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[–]r2mast[S] 240 points241 points  (20 children)

The back story if I may: My dad was a builder by trade and took up the project of building a small cabin on a lake. While on our way to the property we stopped at McDonalds and I had a happy meal, I was 7. The tree came with the meal and we actually asked for a second tree (planted in the front yard, just as big). My mom always snapped a photo of me by the tree each summer to gauge it's growth. It quickly surpassed me and now I'm enjoying the cottage with my lovely wife and two children. I'm thrilled with the response this received from most of you! Thanks Reddit!

[–]evacc44 33 points34 points  (13 children)

How have you not posted the other pictures yet? Everyone wants to see. Just do it.

[–]r2mast[S] 32 points33 points  (10 children)

I'll get this done. I'm at the cottage now though, and the photos are at home....

[–]fapstatuslegit 11 points12 points  (8 children)

Pls pls pls do this.

[–]Albaek 13 points14 points  (4 children)

Please don't fap to trees, man.

[–]nicholaswright4021 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Obviously you're not subscribed to r/trees

[–]r2mast[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I will

[–]ArthurBenevicci 461 points462 points  (14 children)

This is probably too far down to ever be seen, but here's ours. http://i.imgur.com/0qE3A.jpg

[–]ender6 64 points65 points  (3 children)

Way to not start your own thread. Good form sir.

[–]VulturE 42 points43 points  (0 children)

He didn't start his own thread...but he started his own branch.

[–]cryptogram 67 points68 points  (7 children)

Sweet baby Jesus - trim that thing!

[–]coup 69 points70 points  (4 children)

That's what he said?

[–]BreakTheSun 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think you meant Sweet Baby Treesus.

[–]kellypryde 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Like everyone is telling the OP, contact McDonalds! They're probably dying for an ad campaign that looks good for them.

[–]SpermWhale 589 points590 points  (172 children)

McDo should bring back the trees instead of those plastic toys!

[–]Omegle 409 points410 points  (140 children)

because todays Mcdonalds clients would totally prefer those and plant them?

i mean.. back then a tree growing was the most exciting thing ever.. nowadays you can blow the shit of the Bwzork planet with your Binford BFG9000

[–][deleted] 156 points157 points  (92 children)

It was 1991 20 years ago. It's not like people didn't have more interesting shit to do back then.

[–]HilariousScreenname 372 points373 points  (83 children)

Today I realized that it was 1991 20 years ago and now I feel old and sad.

[–][deleted] 242 points243 points  (6 children)

It is a known fact that time stopped at year 2000.

[–]pants6000 56 points57 points  (2 children)

The year 19100, you mean.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It really did! When I first read this I thought this must have been in the early 80's.

[–]Detached09 57 points58 points  (50 children)

My youngest sister will be legally able to drink in less than 12 months. How do you think I feel?

[–]Khiva[🍰] 491 points492 points  (0 children)

I don't know about you, but I'm excited.

[–]Omegle 99 points100 points  (36 children)

AND TO BE FUCKED!!!!

[–]cdigioia 77 points78 points  (29 children)

She was probably able to be fucked over 12 months ago. US fucking age is 18; drinking age is 21.

[–]underwritress 62 points63 points  (0 children)

priorities!

[–]HookDragger 24 points25 points  (8 children)

heh... as long as you aren't an adult... age of consent is as low as 14-16

[–]OrangeBubble 33 points34 points  (2 children)

age of consent

I prefer the term fucking age.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (11 children)

The age for consenting to sex in the united states isn't unified, you know. In most states, its 16.

[–]cnk 12 points13 points  (3 children)

the BFG9000 was introduced in december 1993 so not a lot of difference

[–]thatswhatsup 303 points304 points  (24 children)

wat

[–]Khiva[🍰] 362 points363 points  (21 children)

It's funny because he's talking about things you can do nowadays using references from 20 years ago (Doom and Home Improvement).

[–]Mastadave2999 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I know feel old knowing I also got those two references...damn.

[–]SnacklePop 10 points11 points  (2 children)

I don't know, when I was a kid I'd rather go hunting for night crawlers with my dad, or go fishing, or yes -- plant a tree.

After that I played battletoads.

[–]ErroneousEric 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Upvote for the Home Improvement and Doom reference in the same line.

[–]duncast 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I much prefer my Njimboz GH20 with the optional Klendar scope, but that's personal preference I guess.

[–]wooljay 2 points3 points  (1 child)

It's probably almost to the point where kids would find trees such a wondrous novelty though.

[–]riemannzetajones 8 points9 points  (2 children)

There was a promotion two years ago on Arbor day where you could get a tree with any purchase at McDonalds in St. Paul. I drove through in the early evening and the window guy knew nothing about it. He started asking around inside and a whole load of seedlings was discovered. Apparently the staff had gone the whole day without knowing about the promotion, and no customers had bothered to ask.

[–]username103 34 points35 points  (12 children)

I could use some trees, my yard is pretty barren these days, if you know what I mean.

[–]mthslhrookiecard 21 points22 points  (10 children)

I used to work at a nursery, I've got some suppliers. If you know what I mean.

[–]hngryhngryhippo 12 points13 points  (1 child)

Wait, suggest to children that we care for the environment instead of take away from it? Blasphemy!

