Big Head
There’s no better feeling than waking up next to your soulmate, and having that special someone to share your life with every day. Of course, just because you’re happily married now, doesn’t mean it was always that way. Love at first sight is a common theme in romantic movies, but it doesn’t always happen in real life.
You may know that couple who’s been together for 40 years, who claims that they locked eyes for the first time, and knew they were made for each other- and here they are today with a second summer home, a money-filled joint bank account, and family all around them. Storybook stuff.
But then there are other couples who’ve also found happiness, but just needed a bit more time before they recognized love when it smacked them upside the head. Here are some of the best accounts of people’s first impressions of their spouses- and they’re definitely not all of the storybook variety…
A Tale Of Two Idiots
I saw him and thought, “Wow, that kid has a huge head.” And I don’t mean his ego. His head is literally too large for his body, like a Peanuts character. Whatever. I love him. And it just means his head holds that much more knowledge. A friend of mine also has a husband with a huge head, and we like to joke about it all the time.
Her husband wears an XXXL hat and his head is almost 27 inches in diameter. Hat shops are the bane of his existence, and it actually does upset him when he can’t find a souvenir hat that fits when they’re visiting a new place. But he is also a kind, loving, loyal, and passionate husband and quantum physicist. Reddit user: sherlockiana
A few friends and I were out at a rock club one night, and it was “Emo Night.” The first thing my future husband ever said to me was, “What sort of idiot wears white pants to a goth club?” My reply was, “It’s 80s night, and they’re khaki. What sort of idiot can’t tell the difference between white and khaki?”
My Friend’s Sister
Sure, our first impressions of each other weren’t the greatest, but when you think about it, we were just bickering like a married couple from the moment we met. I think it was just meant to be, because we’re still married 12 years later. I love him so much, and I truly can’t imagine being with anyone else. Reddit user: druishprincess
It’s a funny story. I had just started at a new school, and sat next to some random dude on the bus. He asked if I wanted to hang out, and I got off the bus at his stop instead of mine. We hung out a bit and he invited me over to his house, and that’s when I met her, my future wife, mother of my children, and his sister.
Sweatpants
I saw her across the room painting. I fell in love immediately and we are still together 24 years later. I did feel a bit bad for her brother though. A few months later, when I was at their house, they got into an argument because he wanted to hang out with me. He said, “He was my friend first,” and she said “Yeah, well he’s mine now.” And I was. Reddit user: ainkor
Our first date was breakfast at IHOP, and I didn’t know whether she would wear sweatpants or get dressed up nicely. I went back and forth between jeans and sweatpants, and decided, it’s nine am, she has to be wearing sweatpants. So I left my house wearing sweatpants. When I picked her up, she walked out in jeans, took one look at me, and said…
A Truly Blind Date
“Aw man, I knew I should have kept my sweatpants on.” Between our mutual concern about what to wear, our love of pancakes, and the fact that she was one of the most beautiful, smart, and kind people I’ve ever met. You can probably guess what happened next. We got married, and still like to lounge around in sweatpants. Reddit user: BnB53
Honestly, we met on Plenty of Fish, and neither of us had profile pictures. We didn’t exchange pictures before meeting, so it was a truly blind date. Living where we did, I didn’t hold out much hope for any attractiveness. It’s a small town that’s full of questionable-looking people, myself included. But wow, she was (and still is) incredibly beautiful.
Lovesick
I’m not really sure why I didn’t post a profile picture. It was my first time ever posting on a dating site. It was more of a curiosity. I was new to town, and the place is very small. Once you’ve been to the one bar in town, you’ve pretty much seen all the party people, so I guess I wanted to know who else was in town looking. I’m so glad I found her. Reddit user: FullyInvolved
We met online. I saw her profile picture and thought, “Now, that is a woman. Way out of my league, shouldn’t even waste my time.” A few months later, I’m sick as a dog and stuck on the sofa browsing the site, and I see her again. I think, “Eh, why not? I have nothing to lose,” and send her a note.
Who Put You Up To This
I told her I was stuck at home and super sick, but seeing her picture made me feel better–a move that some may find creepy, but surprisingly, she found it super endearing. We made plans to go out on our first date. Five years later, we’re married with three kids, and she is hotter than ever. Sometimes dreams do come true. Reddit user: jackson6644
“Oh man I think I’m supposed to know this guy’s name. Did we attend a class or a seminar or something together? He’s gonna be so mad I don’t know what his name is.” This was all going through my mind as he was running after me from the work plaza to the parking garage, yelling that he wanted to talk to me. And then he began to explain that he’d seen me around.
