. Anyway, one day, I was hanging out with him and a few other friends and he told us he was going to get a tattoo tomorrow and had this super cool idea, but he wouldn’t tell us what it was because he wanted it to be a surprise.
We saw him about a week later. He had tattooed 3/4s of his face green. Like, no design or anything, just solid dark forest green. Basically, he just left the top right quarter of his face normal and the rest was all green. He had been immediately fired from his job the day after getting the tattoo. I kind of lost touch with him shortly after that, since he moved to another city. I’d heard he wound up living in his car.
No idea why he did what he did. He’d had a very good job in IT at a pretty big company and was making decent money. No clue why he thought permanently turning 3/4 of his face green would be super awesome.—u/Holybartender83
3.
When I lived in Vegas I saw all these people come in and “bet it all on black”, then lose. Then the stare of disbelief as they realize their mortgage is gone and they have to explain that to whomever they had left at home.—u/El_Seven
4.
Friend head dived off a fraternity balcony while drunk into a parking lot. He now has 1/2 a brain and is wheel chaired bound.—u/Junebugleaf
5.
Dropped out of a very good college with a full scholarship, that his family could never have afforded otherwise, after three years due to World of Warcraft addiction. No, this wasn’t me. I managed my addiction responsibly.—u/ThadisJones
6.
Went to school with a kid who threw a rock off an overpass and killed a dude.
Whole life down the drain at that point. Made international news
Edit: Flint, Michigan—u/SarinationX
7.
When I was in college in the early 2000s, a sophomore drove his car into a bunch of kids out partying on a Saturday a block and a half from where I was living. He was going 60-70mph, swiping cars parked on the side of the road before he hit the crowd. I think 4 people died. He got out screaming nonsense before being tackled. Was on a handful of drugs. Last I heard he was in a mental facility.—u/aclockworkorng
8.
Crack. One of my friends went from being moderately functional to losing any custody of his daughter and bouncing in and out of rehabs within like six months. Two years later, and he has a wanted poster with his face all over it in Tennessee.—u/sandraleeskeleton
9.
Once my friend told me how he wanted to lose his virginity to his cousin and many other things about his cousin, his cousin’s father was right behind him listening to everything he said…—u/inza_2006
10.
Knew a guy in when I was younger, he was a stud tight end in high school and college but had a drinking problem. He had pro stats, size speed, etc… got a try out in the NFL. Flew to town went out got f—ked up and never woke up in time for the try out. Showed up half a day late and they wouldn’t let him in. Flew home and now he does mortgages working like the rest of us—u/olcrazy1