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Pop Culture

Homeowners share seemingly small issues that turned out to be big deals when buying a house

Some cautionary tales here for prospective home buyers.

real estate agent showing a house

Here's what to look out for when looking at homes to buy.

Buying a home is one of the most significant decisions a person will make in life, both personally and financially. So many considerations go into choosing a home to buy, from cost to location to style to how much needs to be fixed. It can be overwhelming to take all the different variables into account, and it's easy to overlook things that might be bigger issues than you might think when you fall in love with certain aspects of a house.

Reddit user EveryBuddyUp asked the AskReddit forum, "When buying a house, what's something you thought was minor but has become the bane of your existence?" Homeowners took the opportunity to share their unanticipated woes, and it's a collection of cautionary tales that might help prospective home buyers avoid pitfalls they wouldn't have anticipated.


Finding tradespeople to do repair jobs, especially "minor" ones

"Finding good people to do small jobs. The reputable companies don’t like to waste time on small jobs, so it’s usually pick someone off of the internet and hope they don’t make it worse or DIY." Guineacabra

"Finding contractors for minor repair jobs. I had a chimney leak and called 4 companies, 3 of them didn’t want the job since it was a 300-500 dollar repair, the 4th set up an appointment with me but never showed up. It took me over 4 months to find someone."Specialist_Salt_7916

someone using a drill

Might want to learn to DIY if you own a home.

Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash

"Tried calling every roofing company in town to fix a leaky roof vent. Half a year of buckets later I climbed up with a bunch of tar and fixed it myself." FindsNames

"Even the companies that advertise "no job too small" won't do small jobs. It is so difficult to find someone decent, even if you're willing to pay good money."DateCard

"This. One of my windows broke, like literally falling out of the wall. Called everyone I could think of for weeks basically begging someone to come and fix this. They’d either not get back to me or ghost the repair time. Eventually I convinced some repair company to come over to fix this one window if I agreed to some up sale thing where in addition to repairing that window they’d inspect every other window to ensure there wasn’t damage there too. I ended up agreeing because I was at my wits end and I was paying nearly just as much each month in increased heat bills." quilles

Cellular and internet dead zones—and not just in the middle of nowhere

"Check cell coverage and find out about the ISP." – elSpanielo

"The town I live in has HORRIBLE cell reception. Luckily my ISP is great and has excellent service, so I just connect to the wifi. Worst part is that I don't live in the middle of nowhere- I'm in a suburb of a massive city, so I don't understand why the service is so shitty." gonorrheagoomah

"I live in a major US city. About a mile from downtown. Half my house is a dead zone..."ZoraTheDucky

"This! We forgot to check cell coverage when we were buying our house and the entire place is a dead zone. It’s absolutely infuriating years later to have to go outside and down the driveway to get a cell signal."miamental

"This!!! Zero cell in our house and one WiFi won’t even cross two rooms. Our house isn’t big. It’s 130 years old and has cobblestone between some walls. Then we found out that internet was often down here when we moved in. So I pay for two different service providers for two sets of WiFi and we still don’t have complete coverage."Pitiful-Sprinkles933

Bamboo (and other impossible-to-get-rid-of plant species)

"Bamboo. Someone before me planted super invasive, 15 foot tall growing bamboo in the backyard. It was spreading so wildly it was uplifting the granite pool and growing under the foundation of the house. You could see the remnants of a “barrier” of sorts of where they initially planted it, obviously not knowing how bamboo grows. I myself did not know, until I purchased the house. Absolute nightmare." – abbs_twothou

"The best way to get rid of bamboo is to move." – im_a_mighty_pirate

bamboo stalks

Bamboo might look cool, but it's a nightmare.

