When i was very young i was a little scared of clowns (exposure to Stephen King's 'It' at a young age probably didn't help!) Anyway, one time my dad took me to McDonalds and unbeknown there was a guy entertaining kids dressed as Ronald McDonald. I was happily munching my food when i saw this scary-ass clown running towards me and he loomed down on me to pick me up. Convinced i was about to meet my maker i started to scream and cry and french fries went everywhere. there are photos(!!) of this incident ...I hate clowns.

Sarah, England

I used to believe that clowns didn't have voices and couldn't talk. I also didn't realize that they weren't born clowns. I wanted so badly to have a clown as a pet. He could live in the garage and we would communicate through sign language.

CRG

When I was little, I found a jock strap lying around our family room. My two older brothers told me that it was a gas mask, so I put on my head to see if it worked. They told me that there was a part missing in the front - that's why it didn't work.

Kate M.

My brother kindly told me that I was so ugly my parents had to pay people to act behind 'mirrors' everywhere I went so that I would have a normal life and not know that I was hideously ugly. He also told me this was why our family was poor.

s'ster

I was terrified to get my ears pierced for a long time--they said they used a gun to do it. My only knowledge of a gun was the kind that kills people. So I thought they would stand you up against a wall and aim. I didn't think the odds of them actually getting my ears were very good so it was a long time before I got them done.

Peapod

i used to dress up like a ninja and hide in trees and watch people walk by, thinking they couldn't see me. but in retrospect, i'm certain they could see me perfectly clear and probably wondered what the geek dressed up like a ninja is doing in that tree.

todd

My parents always used to tell me that you had to wear clean underwear everyday in case you were in a car accident. I grew up thinking that my underwear could stop traffic

Anon

I used to think that women's handbags were hambags and every women went around carrying ham, for a reason I never questioned.

MR.T.Sanders

I thought cologne would make me smell better when I drank it. After having my stomach pumped I was told otherwise.

Doofus

When I was little, I really liked the way mustaches and beards looked and planned to grow my own someday. I changed my mind after discovering that facial hair on women is not deemed desirable in the western world.

Anon