Pictures That Capture The Subtle Passing Of Time

I was talking with my parents the other day about my great-grandma and how I felt lucky to have met her before she passed away. She was 99 and had seen so much change in her lifetime.

But then I thought that I have, too. Everyone has, we just don't always realize it until all that time has passed. I mean, the first Harry Potter book came out 22 years ago!

That's A Hard Worker

worn down keyboard
Photo Credit: Reddit / jraygun13
Photo Credit: Reddit / jraygun13

After repeated use, even things like our keyboards and computers get worn down.

A lot of the time the letters are the first thing to rub off, but this person has used this keyboard so long, they've made dents.

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Is There Even A Pole Under Here?

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layers of posters on a pole
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
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I'm going to wonder every time I walk by a pole full of posters if it actually has years of posters making it look bigger than it is.

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I wonder how many amazing events have been advertised here.

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Who Else Has A Favorite Mug?

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marks in a cup from being stirred so much
Photo Credit: Reddit / SleepySquirrelZzzzzzz
Photo Credit: Reddit / SleepySquirrelZzzzzzz
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This person has used the same mug to make their tea so often that a spiral has formed on the bottom.

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The pattern matches what this person stirs their milk and sugar every morning.

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Round And Round We Go

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perfect circles around barber chairs
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
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This barbershop has been in business for a long time. You can see the almost perfect circle the barber follows around the chair when they're doing their work.

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It won't be long until they are little dents, too!

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You Have A Favorite Mug, But What About A Favorite Spoon?

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spoon that was used for 45 years that has tip eroded
Photo credit: Reddit / cistfurcharlie
Photo credit: Reddit / cistfurcharlie
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According to this user, their grandmother has used the same spoon to stir their coffee for 45 years.

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It sounds crazy but the now-square tip of that spoon doesn't lie.

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A Well-Loved Kitty

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two versions of the same cat, one is just older
Photo Credit: Reddit / Connguy
Photo Credit: Reddit / Connguy
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The poster was gifted with this stuffed cat in 1995 from their great aunt. After her passing, they found the same stuffed cat in pristine condition.

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Under the post, people told stories of replacing their children's toys with replicas because they were getting old and gross.

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Now That's A Whiskey Collection

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whiskeys are different stages of maturity
Photo Credit: Reddit / Mystic_L
Photo Credit: Reddit / Mystic_L
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According to the person who posted this picture, each bottle has whiskey in it from the same cask, but at different stages of maturity.

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Each bottle is one year older than the last.

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Some Things Stand The Test Of Time

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a church being power washed
Photo Credit: Reddit / emissaryofwinds
Photo Credit: Reddit / emissaryofwinds
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Look at this absolutely beautiful church. But, even though it may have survived through a lot of changes around it, it found a way to change itself.

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This church is a beautiful white color, which can only be seen when you wash years of dirt and exhaust away.

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Just A Few Weeks Can Make A Difference Too

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a pen bent after being left in car for weeks
Photo credit: Reddit / Fish_have_legs
Photo credit: Reddit / Fish_have_legs
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Time can change things over hundreds of years, or even just a few weeks.

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The user who posted this photo said it took the Australian heat less than a month to warp this pen that was left forgotten in a car.

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Time Passes Fast

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an older hand and younger hand
Photo Credit: Reddit / Import
Photo Credit: Reddit / Import
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Before we know it, we will all start to see the passing of time on ourselves.

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We will get grey hair and wrinkles and a lot more knowledge about the world.

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An Actual Stepping Stone

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a rock with foot steps worn in
Photo Credit: Reddit / Nightaware
Photo Credit: Reddit / Nightaware
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It's clear this boulder has been here a long time. So many people have climbed it that actual foot holes have been carved out.

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It's no wonder it's such a popular spot — look at that view!

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That's A Lot Of Ideas

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a used notebook and a new notebook
Photo Credit: Reddit / aky5214
Photo Credit: Reddit / aky5214
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Even though a lot of time may not have passed when you finish a notebook, it's neat to see all those pages filled with things that have come to matter to you.