Photo by zoo monkey on Unsplash

"A guy once said to me that bamboo is like a cold slow fire that is alive. If you don’t keep it in check it it will destroy everything." – Tobyghisa

"It's worse than that - it's impossible to keep it in check. You have to remove a completely, and I completely I mean every scrap of root. After I yanked out mine I was still digging out new sprouts for the next 6 months. Oftentimes the new plant was growing from literally an inch and a half of root that I had missed. Think of every tiny piece of root as a new seed." – weluckyfew

"Growing up, there was a house with bamboo growing in the back yard. It took over the yard and the owner gave up. It began growing into the neighbors' yards and down the hill behind the house. Took a professional team most of a summer to get it all." – theothermeisnothere

Nightmare neighbors

"There’s a path behind my kitchen window that separates the garden from the house. The path runs behind all the houses on the street and everybody (residents) has access. I wouldn’t mind this but our neighbours on each side are best friends and so they stand on the path directly outside our kitchen window when they chat." – Dabbles-In-Irony

"I bought a flat. The neighbours immediately below us smoke. A lot. All the time. They smoke so much that you can smell it when you open the kitchen cupboards under and next to the sink because the scent creeps up through the holes around the pipework. Can't open the windows in the summer because as soon as they cough themselves awake in the morning the stench of cigarettes starts drifting up through them and fills out home. They smoke in every room, and in the bedrooms till after midnight every day. I'm an ex smoker and I'm still finding it disgusting." – butwhatsmyname

"Are you me?? We had this same issue, but with neighbours below us smoking weed. The smell would come up through our bathroom fans, so we'd wake up with a flat smelling like skunk. We could only have our windows and screen doors opened up for short periods of time until they were out smoking again. It was the worst." – pplluuvviiophile

"We moved in without knowing we had the neighbors from hell. They seemed nice enough at first, but it's become a major nightmare." – katttdizzle

Badly placed rooms and appliances

"Never buy a house where the kitchen, laundry, or living room wall is shared with the master bedroom if you are a light sleeper." – SocialRevenge

"We live in a 100-year-old house with a huge, open basement. Our washer and dryer are in our basement. For some stupid reason, known only to them, the previous owners installed the washing machine and and dryer on opposite sides of the basement, instead of side-by-side the way normal people would have done. I bought one of those professional chrome laundry carts that the laundromats use to shuttle loads across the basement between machines. Eventually, I plan to rewire the place and relocate the dryer next to the washing machine." – JasperDyne

"My number one disqualification when house hunting was no toilet on the same floor as the master bedroom. You do not want to climb stairs when you have to pee in the middle of the night. If you're reading this and saying, "I don't get up to pee most nights," I am in my late 30s and here to warn you that you will." – Blenderhead36

"Single bathroom. I had underestimated the amount of time my husband just SITS on the toilet." – NoeTellusom

\u200bWhite blinds on a window

Window blinds can cost a pretty penny.

Photo by Mike Cox on Unsplash

Window coverings cost more than you'd think

"Window treatments or curtains. The guy before me broke up with his his girlfriend. She moved out and took all the curtains out of spite. I didn’t think it was a big g deal until I priced out new ones." – asdfg27

"So true. It’s a massive racket. Even the mail order DIY stuff is expensive now. Expect $150 per window and up - WAY up! And you rarely can take it with you to the next house - the windows will be different sized, the color scheme won’t work…" – lanky_planky

"We moved into a new house with 11 windows per floor. Even getting relatively cheap window treatments (but not aluminum blinds), we were out every bit of $2k." – max_power1000

Swimming pools can also cost a small fortune to upkeep

"Swimming pool. So much work & money to maintain. Maybe gets used a dozen times a year." – KungPowKitten

"I've done pools for 4 years and openings and closings alone are hundreds of dollars. Weekly maintenances are ~100 each." – IrishRepoMan

"For the money you invest in an outdoor pool, you can probably join a nice country club or take a really kick ass tropical vacation every year." – rawonionbreath

A few final bits of cautionary wisdom from the thread were to 1) Make sure you check out the neighborhood and the neighbors as thoroughly as possible, at all hours of the day and night. 2) Use your own inspector instead of the one the realtor recommends. And 3) Anything that's unique, interesting or large in a home will require extra maintenance, so be prepared.

