What misconceptions have you carried a long time, and found out later?

I'm 64 and my 94 year old Mother lives with my husband and me. I just found out a couple of weeks ago that my Grandmother's name was Sadie. I always thought that her name was Sarah and Sadie was a nick name. My Grandmother died when she was 94 and she lived the last 5 years of her life with me. I know I signed her into doctor's offices as Sarah and to the hospital twice and no one ever corrected me. I still can't believe it. I saw my Mom's birth certificate and the name of her Mom said Sadie and I said to my Mom, how funny that they would use her nick name on a legal document instead of her real name Sarah and then my Mom said no, her real name was Sadie. Who knew?

For most of my life--until about five years ago--I laughed, openly or secretly, at anyone who said they believed in flying saucers. And even though I still haven't seen one myself, I'm now convinced there's an overwhelming amount of reliable evidence that they are very real. And I'm very chagrined about the things I used to say to people who understood this subject better than I did.

The only problem I have now is that as soon as I admit to believing in UFOs, people assume this means I also believe in ghosts, poltergeists, demons, leprechauns, bleeding or weeping statues, the Bermuda Triangle, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Obama's secret birth certificate, and the Loch Ness monster. All of which I still regard as hogwash.

That I had a birth certificate in the Register of Deeds until I went to get a copy when I got married, and they did not even know I existed. Luckily, the lady who worked there had known me all the years I was growing up, and just filled one in for me. I was born at home as were the rest of my siblings. Seems weird.

I was in my 40's when I needed to send for a copy of my birth certificate. The date of my birth was a day earlier than I have always been told. SHOCK !! Mom said the doctor made a mistake when signing and it was never changed.

Now I am forced to put the incorrect date on all my data.

I lived 50 yrs. believing gov had our best interest and heart and that corruption was at a minimum. I could have been convinced of the truth during the Nixon admin but I thought he was the exception. Now I know both parties tell us what they think we want to hear to get elected then make their decisions based on the campaign contributions. That's quite corrupt.

We have the best gov money can buy and it's failing us at the grass roots level.

Today's definition of a good politician = when they are bought, they stay bought.

Oh, I just love the one that had me believing the sun & the moon could never share the same sky & be seen together. Whenever I look into a morning or early afternoon sky & see both the Sun & the Moon - I laugh at the silly things I learned in grade school!

What misconceptions have you carried a long time, and found out later?

Religions.

I had read and enjoyed Jane Eyre for many years before I realized (through watching one of the many versions) that St. John was pronounced Sinjen. But pronounced either way, he was an arrogant jerk. LOL.

I always thought my mother was christened Elizabeth.

When she died I found her Birth Certificate and her `Given name' was Lizzie.

I guess she preferred Elizabeth.

I spent most of my life thinking cats should drink(cows) milk, only to find out that most cats are lactose intolerant and shouldn't drink it. Water is good enough.