Things you found out about your parents that shocked you

[Cheery Lunatic]

My parents grew up in Africa during the whole de-colonization stuff, and they had some pretty crazy stories to share.
My dad (grew up in Kenya) had his friend nearly bludgeoned to death by some British cop, and he himself only narrowly escaped. His family's house got set on fire and his uncle lost an eye and half his face.
My mother (Tanzania) and her family had to hide underneath beds at night because of all the bullets flying overhead.

I find it a little ironic that I was more shocked by the fact that my father never finished college though.
I was also really surprised when I found out they both dyed their hair, considering they never let me relax or straighten my hair because I "should be thankful for what God gave me." (I call shenanigans)

 

[Idlemessiah]

I was shocked to find out my dad was a prefect at school. He really, really, doesn't seem to be the type. Also when he told me how many bones he's broken in motorbike accidents.

 

[DanielBrown]

Only heard depressing things concering my father, like how he was bipolar.
From my mom I've learned that she war fairly extreme in her youth. She's been both a punk rocker and a "proggare(Swedish term, kind of like hippies that listened to prog music and were into the artsy stuff)". Guess that's the reason she put up with my rebellious time. I was quite the handful.
Also found out just a few years ago that we apparently got Indian blood in us, due to my grandfather being the love child of an affair my great grandmother had with an Indian gypsy.

 

[Gitty101]

My parents have pretty much been open books all my life and nothing they have told me about them has surprised me. Either that, or they're so good at keeping secrets from me they do not wish me to learn...

Actually, I tell a lie. My Dad recently told me he had tinnitus from when some eejit fired off a live round next to his face during drill in his early military career. He kept quite about that for 20 years, not even my Mother knew until he said.

 

[johnnnny guitar]

Well I found out that my dad was depressed pretty much up until a year ago and while he was depressed my mother either cheated on him or was going to cheat on him that was a big shock

 

[Aesir23]

I would have to say that the thing that surprised me the most was finding out that my mother used to be a stoner. To meet her you would never think that she used to do that. Aside from that it's finding out that my Dad is half British and had a second sister who never survived infancy.

 

[EHKOS]

Finding out that the reason my father divorced my mother when I was 10 years old was because he came out of the closet as a homosexual. He tried to tell me why at the time but I was too young to understand. I'm 21 now, and have come to terms with it.

My Dad and I are very close, regardless.

Wow, same with me except besides being a homosexual, he was a deviant too. Devil-sex stuff.
Although I'm not close with mine. Not that I'm a homophobe just I don't really like his personality.

BUT YAY! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS HAPPENED TO!

 

[Section Crow]

The only thing that shocked me is that they met via a dating site which is shocking for me, cause i always thought dating sites never worked out for anyone.

Oh, and i have never met a single relative that i am related to through blood outside my family, this comes from the fact my mother was adopted and my dad comes from dark roots and cut contact with his family so i only know my mother's adopted parent's family.

Other than that, all boring.

 

[Murmillos]

They-had-sex!

 

[Bat Vader]

My mother got to party with the band Kiss. I was surprised when I found out about that.

 

[Muspelheim]

Well, I wasn't really shocked, but... Apparently, Ol' Dad may have been somehow involved in the Rote Armee Fraktion. That could explain a thing or two.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Well, there are lots of things I don't care to recount, but the one that immediately sprung to mind was that my Dad used to date my Aunt, and he cheated on her with my Mum, and this is how they got together. Pretty sad if you ask me, because I shouldn't even be here!

Wait, what?

So.. your dad left his girlfriend for her sister, then they had you?

Exactly, yeah.

A bit scummy right?

 

[Tautology]

Nothing shocking that I personally uncovered as I don't recall my childhood. I was told two things later by my grandmother.

My mother was a meth addict. She and her then boyfriend had a small meth lab in the garage. She's clean now last I heard.

The second was that my father is alive.

 

[Dragonclaw]

Finding out that my parents were swingers was quite the eye openner. I also have an older half-sister that I've never met and have been told never to reach out to becaue she still believes someone else to be her real dad...

...that wasn't NEARLY as traumatic as when I had to help clean my grandparents house after they passed and found my grandmother's wooden dildo...

 

[octafish]

My mother, who is a primary school/special education teacher and staunch union member, a soft socialist and egalitarian, who believes in social assistance, her favorite book is Atlas Shrugged. No, I don't get how that can be either.

 

[telocaster]

Well, there are lots of things I don't care to recount, but the one that immediately sprung to mind was that my Dad used to date my Aunt, and he cheated on her with my Mum, and this is how they got together. Pretty sad if you ask me, because I shouldn't even be here!

Out of curiosity, did this put some strain on your mother and your aunt's relationship?

OT: I found out that my dad was a huge stoner in college. He was apparently known for having a couple joints with him at all times

 

[tseroff]

Hmmm... my dad was on MTV when he opened for Oingo Boingo. My grandpa (who raised me), a short white dude, used to play basketball with a bunch of big black guys, some of which went pro. Since he was short, he was quite the scrapper and since he had a lot to prove, he fought a lot. It wasn't uncommon for him to beat up on dudes like twice his size too. My grandpa is badass

 

[JustShyofGenius]

My dad was court martialed from the navy for dealing drugs.

 

[Odinsson]

Finding out my grandma hadn't always been a fundamentalist Christian, and that it had happened less than 20 years ago. That was a big shock