She’s Still Beautiful
We had run into each other a few times, but I am pretty heads-down-not-social at work, and he was in a different department. He’d wanted to ask my name and chat me up, and my thought was: “Thank goodness. I’m so bad with names. What a relief,” but then I started wondering what was happening and why he was talking to me.
“Why is this guy talking to me? People don’t talk to me, especially not good looking people. Who set me up? Someone probably set me up.” Nobody set me up, and we got married. Reddit user: quasiparadigm
I first saw her when her Dad, who was a coworker, was showing me a picture of his lakeside cabin. She was in the foreground, and I thought she was beautiful. I told him so. He later told me she had just broken up with her boyfriend and I should call her. It meant a lot that he would think so highly of me that he’d want me with his daughter.
The Good Wife
I did call her, and I guess you could say that things went pretty well. We now have three great kids, and are coming up on our 33rd wedding anniversary. She is still beautiful. Some of you probably just go to work to do your jobs, and avoid any conversations with your coworkers, but maybe you should talk to them. You may just meet your wife. Reddit user: dssorg
Well, my first thought was that this girl is way out of my league. So you know, better give up now, just be friends with her, and have fun while it lasts. After the first week of hanging out, I caught myself saying, “Wow, this girl would make a great wife.” Yeah that’s right, not even girlfriend, but wife.
He’s My Nerd
It went a lot better than I could have expected. After about three months of courting, we became girlfriend and boyfriend. We married a year later. Been married for 10 years now. Some of our family and friends probably thought that we moved too fast, but what can I say? When you know, you know. Don’t regret it one bit. Reddit user: shiroboi
When my husband first met me, he thought I was way out of his league. To be fair, he is a total nerd, but he’s my nerd. He was 26, and had never had a girlfriend. I was dating someone else at the time, which crushed him, even though he didn’t think I’d ever date him. We were good friends for half a year before I dumped the other guy.
Locks Of Gold
And then we were just best friends for half a year. Right when he thought he was hopelessly friend-zoned while I dropped obvious hints, he decided, what the heck, worth a shot. I’m so glad he asked. Three months later, we had a house, two dogs, two cats, and five kittens together. Three years later, our first child was born. Reddit user: wentwrong
“Is his hair made out of gold?” I met him when I was in kindergarten, and I live in an Asian country, so everyone I had met had plain black hair. So when he came into class, I was utterly fascinated by his hair. It was a nice golden brown, and when it caught sunlight, it looked like gold to me.
MySpace Love
As fate would have it, he was assigned to sit beside me. And the first thing I did was pluck some of his hair to examine it and keep it to myself. I thought I could use his gold hair to buy candy (I found out from the canteen owner that it was not real gold after all). He was quite timid at that time, so he didn’t really do anything.
I called him Christopher Robin (after the boy in Winnie the Pooh), and spent that year stealing his food and colored pencils. I moved away a year later, and never kept in contact. But I met him again in high school, and called him “Christopher Robin.” He responded with: “OMG the hair plucker!” We’ve been together for seven years now, and are currently engaged. Reddit user: VicieuxRose
I was working at a store and she came in asking for help finding something. It was right in front of me, but I couldn’t find it because I was so nervous and distracted by how fantastic and beautiful she was. She was literally everything I like in a girl. I never forgot her face, and actually looked into her on MySpace a few years later.
My Missing Piece
I may be showing my age here, but MySpace was where you got all your information about people before Facebook and Instagram. But I really liked what I saw on her profile–her taste in music and more of her gorgeous face–and we started talking. We got married two years ago, and I’ve never been happier. Reddit user: Hraesvelg
I thought he was boring, but he just didn’t need partying and distractions to make him happy. I thought he was shy, but he didn’t have to say unnecessary things to fill a silence. I thought his calm demeanor was too smooth for my emotionally-rough personality, but it was a shelter for my storms. And that’s just the beginning of it all.