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This really makes you appreciate the hard work you did in the past, and look forward to the clean slate of the future.

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Those Are Strong Bushes

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plants leaving marks on a fence
Photo Credit: Reddit / Pimp_Papa
Photo Credit: Reddit / Pimp_Papa
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They have left the semi-circular patterns on the fence behind them.

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I wonder if this will be something that keeps happening as the plants get bigger, or if they'll move away from the fence.

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This Looks A Little Trippy

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a well worn trail in a forest
Photo Credit: Reddit / 20WaysToEatASandwich
Photo Credit: Reddit / 20WaysToEatASandwich
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This trail is La Meauffe, Manche in France.

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According to the person who posted it, this trail is indented into the ground so far because it has been used by people passing through for centuries.

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Some Things May Cause Us To Age Faster

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a person who used to drive a truck has more damage on the side of their face that faces the sun
Photo Credit: Reddit / Advocate7x70
Photo Credit: Reddit / Advocate7x70
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This person had been driving a delivery truck for 28 years.

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The side of their face that looks older was the side that always faced the sun. I better go get some sunscreen.

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This Looks Like A Scene Out Of A Movie

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cars being taken over by natures
Photo Credit: flickr / kaneko amury
Photo Credit: flickr / kaneko amury
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This picture was taken in Yakushima, Japan of two abandoned cars.

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Anytime I see something like this I wonder what the circumstances were that made someone leave their things behind.

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It's In Pretty Good Condition!

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a cookbook that has been in the same family for generations
Photo Credit: Reddit / TheSealClubber
Photo Credit: Reddit / TheSealClubber
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The person who posted this said that their grandma got it from their mother and has been using it for 70 years since then.

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This just goes to show you that some things never change. Especially our love of cake.

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This Is A Little Spooky

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outline of people sitting on benches
Photo Credit: Reddit / bradv1977
Photo Credit: Reddit / bradv1977
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This bench in Union Station has seen so much traffic that the outline of people has been left on the wall behind it.

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They're kind of like ghosts watching you on your commute.

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A Somber Reminder

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trenches over grown with nature
Photo Credit: Reddit / Pimping_NZ
Photo Credit: Reddit / Pimping_NZ
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Even though WWI ended over a century ago, there are still reminders of it everywhere. This is a picture of The Somme in Northern France.

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You can see the outline of the trenches and artillery shell craters even though it's been overgrown by nature.

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What A Shame!

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a drop ceiling put over a chandelier
Photo Credit: Reddit / firemanjoe911
Photo Credit: Reddit / firemanjoe911
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This photo was taken from an old building.

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When they renovated it for a company that was taking over, they used a drop ceiling to cover up these beautiful chandeliers and crown moulding.

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This Is Kind Of Strange

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a parking lot that was paved where a building used to be
Photo Credit: Reddit / anjack9
Photo Credit: Reddit / anjack9
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This parking lot has been worn down from use, but underneath it is a checkered floor from a building that would have been there before.

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There are no other signs of the building that once existed.

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Follow The Trail!

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worn down imprints where children walk
Photo Credit: Reddit / Rory-mcfc
Photo Credit: Reddit / Rory-mcfc
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This hill is in Donnelly's Hollow, Ireland.

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The little foot holes have been left by generations of children crossing over the hill to get to school or go into town.

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Passing Time, Literally

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a watch next to its old worn out band
Photo Credit: Imgur
Photo Credit: Imgur
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The watch face is the same, but the band has been replaced. They're the same band, only one is years older and ready to be thrown out.

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Hopefully, he gets a lot of use out of his new one!

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I Didn't Know These Would Wear Off

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worn down path to the Eiffel tower
Photo Credit: Reddit / Harambe_Is_In_Heaven
Photo Credit: Reddit / Harambe_Is_In_Heaven
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This is a very high traffic area. It's the waiting area to get to the Eiffel Tower in France.

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The Eiffel Tower is 130 years old! But this landing is probably younger than that.

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This Is Crazy!

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bullets trapped in a tree, the tree kept growing
Photo Credit: Reddit / Dklem80
Photo Credit: Reddit / Dklem80
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Someone cutting down a tree found one with three bullets embedded in the tree.

