The Wear And Tear Of Everyday Life Has Had A Huge Impact On These Things
According to just about everyone who likes to talk complete nonsense, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Well, if you do the same thing or stand in the same place over and over and over again for a whole bunch of years, you may actually get different results— or at least an object that looks different from how it did when it was originally made. The wear and tear of everyday life is real, so when you carry a silver dollar in your pocket for over 50 years, don't be surprised if it doesn't look fresh out of the mint.
Phantom Snacks
This spot in front of the cash register in a convenience store in London has been worn down by years of people paying for their snacks.
Now it looks like a hungry ghost is trying to buy a Kit Kat. It also looks like most people are right-handed (or right-footed) because the right foot indent is a little bit bigger than the left.
Coffee Spoon Spirograph
It seems as though what T.S. Eliot wrote is true— "I have measured out my life in coffee spoons." This crazy spirograph style pattern was made from a year of stirring sugar into coffee.
Any tasseographers (fortune tellers who interpret coffee grounds and tea leaves—there's a word of the day for you free of charge) out there want to try your hand at this one?
With This Ring, I Thee Physically Alter
This Reddit user's grandfather cut off his wedding ring after 55 years of not being able to remove it. Talk about commitment.
Another Redditor commented on this photo to say that his grandmother's finger had to be amputated because she had a ring stuck on it for 70 years. Read on for a man with a truly weathered face.
Swinging Into The Future
This swing shackle has been worn down from years of playground antics. I don't want to find out how many more people need to swing from this thing before it breaks completely.
I do want to know how many people it took to get this far, though.
Power Wash The Time Away
New York City used to look a lot different before the Northeast ran on coal plants. These workers are power washing away years of grime and buildup.
It looks super satisfying, but they're pretty high up there holding what is essentially a jetpack that could, at any moment, send them flying through the air. Actually that sounds pretty fun and clearly, I know nothing about cleaning buildings.
Sunrise, Sunset
This guy drove a truck for 28 years and was exposed to the sunlight that came through the driver's side window. If this doesn't convince you of the harmful effects that UV rays have on our skin, I don't know what will.
He probably should have moved to England after 14 years to even everything out. Read ahead for a bell that hasn't stopped ringing for decades.
Accidental Sundial
This lampost focuses the sun on a single point on the ground, and as the sun moves so does the point of heat and light. Every day it scorches a perfectly straight line into the grass underneath it.
It was probably around noon when this photo was taken. A good timekeeping method if you ever find yourself without a watch (or a smartphone).
Floors Have Layers
The floor in front of the cash register at this restaurant has worn down from years of people paying for their meals. If you look closely, you can see that this floor has been redone several times since the restaurant opened in 1924.
Now it looks like some kind of portal into another dimension.
Bell of the ball
So many customers have walked in and out of this shop over the years that this bell has left a permanent mark on the door under it. The store is right next to a university campus, which would explain the heavy foot traffic.
It may be time for a new door though. Read ahead to see a knife that hasn't quite lost its edge (yet).
Write On
The owner of this set of worn down pencils is a copy editor who has spent years fixing other people's mistakes.
Of course, someone who makes a living by paying attention to details and following the rules of grammar would keep all of his old pencils and arrange them like this.
This Floor Has Tan Lines
These homeowners moved a rug out from under their dining room table to discover that the sun had been slowly bleaching their hardwood floor. According to the Reddit user who posted this photo, the rug had been there for 16 years.
They should probably put the rug back now...
Stay Sharp
This restaurant knife has been sharpened so often that it's now about an eighth of the size that it once was. I think it's about time for the knife to retire now. He's had a good life chopping and dicing and julienning.
What I want to know is where does all that metal go? Is it in my lasagna? Keep reading for a restaurant that's haunted by customers past.
Smooth As Silver
A man has been carrying this silver dollar in his pocket since 1952. In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower was president, Mr. T was born, and this silver dollar had a lot more detail visible on its surface.
I don't know how anyone can hold on to a thing without losing it for over 60 years.
You Are Here
This "you are here" marker on a map of a hiking area has been touched and pointed at so many times that it's shinier than the rest of the metal. The other dots on the map are also worn down, but not as much as "you are here" dot.
Looks like people care more about where they are than where they're going. This deep insight brought to you courtesy of a brass map.
Ghostly Conversations
This restaurant wall has been worn down from years of customers resting their bodies against it. Either that or a bunch of ghosts have been waiting a long time for someone to take their order and they're starting to get impatient.
There is nothing worse than a hungry ghost. Let's hope it's the former. Read ahead to see a bench that definitely won't be mistaken for a loveseat.
A Walkway To The Washroom
Years of people walking into and out of this women's restroom at a university library have worn the decorative speckles off the floor. Now there is a clear path to the door just in case anyone gets lost.
This path is also a good reminder of just how many people used these toilets before you.
Remnants Of An Old Neighbor
It looks like this building used to be attached to a shorter building with a chimney and a slanted roof. That building has been moved to make room for a practical parking lot.
I don't know if it was paradise, but they definitely paved something. Now all that's left is a shadow of what once was.
Personal Space
The kinetic molecular theory of matter states that molecules both attract and repel each other constantly. Maybe that theory explains why we like to be close to other people, but not too close.
Nobody likes a middle seat. Years of people avoiding physical contact has left permanent imprints on this waiting room bench.
See A Penny, Pick It Up
These pennies have been arranged from newest to most tarnished to show how copper breaks down over time. However, the corroded pennies at the bottom of the picture are most likely newer than the ones in the middle.
Pennies, since 1982 are just copper-coated zinc, and corrode much more easily than the pre-1982 pennies, which are 95% copper.
Tattered Teddy
When this Reddit user's brother was born in 1985, his mother purchased two identical teddy bears. She gave one to her son over 30 years ago and kept one in storage for her future grandchild.
I think that 1985 teddy held up pretty well. I'd rather have the new one, though.