Chatterbox
I thought his common sense was too conventional for my wild life and sky-high imagination, but it pulled us both to where we were supposed to land. I thought his version of life was simpler than I wanted, but it turned out to be what I was looking for. I think he’s exactly what I lack in myself, and I like that he didn’t have to show me that. He just happened to come along and fit in where I was missing pieces. Reddit user: yaywork
We had some texting for a week, but he wasn’t a huge talker. His messages were short and really hard to read because of weird spelling errors. I decided to meet him in person because he was cute. First hour or so of face-to-face, I wasn’t sure I’d be talking to him again after the date. He was cute, it was just unbearably awkward.
A Beautiful Love Story
As the night went on, I realized he was awesome, and we haven’t spent a day apart since. We’ve been married two years now. Turned out he’s actually very chatty (sometimes he never shuts up), and just doesn’t like to text or bother to correct mistakes when texting. I’ve learned to decipher his cryptic messages like a pro at this point. I still think he’s awesome. Reddit user: WhatsaMaWhoosIt
I met my husband when we were 14 years old in ninth grade. We were good friends, and I remember thinking he was the nicest person I had ever met, but I ended up moving for the next school year. We stayed in touch through AIM and then Facebook, but we both had significant others and were into our own lives in college.
My Best Friend
I ended up teaching English in Japan, and I had the most amazing time being single, making friends, and exploring my adulthood in a different culture. He contacted me through Facebook, and we ended up talking every day, so I decided to ask him to come to Japan for my goodbye trip. He agreed, and flew out to Japan for my last couple weeks there.
I remember feeling so incredibly nervous since I hadn’t seen him in ten years. When I found him, he stopped in front of me, grabbed my face, and kissed me. I was so surprised, but was on cloud nine. We’ve been married for almost 5 years, and will soon have a son. We’ve been through so much together, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be married to the best person I’ve ever met. Reddit user: magasaraus
Husband here. She was always the love of my life. I remember sitting next to her in high school and just chatting about the most geeky topics. She was cute, nerdy, and perfect. When she moved away the following school year, it was devastating. We started talking again on Facebook years later, and I fell in love with her all over again.
I’m Going To Marry Her
I was shocked when she asked me to travel with her. What if this didn’t go well? What if she didn’t like me? Fortunately, everything turned out way better than expected. We had an amazing time getting lost in the city everyday. A few months later, she moved with me to Seattle. I proposed to her on a hot air balloon a few months later, and we got married at the Stanley Hotel. Reddit user: Fremonster
I saw her across the room, looking forlorn, about two weeks after I had sworn off women to focus on college. For no apparent reason, I had this overwhelming urge to help with whatever seemed to have her down. After a couple minutes of staring at her, I said to myself, “I’m going to marry that one, and fix whatever it is.”
Childhood Crush
And I did marry her just six months later. It’s been 15 years, and she has made me 10 times the man I could have ever been. In retrospect, there was nothing to fix. I think the universe was just trying to bring me to her, and it definitely did. Now I have an incredible wife, three great children, and no regrets. Reddit user: renaissanceman14
Not married yet, but engaged. I saw him playing the piano in eighth grade when we were about 13, and my friend at the time told me not to talk to him, because “he’s a show off.” Now I’m thinking that she maybe just had a crush on him, and wanted me to back off so she could have him all to herself. No such luck.
That Shoe Collection, Though
I thought he was super nice, though a bit awkward. We kind of went our separate ways for a while, started seeing other people, got involved in other activities, and whatnot. But then we finally started dating in 12th grade, and have been completely happy ever since. He’s the love of my life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Reddit user: TheReezles
He was my boss, and I wrongly thought he was gay because of his extensive shoe collection. Luckily, I was wrong, as I soon thought he was one of the funniest, nicest, and smartest men I’d ever met. Before anyone asks, It was just a silly teenage retail job, so there weren’t any issues with us dating while I worked for him.
Ballroom Partner
I was promoted (not by him, by the regional manager), and became the manager of the second store they opened next door. After about a year, we were getting serious, and we both left the company for bigger and better things. One thing led to another, and now we’ve been together almost seven years, and married for two months. Reddit user: franklynn1234
I was 15 and he was 14. He joined a ballroom dance class at the studio I was already taking lessons at. I was asked by our teacher to partner with “one of two teenage boys,” and it turned out to be my now-husband and his brother. As I walked in the room, there was a tall, thin, dark-haired boy, and a short, curly-haired, chubby kid.
