Nate Wolfe, the former Ohio pastor, told me he hadn’t met “a single flat-Earther that hasn’t lost someone.” “There are some that have been completely disowned from their family. There are some whose best friends of 20, 30 years, 40 years won’t even talk to them,” he said.
Ah, the nostalgia of high school. The awkwardness, the crushes, the questionable fashion choices—who could forget? Among those memories, we often find a few characters that stand out. For me, it was Dani. She was the cool girl with the piercings I was too chicken to get, the one who introduced me to music my grandparents would’ve side-eyed at family dinners. We shared classes, lunch tables, and a few wild parties. Fast forward to today, and I’m scrolling through her Facebook page, only to find out she’s transformed into… well, let’s just say she’s gone off the deep end.
I mean, how does someone go from being the edgy, boundary-pushing friend to a full-blown MAGA enthusiast who thinks the moon landing was staged? It’s like she took a wrong turn at Albuquerque and ended up in Crazy Town. Now don’t get me wrong; I’m all for personal growth and change. But when that change involves shouting about how vaccines cause autism and espousing flat earth theories, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow.
As I sat there, staring at my screen, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. The Dani I once admired has seemingly been replaced by someone who has an affinity for conspiracy theories and a dislike for science. I mean, what happened to the girl who was so into music and pop culture? Did she get abducted by aliens? Or was it just a long, slow descent into the rabbit hole of misinformation?
It’s fascinating and a bit terrifying how social media can be a reflection of someone’s evolution—or devolution, in this case. I remember the days when we used to bond over our mutual love for pop-punk bands and binge-watching shows that were definitely not approved by our parents. Now, it looks like she’s binge-watching something much darker, like the YouTube rabbit hole of anti-vaccine propaganda and flat earth documentaries.
I often wonder what could have influenced this drastic shift. Did she stumble upon a particularly persuasive meme? Was there a life event that sent her spiraling into the arms of conspiracy theorists? Or maybe she just really misses those good old days of being a rebellious teen and decided that rejecting basic science was the best way to reclaim that spirit.
It’s disheartening to see someone you once admired turn into a caricature of the worst kinds of beliefs. It’s like watching a beloved sitcom character jump the shark. You just want to scream, “No! Not you too!” But here we are, living in a world where the flat earth theory is a thing, and I can’t help but feel a bit lost.
So, what’s the takeaway from this? Well, for starters, it’s a reminder that people can change—sometimes for the better, but sometimes for the worse. And while I’m all for personal growth, I’d prefer it didn’t involve a descent into the realms of pseudoscience and political extremism.
In the end, I guess all we can do is hope that Dani finds her way back to a more rational mindset. I mean, if she can recommend some great bands back in the day, surely she can rediscover the wonders of science and reason, right? Until then, I’ll just keep cooking my intense bacon and eggs breakfast, smiling at the memories, and shaking my head at the absurdity of it all. Because who knew that one day, I’d be reminiscing about the cool girl from high school who turned into a mean flat earther? Life truly is a wild ride.
Inspired by: “Old friend is a mean flat earther now” (r/GirlDinnerDiaries)