Happy house hunting!


True


Hey, have you heard? Life is kind of stressful. Between a news cycle that just won’t quit and the never-ending temptation to doom-scroll, finding small moments of joy throughout the day has become more important than ever.

Case in point: A dog wearing sunglasses.

A news headline that makes you want to high-five a million angels.

A sweet snack that boosts your dopamine, courtesy of our friends at All In.

Or a tweet so perfectly timed it restores your faith in the algorithm (even if only for a second).



These momentary mood boosters are everywhere you look—you just have to be able to find them underneath all the noise. And that’s where we come in.

Consider this weekly web series your cheat sheet to the best of the Internet—not just random memes to make you laugh, but examples of people truly finding something extraordinary in the mundane. We'll be delivering five pieces of media that allow you to stop for a second, take a breath, and feel just a little bit brighter among the daily stress. (Think of us as your chronically online bestie who knows exactly how to make you smile, exactly when you need it the most.)

Ready to laugh? Have your heart melted? Cry happy tears? Let's get into it.

1. Petunia the pig

@knightk64 #petuniathepig#fyp#babypig#alltheprettygirls#animallove ♬ original sound - petuniathepig1

With over nine million views on a single video alone, you know there’s got to be something special about Petunia the Pig. And there is. Behold: the tiniest, most adorable pig we’ve ever laid eyes on. Abandoned by her pig mother, Petunia is a spotted teacup pig who was taken in by TikTok user @knightk64, and we’re all the better for it. She snorts (squeaks) constantly. She tippy-taps across the floor. She takes long naps nestled in her favorite blanket. And she now even has an adopted teacup pig sister named Rosie. Not to be dramatic, but we’d die for this pig.

2. Pop Muzik dances 

@ptpowers Everyone’s #foryoupage the @project21 dance or just us? #dad #baby #dance #fyp #trending ♬ Pop Muzik - M & Robin Scott

Remember when TikTok used to be a dancing app? The dance trends are making a comeback now in the best way—and this new trend is the most fun we’ve seen people having on this app in a while.

The trend started when a mega-talented group of girls from the Project 21 dance studio performed at the NYCDA 2025 dance competition in Las Vegas back in early April. Not only did the girls nab some of the highest awards at the competition, their recorded performance quickly went viral. The song choice? The 1979 classic “Pop Muzik.” The dance? Impossible to look away from. (Here’s a short clip of the girls in all their glory.)

While the original dance is just so fun to watch, what might be even more fun is seeing all the copycat performances and tutorials that have been launched across TikTok ever since. If this doesn’t make you want to get up and dance, nothing will.

3. Seeking out the extra in the ordinary 

There are so many beautiful moments each day that are worth noticing, and the folks at All In are out to help us recognize them. Each week, the All In crew takes to the streets to find the "extra" in the ordinary—small moments of joy that make a typical day just a little bit brighter. Today's moment of joy? Finding community and feeling like you're part of something really special. Can't get much better than that.

4. This tweet series about COVID lockdowns 

Back in 2023, a study in the British Medical Journal made headlines when it claimed that the COVID lockdowns of 2020 only “minimally” affected people’s mental health. As you can probably guess, when news of the study hit Twitter, people were not having it.

Cue one of the funniest and most eye-opening discussions of mental health we’ve possibly ever had as a society. Thousands of people took to the Internet to quote-tweet the article, sharing the most unhinged things they did while stuck in the confines of their house or bedroom, such as: Learning how to play a recorder with one nostril. Watching Glee 26 times in a row. Throwing a birthday party for the dishwasher. The list goes on.

As the fifth year anniversary of COVID lockdowns just passed, these tweets are circulating again. They’re funny, they’re raw, and they shine a spotlight on the effects of isolation on mental health in a way that’s never been done before. Here’s part one of a series, and here are some more. Enjoy!