Flirty Guy
I really wanted to be paired with the taller boy, as he was way more attractive. After a few agonizing minutes waiting, I was partnered with the less attractive guy who turned out to be shorter than I was. We started dancing and he wouldn’t talk to me. I was terrified of him. Last Christmas I was lucky enough to marry my teenage ballroom dance partner. Reddit user: mirgaine_life
He was a giant flirt. Some friends had an extra ticket to a Bette Midler concert, and invited me. We were all meeting at a house of someone I hadn’t met before. After I parked, I pinched my right ring finger so hard it was bleeding. Honestly, I don’t even know how it happened, but it did. I walked inside and saw him.
Family Man With A Mohawk
Standing there was a tall, smiley guy on the steps. He saw I was bleeding, walked me into a bathroom, cleaned the cut, put on a band-aid, and then kissed my finger. Two years later, we got married. My first impression was right. He was, and still is, a giant flirt. And I love him every single day. Reddit user: trekbette
I met him at work. He had a chin-length, dark-brown mohawk that he wore down to one side. He was cute and funny. I invited him to a house party to set him up with a friend of a friend. She was an idiot. He was brilliant and kept coming around to hang out with me instead.
Ex’s Blessing
As a single mom of four, I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and wasn’t sure how interested he would be either. But he was very consistent, charming, and we had amazing conversations. We were friends first. We’ve been together for eight years. He adopted my children, and we added one more. Reddit user: livesinashoe
I was introduced to her by my then-spouse, and I thought, “Wow she’s freaking gorgeous, almost like a younger twin of my wife.” Obviously, I didn’t tell that to my wife…yikes. We were group friends forever, and many thought they were indeed sisters. Fast forward to a very amicable divorce, I asked my ex if she’d be okay with me asking out her friend.
Craigslist Couple
Believe it or not, she was totally on-board with it. She replied that she wouldn’t mind at all, and thought we were perfect for each other. Our first date was in 1997. We got married, and had my ex in attendance at the wedding. We’re still married, and great friends with my ex-wife. I’m just really grateful for how everything turned out. Reddit user: s0n0ran
I met my husband through a platonic ad on Craigslist. I’m heavy, and I never lied about my weight, sending only accurate photos. He sent a few too, and he looked cute and chubby. We talked on the phone for a while and really hit it off. He asked to go meet for coffee. When he arrived I didn’t even recognize him.
My Hands Are Empty
He was more handsome than any photo let on, and was in extremely good shape. My first thought was, “well there goes any chance of a relationship. e must have misunderstood my photos.” He was exactly how he was on the phone though: charming, self-deprecating, and tooth-achingly sweet. I was gutted after the first coffee about how hung up I was on him. My husband does not care about my appearance, and still says I’m the most beautiful woman he has met. Reddit user: [Redacted]
I was working at the local bar. I saw her one night approaching the bar, alone. Compared to the average girls who frequented the place, she definitely stuck out–she looked assertive, didn’t wear makeup, and gave concise answers without being rude. I finished early that night, and was having drinks with my friends. I turned around later and she was standing there.
Tag, You’re It
I asked if she wanted a drink, and she replied, “Well, my hands are empty,” so I grabbed her and took her to another bar in the area. I tried to steal drinks from the cellar, failed, and we ended up walking back to hers. I pass out on the bed. So from some inauspicious beginnings, beautiful things grew. Reddit user: Northeastpurplesky
My husband and I have been married for about a year. When I first met him, I was seven years old, he was eight, and we were in second grade. I was always treated meanly by the girls, and didn’t have many friends at our school, so he was really the first person to be genuinely nice to me. I was instantly crushing on him as hard as a seven-year-old can.
I Was Not Perfect
We would run around the school yard in our club playing tag or swinging on the monkey bars. I was the only girl in the club because I wasn’t afraid to play rough or get dirty. It wasn’t until college that we reconnected through Facebook due to a mutual friend. I messaged him, teasing and asking if it was the same guy who started the club. Well, to say the least, we talked more and ended up married. Our vows had references to the way we played around during recess. He ended his in the best way possible, with “Tag, you’re it”. Reddit user: snowfox90
When I met my wife for the first time, I was absolutely inebriated. I proposed to her upwards of 20 times in the bar that night, and I saved her number as “perfect” in my phone. I woke up the next morning with a vague memory of meeting a girl, though I couldn’t remember her name. I looked in my phone and saw I had called “perfect” about 10 times.