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The tree just kept growing around them, proving once again how powerful nature is and how resilient it is to humans.

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A Road To Nowhere

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an abandoned roadway that's fallen apart
Photo Credit: Reddit / RagnarLothbrok23
Photo Credit: Reddit / RagnarLothbrok23
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This abandoned stretch of highway was left to decay. It didn't take long for nature to start taking over.

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I wonder if the bridge collapsed all at once or bit by bit.

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Phases Of The Moon

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time lapse of the moon phases
Photo Credit: Reddit / iamgulshansingh
Photo Credit: Reddit / iamgulshansingh
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This is series of photos taken of the moon over its 28-day phase. As time passes, it occupies a different place in the sky.

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I never really notice the change, to me it always seems to be in the same place.

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That Is One Dedicated Bird

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25 generations of bird nests in an old unused chimney
Photo Credit: Reddit / GallowBoob
Photo Credit: Reddit / GallowBoob
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According to the person who posted this photo, this image is of a bird's nest that had been built inside an unused chimney.

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The nest is from over twenty generations of bird families!

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We All Love Candy

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a scanner worn down from so many people using it
Photo Credit: Imgur
Photo Credit: Imgur
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All that candy is probably why this checkout counter has been so worn down.

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This is the kind of thing you'd only notice after it was all worn off and you look at it one day and think 'huh'.

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The World Has Changed So Much

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really old pencils, some were made in West Germany
Photo Credit: Reddit / spodinielri0
Photo Credit: Reddit / spodinielri0
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Some of these pencils are old enough that they say they were made in West Germany.

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West Germany doesn't exist anymore now that the Berlin Wall has come down and Germany reunited.

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Isn't This Beautiful?

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old artichoke grew into flower
Photo Credit: Reddit / crazyratlady34
Photo Credit: Reddit / crazyratlady34
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Someone found an old, dried artichoke and brought it home, only to find it open up into a beautiful flower.

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Artichokes are a member of the thistle family, which explains it's prickly look.

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Life Is About Growth, Right?

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tree that has grown through chain link fence
Photo credit: Reddit / waycokid1129
Photo credit: Reddit / waycokid1129
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It's hard to tell but this tree's trunk is grown right through the chain-link fence.

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It almost looks like a goo that has absorbed the metal! Nature does some pretty crazy things.

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Any Landscaper Knows What Happened Here

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graveyard headstones that are worn away at the bottom
Photo credit: Reddit / Kevone215
Photo credit: Reddit / Kevone215
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You might be confused how this shows time, but a groundskeeper would know these are headstones where the bases have eroded from weed-wacking.

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These stones have truly endured a lot.

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I'm Surprised Brick Houses Are Still Standing!

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two of the same bricks side by side but one has eroded to half the size
Photo credit: Reddit / balloon_warrior
Photo credit: Reddit / balloon_warrior
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Bricks are supposed to be extremely durable so it's shocking to see two of the exact same bricks beside each other.

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Hopefully, the bricks my house is built from don't erode like this.

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This Pipe Is Practically Useless

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pipe with layers of limescale
Photo credit: Reddit / parasite3go
Photo credit: Reddit / parasite3go
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This cross-section of an old water pipe shows off the intense layers of limescale build-up.

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It gets worse when you realize this is what the build-up of cholesterol looks like in our arteries. Ew!

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Like A Candle In The Wind(ow) - Elton John

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candle that has been warped from sitting in the sun
Photo credit: Reddit / win10helpme3
Photo credit: Reddit / win10helpme3
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And it seems to me, you lived your life, like a candle being warped by the sitting in the sun by a window.

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Considering candles are wax that is meant to melt, we should have seen this coming.

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Look Closely To See The Change In Hair Color

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hair that is black and white stripes from medication
Photo credit: Reddit / QueenChoco
Photo credit: Reddit / QueenChoco
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This hair follicle is from someone who takes a certain medication that makes their hair turn white.

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You can see the change in their hair color as they go on and off the medication.