5. Thirst edits featuring regular people

@coreymbrandon thank you 🥹 @Chili’s Grill & Bar #chilis #CapCut ♬ som original - helo

Here’s where the writer of this article shows her age and admits that, before this trend, she had no idea what a thirst edit was. Allow us to break it down for you: According to ChatGPT, a thirst edit is a video (or series of short videos), usually with specific music or text overlays, created to be seductive and attention grabbing. (Kinda like this, only set to music.)

This new trend takes a normal thirst edit and flips it on its head. Instead of trying to seduce the audience, people are now using thirst traps to romanticize daily life—stuff like eating mozzarella sticks at Chili’s, or hanging out by the pool—or to cheekily boost their own confidence. Set to the song “My Bubble Gum” by Rasheeda, this trend is just normal, everyday people absolutely feeling themselves and celebrating ordinary life. We love to see it.


For even more “extra”-ordinary moments, come find us on social media (@upworthy) or on upworthy.com!

For scrumptious snacks that add an extra boost of joy to your day, be sure to check out All In.

Wellness

We asked people what they enjoy that others don't understand. One answer ruled them all.

Surprisingly, research shows that these people are less likely to be neurotic.

Some people genuinely enjoy spending lots of time alone.

Some people have quirky hobbies and interests that other might find odd, so when we asked our Upworthy audience on Facebook, "What's something that you really enjoy that other people can't seem to understand?" and over 1,700 people weighed in, it wasn't too surprising. Some people shared things like housework, cleaning and laundry, which a lot of people see as chores. Others shared different puzzles or forms of art they like doing, and still others shared things like long car rides or grocery shopping.

But what was surprising was the one answer that dominated the list of responses. It came in various wordings, but by far the most common answer to the question was "silent solitude."

alone time, solitude, being alone, home aloneSweet solitude is heavenly for some people.Photo credit: Canva

Here are a few examples:

"Feeling perfectly content, when I’m all alone."

"Being home. Alone. In silence."

"That I enjoy being alone and my soul is at peace in the silence. I don't need to be around others to feel content, and it takes me days to recharge from being overstimulated after having an eventful day surrounded by others."

"Enjoying your own company. Being alone isn’t isolating oneself. It’s intentional peace and healthy… especially for deep feelers/thinkers."

Spending time by ourselves is something some of us relish, while some of us hate being alone. Naturally, this points to the common theory of introversion vs. extraversion, but in some ways, that's overly simplistic. Even the most peopley people among us can enjoy some quality alone time, and not all introverts see time alone as truly enjoyable. (It might be necessary for an introvert's well-being, but not necessarily something they truly revel in.)

sitting alone, solitude, contemplation, being by yourselfBeing alone doesn't automatically mean being lonely.Photo credit: Canva

Interestingly, studies have found that people who enjoy being alone are not any more or less extraverted than those who don't, though they do tend to be less "sociable." They are also less likely to be neurotic (tense, moody, worrying types) than the generally population and more likely to be open-minded. Those characteristics are the opposite of what social norms often tell us about people who want to be alone.

"If our stereotypes about people who like being alone were true, then we should find that they are neurotic and closed-minded. In fact, just the opposite is true," writes Bella DePaulo, PhD.

being alone, reading, drinking tea, solitudeIt's healthy to be comfortable being alone with yourself.Photo credit: Canva

There may be lots of reasons some people like to spend time by themselves while others don't. We are naturally social creatures and need social interaction, but some of us find ourselves overstimulated by being around other people all the time. On the flip side, some people find being alone not just unenjoyable, but extremely uncomfortable, which can be a problem.

