The valuable life lessons I learned from strangers on Neopets

I learned quite a few valuable skills while glued to my glowing computer screen alone in my basement during the formative years of my adolescence

Neopets shaped the way many children grew up.
(Image credit: Images courtesy of Neopets)

I grew up as an only child, one whose parents were older. I was often left to my own devices for entertainment. Most often, this search for amusement resulted in something animal-related. When I was really young, I frequently converted our second-floor stairway to a hospital for stuffed animals. Then, as I got older, I grew bolder, politely asking (okay, obnoxiously begging) my parents for any and every living, breathing animal I could fathom.

Here's a quick list of the menagerie I convinced my poor parents we needed: four dogs, five cats, three hamsters. Borderline normal so far? Just wait. Chinchillas? Yup, two. Ducks? Had 'em. Of course there were a slew of short-lived fish and frogs. I even "rescued" a nest containing hundreds of caterpillars because I thought they were stuck in a spider web.

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Stephanie Talmadge

Stephanie is an editorial assistant at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Modern Luxury Media.