Speeding Warning
She was ignoring my calls. It took about four months of apologizing, and me begging to take her on a date to make up for what an awful guy I was. That was in 2005, so I feel like today, most girls probably would have blocked my number and wouldn’t give me another chance. But luckily, she did, and we’ve been married for six years now. Reddit user: JKinct
My first thought: “Whoa, she’s really hot.” Then we didn’t talk for two years. I was a cop, and I pulled her over one day. I gave her a verbal warning. She was appreciative, but then sped off on her way. Once again, we didn’t talk for a year. I saw her randomly, asked her out, but I couldn’t get her out of the house. Didn’t even complain.
Vegas Vibes
She became my roommate, even if I didn’t necessarily agree with it at the time. We dated for six months, got engaged, have been married 11.5 years with 2.5 kids (she’s pregnant with the third one), and are still going strong. She doesn’t even speed anymore, though I’m glad to have met her again that way. When I look at her now, I say: “Whoa, She’s really hot.” Reddit user: FeelinG_Old
I was by myself at the Luxor pool in Las Vegas, and saw him walk in with his friends. I just had this feeling that I knew him. He stopped me in my tracks, and he looked so familiar. He was so damn good-looking and had the most beautifully-done tattoo I had ever seen. I had this overwhelming feeling that if I didn’t talk to him, I would regret it.
Same Starbucks Order
I made eye contact, and did a cheers motion with my beer. He came over to me and we instantly hit it off. I remember thinking he was funny and charming. He asked me if I wanted to travel the world and have babies with him. He took my phone and put his number in under the name “your love.”
After 4 hours by the pool and an awful sunburn, I went back to my hotel room and told my friends I fell in love, and was pretty sure I just met my husband. They laughed and told me I was crazy. He lived in Los Angeles and I lived in Philly. He flew to Philly the week after we met. We just celebrated our one-year anniversary last weekend and have two beautiful babies. Reddit user: [Redacted]
I met my wife while standing in line at Starbucks. I had ordered a soy white chocolate mocha. She was standing behind me and heard my order and commented, “Hey that’s my drink girly!” Naturally, I was a little taken aback, and also kind of annoyed. I was even about to say something snarky because I’m not a morning person.
The Other Man
I turned around and saw that she was dressed really nicely, and had big beautiful bright green eyes. So I blurted out “You’re mean! What’s your name?” She told me, and we had coffee together before heading off to work, and the rest is history. We’ve been married a year now and have our first baby due in December. Reddit user: skrillz2002
Before we were even introduced, I got one look at him and thought, “Oh, That’s the guy. Oh no, what am I going to do? I’m going to have to break up with my boyfriend and move out of our apartment.” It’s pretty problematic and definitely the plot of a romantic comedy or two, but I just knew it was him.
Well, You’re Wrong
That was April of 1989. We’ve been married now for over 20 years. I haven’t spoken to my ex-boyfriend since, as you can imagine. I really do hope he’s doing well. I did feel badly for leaving him for a guy I barely even knew at the time, but you just have to follow your heart. I love my husband and our life together. Reddit user: ScammerC
The first thing I ever said to my husband was: “Well, you’re totally wrong.” He’d been arguing politics with a mutual friend at our local bar when I got there and sat down. This was before Facebook, when you actually had to sit with somebody and talk to them without posting political opinions on your wall. That was the beginning of everything.
In Harmony
I’ve always been a super outspoken person, and had no problem telling this guy I didn’t even know just how wrong he was. My husband says that he fell in love with me on the spot. Today, neither of us can remember what exactly he was wrong about, but he remembers the dress I was wearing. Time will do that to you. Reddit user: wentwrong
When I first saw my future wife, my initial thought was that I loved her look–very pretty and earthy. Kind of equivalent to a modern day hipster or bohemian queen. She was singing onstage and had the most beautiful voice. I’m a musician so I knew I had to go talk to her afterward. I did, and it worked out.