"Ideally, we should be comfortable with ourselves, alone or with others," writes psychologist Tara Well Ph.D.. "If you are uncomfortable being alone, it means you are uncomfortable being with yourself without distraction, engagement, or affirmation from others. This can be a liability in life. If you cannot be alone, you may stay in situations or make life choices that aren’t good for you in the long run, like staying in a job or a relationship, mainly because you can’t tolerate being alone while transitioning to a better situation."

woman dancing alone, enjoying alone timeEnjoying your own company is a gift.Photo credit: Canva

Dr. Well also points out that people can make the most of their alone time, even if it's not something they naturally enjoy. One way is to make it purposeful, setting aside a little time daily to write in a journal, meditate, go for a walk or otherwise engage your mind and body in some form of reflection. Another is to pay attention to self-judgments that might make alone time uncomfortable and challenge them with some compassionate confrontation and counteraction with positive thoughts about yourself.

Alone time can be refreshing and rewarding, especially if it's something you naturally crave. Some people even like to take themselves out on dates or enjoy traveling by themselves. That kind of self-care can be just as important as connecting with others for our overall health and well-being. Being alone doesn't mean being a loner and it doesn't mean being lonely. Some of us genuinely like having quality time with ourselves, whether it makes sense to other people or not.

This article originally appeared last year.

Art

Pianist stuns by using every part of his piano to perform 'Africa' by Toto

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone has so much fun playing the piano."

Peter Bence plays the entire piano, and he does it barefoot.

Peter Bence’s performance of “Africa” by Toto has over 19 million views on YouTube because of his creative reimagining of the song and, well, just about everyone loves “Africa.” Bence is a Hungarian composer and producer who has become a viral sensation for his Michael Jackson, Queen, Sia, and Beatles covers. He has over 1.1 million followers on YouTube and has toured the globe, playing in more than 40 countries across four continents.

His performance of “Africa'' is unique because it opens with him creating a rhythm track and looping it by strategically tapping the piano and rubbing its strings to create the sound of shakers and conga drums.

The video eventually becomes rapturous, with Bence making the piano sound like an entire orchestra.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

As the video caption says, "Toto x Peter Bence = Africa Piano Symphony." Indeed. People were blown away by Bence's impressive rendition of the classic 80s song.

"I’m so glad to watch and see a fellow musician, that enjoys the music deep down. Excellent playing man!"

"So fluid. The piano is an extension of your whole body. Amazing."

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone has so much fun playing the piano. You're not just terrifically talented, I love the creativity."

"Brilliant! Loved it. It made me think what would J S Bach have done with looping on a piano/harpsichord?"

bach, piano, harpsichord, musicWhat if Bach had had looping technology?Giphy GIF by marko

"Mesmerizing! He became the music and the music became him."

"Are you kidding me!!!! This cover is incredible. Still listening to it, years after I discovered it."

"I return to this regularly, it's absolute witchcraft levels of genius. This level of talent isn't written in any handbook, it's completely unworldly."

"I love how PB plays a piano worth more than my house in his bare feet like it's an actual extension of his body. Pure brilliance."

baby at piano, toddler piano, piano prodigyPeter Bence was considered a musical prodigy as a child.Photo credit: Canva

If it seems like Bence was born to do this, that appears to be accurate. According to the bio on his website:

"Starting as early as age 2 he already played back melodies by ear from his favorite cartoons and films on his grandparents’ upright piano. Showing serious interest and talent, he soon began his musical education at 4 in the local music school of his hometown, Hajduboszormeny in Hungary.

He was considered a musical prodigy by teachers and peers, and was already accepted at Franz Liszt University of Music in Debrecen, despite he was still being enrolled at elementary school.

At 7 he wrote his first composition, which was heavily influenced by the music of Mozart and Chopin, and at 11 he published his first solo piano album of his early compositions."

So yeah. The guy has had piano chops since toddlerhood, and he's made the instrument his own with unique, edgy pieces like this one.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Released in 1982, “Africa” was Toto’s biggest hit, reaching number one 1 in the U.S., number 3 in the UK, and the top 10 globally. It’s a stirring piece of music that’s beautifully arranged with an anthemic chorus. However, the lyrics aren’t that accurate.

