'AITA for not corroborating my cousin's story of a seemingly paranormal experience we had as kids?'
"AITA for not corroborating my cousin's story of a seemingly paranormal experience we had as kids?"
Hi, I wanted to get others opinion on this. When I was young, my cousins and I would often spend a couple of weeks at my grandparents. I'm not saying I think something paranormal happened of course.
But one night one of my cousins and I were up on the roof in the storage area playing, and we heard laughter and sheets rustling in a windowless room. We obviously ran crying and went to the room we were sleeping in. We hadn't told anyone because I think we weren't allowed to be on the roof that late.
Since then years (decades really) have passed, both my grandparents have passed, all of my cousins and I have moved elsewhere. We were all there until Wednesday because my aunt had passed away last weekend, and stayed over.
Tuesday night after years we were again on the roof during sunset. My cousin just pointed to the storage area and just said remember what happened? She told my wife and her mom, and my mom, and her brother about what had happened that night. I said it was the neighbors that probably made some noise if that's the case, but I don't remember.
She got defensive and said no it wasn't, I said we were kids then I don't remember what happened but logically if thats what happened it was probably something else we heard.
While we still on the roof when I talked to her about something else she was cold with me and said I made her look crazy in front of everyone. I stuck to what I said but really if I'd agreed, I'd have been the one sounding crazy. AITA?
Here’s what people had to say to OP:
YTA because you remember the incident. Doesn't matter if you've matured into a skeptic. You lied and said you didn't remember. So instead of looking like a nut, you look like a liar.
YTA. You lied about it. You could have corroborated the story and said now looking back you believe their must have been a logical explanation. But to just lie about it definitely makes YTA.
Yup. Prioritizing your pride almost always backfires in the end. Laugh at yourself- you were a kid, kids think irrational things. “Oh yeah, we were so scared! It was probably neighbors or a raccoon, but man I was convinced it was a ghost for years!” No one would think less of you. But now someone IS embarrassed when it could have just been a fun memory, and you come off looking much worse.
I am confused. Do you remember it or not? It seems you do but you denied it. It might have been best to have admitted it and thereafter kind of shrugged it off. Since you were kids then no one would have thought you were crazy.
They themselves would have speculated about it. Instead, you embarrassed your cousin so that you wouldn't look embarrassed. Kind of an AH thing to do. YTA based on your replies.
YTA for lying and saying you don't remember. You could just as easily have said that you remember but as an adult you think it probably had a logical explanation if that's what you now believe.
YTA. You threw your cousin under the bus because you were afraid of being “the one sounding crazy.” You lied and said you didn’t remember, even though both of you as children apparently ran crying to the room you shared.
Would it have been so difficult to say something like, “Yeah, we were scared spitless then, but I think we’d handle it a little better now, right, cousin?” You’d have affirmed her memory without saying that you no longer believe in such things and given her a graceful exit to avoid ridicule.
YTA. I firmly do not believe in ghosts etc. and I laugh at every single ghost hunting type show. Everyone knows I flat out think it's bs. But if you think I would be an awful enough of a person to lie about something that I absolutely remember happening as a kid, just to save face, you'd be wrong. Lying is gross. Being selfish and mean is, too. YTA to at least the power of three.
YTA because you lied. You could have said you remembered it and in hindsight, think it was probably X. Instead you made it sound like she made it up. Kind of cowardly, IMO.
I’d hate to have a cousin like you, you’re a despicable liar and probably have more problems than just being a disgusting liar. YTA majorly I feel bad for your family you need to apologize and tell them that you’re sorry for being such a stuck up lying disgrace.
Obviously YTA- If you remember the event and lied about it because you were afraid of your image , yeah that was a seriously an AH move. You could have easily said, “Yeah that was crazy! We were so scared!But we were kids. It could have been the neighbors for all we know” and shrugged it off.
You don’t have to agree that what you heard was paranormal, but if you remember what happened and you remember how you reacted to it as a kid, it was awful of you to lie about it and leave her out there hanging.
YTA. As a young child, thats what happened. You both were scared and ran away crying. You could have agreed with her because the story is true. At the time, you thought it was some paranormal activity. Then you could have added, now as an adult, you realized it was most likely the neighbor kids.
YTA because you remember what she's talking about and wouldn't corroborate the incident. Saying "i remember hearing it and being scared! in retrospect I think it was the neighbour, but who knows! was totally creepy at the time you are right!" You had a real experience that was scary? you are allowed to not know what it was that frightened you. Why are you so afraid to admit that?
YTA : you remembered it happened and lied about it to leave your cousin in the dirt and 'not look weird.' There were a thousand other ways to 'not look weird' like saying you remember (so, the truth) and that with the distance and time you realized it probably was [insert whatever your rational mind offers you as a reason] and this way, you wouldn't have been an AH liar.