Another Chance
Many years later, we’re still very happy and singing together. I hope to play music with her for the rest of my life. I’m really glad I went up to her after that set and gave her the whole “loved your set” spiel. When we first met though, I was around 21 years old, so the main thing I was thinking was, “Please don’t be in high school.” Reddit user: aesebu55
I thought, he likes me. I hope he doesn’t try to ask me out. That was my first impression, but I should clarify. Now I’m so unbelievably glad that he did, because I’ve never been happier. I changed. I was a young shallow brat when I first met him and wouldn’t give him a chance. I don’t even know why, because he was always very handsome.
Legs For Days
I did some growing up, and when I came back to that city I ran into him. I thought he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. So I asked him out, and apologized for being such a jerk to him before. I’m really appreciative that he gave me another chance. And this story is proof that women can be the jerks sometimes too. Reddit user: boldly-going-nowhere
I thought she had great legs. The first time I laid eyes on my future wife, she was coming down the stairs of the music building wearing a short plaid skirt. She had just finished her audition for a scholarship. I was downstairs hanging out with some folks from the orchestra. My friend Sandy pointed her out, and told me that my future wife was a friend from high school.
A Jerk, But My Jerk
I told Sandy that she had nice legs, and promptly went back to hanging out. Fast forward to August of the same year, and I hear a knock at my apartment door. It was Sandy with my future wife. I invited them in, and Sandy said, “Hey future wife, this is my friend. He thinks you have really great legs.” That’s how I met my wife. Reddit user: MangledPumpkin
Actually, my first thought was that he wasn’t my type at all, and I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to see him again. I met him and thought, what a jerk. But he was a nice jerk–respectful to me but still kind of obsessed with himself. In my defense, I wasn’t really wrong. He did a lot of things that would be questionable to women today.
You Complete Me
He was the kind of jerk that sends shirtless bathroom selfies while standing in the mirror. But I had this weird feeling that it was just going to happen. He was the one for me, even if I didn’t necessarily want it. It did happen. Four years later, I still hate him, but we can’t go 10 minutes without talking to each other. Reddit user: haha_not
I met her at my mom’s retirement party. My first thought was, “Uh oh, I am in trouble.” Before I met her I didn’t believe in marriage. I didn’t believe in living with a significant other, or that there was really any point in spending your life with anyone. I was perfectly content being a lone wolf for the rest of my life.
Lucky Guy
That is, until the day I met her. Now, I truly could not imagine my life without her, even to the point where I just kind of remember her always being there and hope she will always be with me. She has become a part of me, the much better part of my incomplete self. Definitely wasn’t expecting to meet such an incredible person at a retirement party, but I’m so happy I did. Reddit user: [Redacted]
When I was introduced to my future wife in college, I was just absolutely struck with a feeling of how beautiful I thought she was, and how amazing she was. I had dated a fair number of girls in high school and college, and thought I was totally immune from being head over heels for someone. I found out in an instant that I was wrong.
My Friends Dared Me
My mouth went dry, and my heart felt like it was beating twice as hard as usual. No joke. I’m not messing around when I say I feel the same way today (30 years later) when I see her, especially if I’ve been away for a few days on business. I know she’s gotten older, but I still see the same face I saw back then, and it makes me so happy every time. Reddit user: DimiDrake
I wasn’t sure if she was into me, even though she was always eyeballing me on our bus to school. My friends told me that she liked me, and they knew that I was kind of shy, so they dared me to ask her out. They called me chicken until one day, I sat next to her on the bus. That was in 2010, and we’ve been married since 2013.
A Long-Lasting Love
She still has no idea that I asked her out on a dare. Honestly, I don’t know how she would feel about it. I love her to death, but it’s been hard on us since she was diagnosed with Crohn’s a few weeks ago. We’ve been seeing multiple doctors together, and trying to get it under control so we can have another 60 years together. Reddit user: UWControll
I remember my grandmother telling me about the first time she met my grandfather and how much she disliked him initially. She thought he was really arrogant. Then she discovered that the way he acted then wasn’t really the way he was, he was just really nervous because he thought that she was so beautiful.
This was literally decades ago, but tons of guys still act like that today. They think being a jerk will make them likable. Not even close. Anyway, my grandmother gave him another chance, and they ended up married for over 40 years until his death. I miss my grandpa every day, and it’s a good thing they ended up together, or I wouldn’t exist. Reddit user: _eDgAr_