The song’s author, Toto keyboardist Jeff Pocaro, describes it as: “A white boy is trying to write a song on Africa, but since he's never been there, he can only tell what he's seen on TV or remembers in the past.”

Nevertheless, the song is an iconic tune that captures a specific spirit of the early ‘80s when the world turned its focus to Africa. Over 40 years later, the song’s wholesome sincerity has made it a piece of music that every few years captures the hearts of a new generation.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

Popular

Why do we eat chicken eggs, duck eggs, and quail eggs, but not turkey eggs?

They're perfectly edible and apparently quite tasty, but you never see them on a menu.

Have you ever eaten a turkey egg?

When we talk about eating eggs in the U.S., we're almost always talking about chicken eggs. Occasionally, we might see duck eggs or quail eggs on the menu in a gourmet restaurant, and even more rarely something exotic like an emu egg. But do we ever see turkey eggs being served? Nope, never. (At least I never have, nor has anyone I've asked about this.)

Considering how many turkeys are raised domestically in the U.S. (around 220 million) and how many wild turkeys roam among us (around 7 million), you'd think we'd make better use of their eggs. They are egg-laying birds, after all, and since turkey meat is so similar to chicken meat, it seems logical that turkey eggs would be similar to chicken eggs, right?

turkey eggs, eating eggs, chicken eggs, egg productionTurkey eggs are larger than chicken eggs with a thicker shell.Photo credit: Canva

Right. Basically, that's true. Turkey eggs are larger than chicken eggs and they have a stronger shell, but from what people say, they're similar to eating chicken eggs only a little richer. Larger and richer, and yet we don't eat them on the regular? Why the heck not?

The Self-Sufficient Backyard YouTube channel explains the whole thing in a video that's been viewed by nearly 4 million people. Clearly, this is a burning question for people once it's brought to their attention.

- YouTubeyoutube.com

Basically, what it boils down to is that their size makes them hard to handle, package, and store. Turkeys also aren't nearly as prolific as chickens. (Chickens lay eggs around once per day, while turkeys lay at most twice per week.) It's also more expensive to raise turkeys than chickens, so the price of a turkey egg is prohibitive, at around $3 per egg. Considering how everyone lost their minds over chicken eggs at $6 a dozen, it's unlikely people would pay $36 for a dozen turkey eggs.

However, some people who have eaten turkey eggs shared their thoughts on how they taste, and now people (me, I am people) really want to try them:

"I have eaten turkey eggs for years. They are larger shells are thicker but they taste wonderful."

"I've baked with Turkey eggs and they made the best pancakes I have EVER tasted."

"They taste like chicken eggs, I have turkeys. They only lay seasonally, generally starting in March, and they’ll continue to lay through June-August. They can lay 60ish eggs a year. They’re about 2x the volume of a chicken egg. They make excellent omelettes. Harder to crack, with a thicker membrane and shell."

turkey eggs, wine, eating turkey eggsTurkey eggs on the menu.Photo credit: Canva

"Growing up, my family had a turkey! She laid eggs and we were always enamored by how huge they were. They taste wonderful!"

"We had turkeys with our chickens. They laid eggs daily with the chickens from March to September then would stop while the chickens would just slow down. I was surprised because I thought they would just lay a clutch once or twice because that’s what the wild turkeys do but nope. The only down fall we found was that cracking them was difficult. But if you use a butter knife to give it a whack at the top it works pretty well. It was like getting two egg whites and one yolk in chicken egg ratio lol."

"Taste exactly like chicken eggs. Way bigger. The only difference is the shell is way tougher to crack. So good."

Apparently experience with turkeys and turkey eggs is not uncommon? City folks, take note:

"I was raised on turkey's eggs... I come in from a part of Canada where we are raising turkeys. In Valcartier, turkey eggs used to be much cheaper than any other kind of eggs."