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The Not-So-Magical 8Ball

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8ball that lost fluid
Photo credit: Reddit / TheBigBad
Photo credit: Reddit / TheBigBad
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This fortune telling magic 8 ball isn't so exciting when the fluid starts to evaporate.

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At least it now gives you some options. Still, it's just not the answers we needed.

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You Gotta Go Where You Grow

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tree that has started to grow horizontally
Photo credit: Reddit / heyasshat
Photo credit: Reddit / heyasshat
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We've seen nature do some pretty cool things over time but watching a tree grow entirely horizontal is pretty interesting.

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I'm just wondering how it's still standing and hasn't tipped over yet.

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Talk About Worn Down

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two of the same knives, one has been worn down
Photo Credit: Reddit / kjbleau
Photo Credit: Reddit / kjbleau
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These are both the same knife, just one has been worn down from repeated sharpening.

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Like any person who loves their craft will tell you, when you have a favorite tool, you hold onto it until you can't anymore.

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A True Glimpse Into History

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two buildings built around each other
Photo Credit: Reddit / Levangeline
Photo Credit: Reddit / Levangeline
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Instead of tearing down the original building, new ones were built around the old one.

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When you think about it, it's a great way to modernize but keep that historic charm.

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I Didn't Know It Looked Like That!

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laptop with the track pad worn down
Photo Credit: Reddit / Daniel_Laixer
Photo Credit: Reddit / Daniel_Laixer
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That is one well-worn trackpad. It's worn all the way down to the electronics inside.

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I'm not sure what I thought it would look like, but this was not it.

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The Past, Present, And Future

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the same hat worn over generations
Photo Credit: Reddit / TheSethsquatch
Photo Credit: Reddit / TheSethsquatch
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When you find something that you love, why not buy it over and over forever? Let's hope that they never discontinue that hat.

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Otherwise, what would this person do? Find a new hat?!

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It Looks Like A Giant Pop Tab

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piano with a worn down pedal
Photo Credit: Reddit / triatath
Photo Credit: Reddit / triatath
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This is the pedal of an old public piano that has obviously been enjoyed very much by all the people who have stopped to play it.

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I'm sure the people listening loved it as well.

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Nature Preservers Even If It Bends

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vents bending over trees
Photo Credit: Reddit / train_global
Photo Credit: Reddit / train_global
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These trees are growing strong, but not quite strong enough to resist the push of those vents.

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Eventually, over time, the trees began to bend and started to grow that way.

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There Are Some Superstitious People In This Town

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people walking around two poles because of superstition
Photo Credit: Reddit / one_finger_salute
Photo Credit: Reddit / one_finger_salute
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Looks like there are a lot of people in this town who believe it is bad luck to walk under two poles leaning like that.

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Thus, the well-worn path around it.

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That Pillowcase Is Made Of Tough Stuff

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pillowcase compared to one that hasn't been used
Photo Credit: Reddit / olives4me
Photo Credit: Reddit / olives4me
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These two pillowcases are from the same bed sheet set, but one of them has been used almost every day for 40 years.

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The other one had been tucked away in a closet, just waiting for its moment to shine.

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A Beautiful Memory To Hold Onto

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coin that's been worn down over 20 years
Photo Credit: Reddit / jbmn67
Photo Credit: Reddit / jbmn67
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This is a silver dollar that had been carried around in the pocket of this person's grandfather for over twenty years.

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It would feel really emotional to hold it, knowing that he did every day for so long.

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Think Of All The People Who Have Walked Past This Wall

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corner worn down by bags hitting it
Photo Credit: Reddit / bluntsoundz
Photo Credit: Reddit / bluntsoundz
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This wall is leading out of the train station.

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It had been walked by so many times with people knocking it with their bags that eventually, the bricks in the wall started to wear down.

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That's A Busy Fax Machine

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fa well worn fax machines
Photo Credit: Reddit / Farge43
Photo Credit: Reddit / Farge43
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This fax machine/printer is a busy place! So much paper had come out of this thing that the paper has started to carve out grooves in the tray.

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Let's hope it gets to retire soon.