"Growing up on a farm being born in the 50s in western North Carolina we ate lots of turkey eggs. We usually had a dozen or so hen turkeys so we had quite a few to spare."

turkeys, wild turkeys, turkey eggsTurkeys live all over the U.S.Giphy/Minnesota State University Moorhead

"My inlaws usually give us turkey eggs for the holidays. They have a big farm in Virginia with all sorts of animals. They usually just sell their eggs at the local market and give us the rest lol."

"The wild turkeys that live in my area used to get in my bird feeders when I had a house. One day I found an egg in the yard, possibly as payment lol."

"I've got a turkey for a pet. Her name is "Sweetpea" and I keep her around for no other reason except that she's awesome and provides good conversation. Every now and then during the warm months of the year she leaves me breakfast somewhere around the yard."

And then, just for funsies, there's this little anecdote about those "technically edible" emu eggs:

"Back in elementary school we had a teacher that raised Emus. She would always make delicious cakes but would tell no one how she made them. Eventually she told my mother the reasons she told no one was because she was afraid that people would stop eating them if they found out that she was using one emu egg for every three chicken eggs. We didn’t care."

There you go. Answering a question you may never have asked but desperately needed and answer to once you thought about it.


Music

In 2022, John Lennon's son performed 'Imagine' for the first time after swearing he never would

"Within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time."

John and Julian Lennon both performing "Imagine."

In 1971, a year after the break-up of the Beatles, John Lennon released his most important piece of music, his single “Imagine.” The song is an appeal to humanity’s goodness and urges the listener to "join us" in visualizing a world without war, hunger, or greed.

The song provides a glimmer of hope in that if we can visualize a perfect world, then maybe one day it will be achievable. Over the past 50 years, the song has become a secular hymn that can conjure hope in the aftermath of the most tragic events. The song was played by Queen at Wembley Arena after Lennon was murdered in 1980. Steve Wonder sang it at the closing ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics to honor the lives of those lost at the Centennial Olympic Park bombing. Neil Young played it at the 9/11 Tribute to Heroes concert. And who could forget the infamous celebrity singalong to "Imagine" in 2020 barely a week into the initial COVID pandemic shutdown?

“Imagine” is widely seen as Lennon’s signature song that encapsulates his artistic persona, which is no small feat given the earth-shattering effect the songs he wrote with the Beatles have had on the world.

John Lennon, Beatles, musician, Imagine, magnum opusimagine the beatles GIFGiphy

Given the song’s incredible power, Lennon’s son Julian vowed never to perform it in public. Julian has had success as a musician over the years, most notably with his 1984 hit, “Too Late for Goodbyes.” He’s also a philanthropist who has produced numerous documentaries.

The war in Ukraine pushed Julian to break his vow and he performed a beautiful rendition of “Imagine” as part of Global Citizen’s social media rally, “Stand Up For Ukraine” on April 8, 2022. The campaign worked to raise money for the war-torn country, a cause Julian still adamantly supports three years into the conflict.

During the 2022 performance, Julian was accompanied by guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who is best known as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme and a member of Rihanna's touring band.

"The War on Ukraine is an unimaginable tragedy... As a human, and as an artist, I felt compelled to respond in the most significant way I could," Lennon wrote in the video's description in 2022. "So today, for the first time ever, I publicly performed my Dad’s song, IMAGINE. Why now, after all these years? — I had always said, that the only time I would ever consider singing ‘IMAGINE’ would be if it was the ‘End of the World’…But also because his lyrics reflect our collective desire for peace worldwide."

Watch:

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Lennon went on to say he was influenced to sing the iconic song "because within this song, we’re transported to a space, where love and togetherness become our reality, if but for a moment in time… The song reflects the light at the end of the tunnel, that we are all hoping for…

“As a result of the ongoing murderous violence, millions of innocent families, have been forced to leave the comfort of their homes, to seek asylum elsewhere,” Lennon concluded his message. “I’m calling on world leaders and everyone who believes in the sentiment of IMAGINE, to stand up for refugees everywhere! Please advocate and donate from the heart. #StandUpForUkraine.”

John Lennon, Imagine, song, piano, musicianJohn Lennon recording at the piano. via Wikimedia Commons

Lennon’s decision to never play “Imagine” was a wonderful way to honor his father’s legacy by respecting the power of his song, but John would probably be proud if he knew that he sang it at a time when we all need to imagine “all the people living life in peace.”

Julian Lennon continues to advocate for those suffering in the world by raising awareness and offering help through his charity, The White Feather Foundation, which was established in 2007 and exists "for the Conservation of Life" and provides aid for the environment, the preservation of Indigenous cultures, and access to clean water, education, and health.

In 2023, The White Feather Foundation launched an emergency campaign alongside World Central Kitchen to feed those in need in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. And earlier this year, Lennon and The White Feather Foundation donated a split $10,000 to MusiCares and FireAid in response to the Los Angeles wildfires in January.

Clearly in all that Lennon does to help the world and others, whether through his philanthropy or his music, he's supporting the vision of "Imagine" and making his father proud.


This article originally appeared three years ago. It has been updated.

via Pexels

First day of school can be exhausting … but for who?

It’s back-to-school time, and that means new school supplies, a trip to Target for clothes, and social media channels flooded with photos of kids holding chalkboards. Over the past decade, back-to-school photos with kids standing on their doorsteps with signs with their name, grade, year, and teacher have been ubiquitous on social media.

There’s nothing wrong with the photos, they’re a cute way for parents and kids to mark the passage of time. For most parents, it’s a way to remember that it all goes by way too fast. However, for the “perfect” parents out there who like to flaunt their Instagrammable lifestyle, they’re another way to show off their “flawless” first days on social media.

In an attempt to show parents they don't have to fall for the myth of perfection on social media, Jeni Bukolt—a mother of two boys age 8 and 12 from Waxhaw, North Carolina—posted a first-day photo of herself looking burnt out and wearing sunglasses. School hadn’t even begun yet.

"Mom's first day of school,” the handmade sign read. "I am 42 years tired. I'll probably miss a school 'theme' day. I really like sleep. Please don't ask me to volunteer. But I will buy you supplies."



"I make signs for my kids each year but lately I've thought about how I always feel behind, as though I'm failing (in some way)," Bukolt told Today. Clearly, other parents feel the same because it was a hit with a lot of them on Instagram.

A lot of comments were from parents who thought the photo was a breath of fresh air during a stressful time of year. "Brilliant, you speak for millions!" cathycole wrote. "May we all survive the drop off/pick up lane," merakifitnessandpole added.

"I thought maybe if I can create a lighthearted moment, some other moms will laugh and understand we're all in this kind of struggle together. Like, let's have empathy for each other," Bukolt told Good Morning America.

Bukolt hopes her post builds an “empathy bridge” between parents. She’d also like to shine a little reality on the parents who feel judged on social media.

"I also feel like when you look at social media, there's all these, [picture perfect] worlds,” she added. “It's not the true story. And some people think like, 'Oh, they have it better or they're perfect,' and this is an opportunity to say no, we're all real human beings ... we're all in the struggle together."

But of course, there were some humorless parents who thought her post wasn’t supportive of teachers or her two sons. So Bukolt made a follow-up where she explained that she was just having fun.

“For the keyboard warriors… yes I do have a job, yes I love my kids and no, I don’t hate teachers. Back to work. Have a great day!” she wrote.


The next year, Bukolt returned with another sign where she said she's "43 years tired," has a "new sleep routine," and please don't ask her to do any math. "Liam asked me about division last night. I know that common core math should be easier, but apparently I am NOT smarter than a 4th grader," she joked in the comments.



Parenting is hard and we all fall short of glory at times. Kudos to Bukolt for making us feel a little less alone and letting us know that some folks have already accepted their imperfections on the first day.

"If other moms can get a good laugh about it, then that makes my heart happy," she said.

This article originally appeared three years ago.