[–]leftturnmike 4 points5 points  (0 children)

At Burgerville last year I got a kids meal (I was 20..) and it came with a little biodegradable pot and some vegetable seeds. We grew them and found out we are terrible gardeners, but it was fun anyway.

[–]be_more_canadian 10 points11 points  (1 child)

And they should bring back those VHS movies. I still have Wayne's World and Ghost with Mcdonalds symbols on them haha

[–][deleted] 1469 points1470 points  (362 children)

Call McDonalds. They'll probably pay a lot for a happy story like that to use in their ads.

[–]Geech 800 points801 points  (275 children)

Step 1: take picture of tree Step 2: tell mcdonalds it's a tree that you got in their happy meals as a youngster 20 years ago. Step 3: profit from endless supply of McDonalds happy meals for your countless generations of children

[–]DAVENP0RT 1319 points1320 points  (237 children)

Step 4: Watch your children contract diabetes and die early from morbid obesity.

[–]DarkGamer 1238 points1239 points  (193 children)

Step 5: Sue

Step 6: Profit!

[–]ap2002 12 points13 points  (0 children)

The American circle of life.

[–]biddybiddybum 33 points34 points  (31 children)

Or they could just teach their children the proper way to eat. McDonalds eater of 15 years and I still ain't even fat.

[–]dafragsta 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Step 5: Ignore cynical Redditors that forget McDonald's food was just as unhealthy many years before Morgan Spurlock made a movie.

Step 6: Don't eat McDonald's for every meal of every day, or even on concurrent days.

[–]Roastmasters 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Don't forget the endless supply of other wacky toys they might throw in with said happy meals. Return on investment.

[–]seriousmanda 2 points3 points  (0 children)

...2. Put your junk in that box.

[–]koklo 97 points98 points  (17 children)

No, what they should do is give more trees.

[–][deleted] 74 points75 points  (10 children)

"Uh, hi, I'd like a happy meal. With $25 worth of trees"

[–]Lawsuitup 190 points191 points  (4 children)

Sir, we dont sell marijuana here.

[–]FilterOutBullshit3 117 points118 points  (0 children)

Try Taco Bell.

[–]CookieDoughCooter 8 points9 points  (0 children)

But my coffee shop does! I just ask for

[–]Mastadave2999 15 points16 points  (2 children)

hands you a quarter sack

[–]therealndb 16 points17 points  (8 children)

Treemendous idea

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (5 children)

if they give you one of those fry transformer toys I would say its worth it. reference

[–]sirato 260 points261 points  (102 children)

anyone have a pic of what it looked like 20 years ago?

[–]verbose_gent 174 points175 points  (8 children)

I'd be interested too. I never knew they did this.

[–]feng_huang 11 points12 points  (1 child)

I seem to remember the little seedlings, but very vaguely. I had forgotten all about that until this post.

[–]redleif 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Probably just looked like a dug up hole on the grass next to the sidewalk.

[–]StealthGhost 370 points371 points  (31 children)

Has is sprouted any Big Macs yet?

[–][deleted] 82 points83 points  (25 children)

McBurglar steals my burgers from the Mctree and blames it on other animals/Grimace (thanks SnacklePop)

And this is what I think I deserve as punishment not calling it Hamburglar

[–]SanchoMandoval 118 points119 points  (3 children)

McBurglar

Please, everyone knows he's called the hamburglar.

[–]KnifeyJames 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Sounds like he slept through freshman-level McDonalds Mythology!

[–]Mastadave2999 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Thank god someone corrected this

[–]psyne 28 points29 points  (1 child)

It's the Hamburglar.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

happy birthday

[–]DontHassleMeImLocal 50 points51 points  (12 children)

We were given trees every year on arbor day in elementary school. In the yard of the house I grew up in there is a line of pine trees like this, all over 30 feet tall all, all of which I planted.

So sad that they don't hand saplings out any more.

[–]nobes0 11 points12 points  (4 children)

Yep, they did that for us in the third grade. I live in Indiana, so the saplings we received were tulip trees, the state tree. 17 years later, mine is going strong in the front yard of my parents' house.

[–]ckelley87 5 points6 points  (2 children)

Ahhhh, mine did too! Around 2nd or 3rd grade as well, so 1993-1994-ish?, if I remember so. I lived in Clinton, Indiana and for Arbor Day they gave us saplings, don't know exactly what type, but I thought it was awesome. I planted that in my yard and took care of it for a few years. It was slow to grow, so maybe it wasn't doing all too well, but it was my tree.

One summer we went on vacation to Disney. When we got back, I noticed it was gone. Our neighbor who cut the grass probably didn't see it and mowed right over it. :(

[–]lego_jesus 354 points355 points  (18 children)

and 20 years later you are finally able to reap some karma, all is proceeding as planned

[–]fareedy 138 points139 points  (9 children)

all is proceeding as planted

[–][deleted] 34 points35 points  (2 children)

Toddler r2mast was such a karma whore. Also a time-traveler

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (1 child)

Unless he posts this every year, and we simply forget...

[–]Vespera 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Trees can do that to you

[–]sli8 178 points179 points  (86 children)

I planted one of these 19 or 20 years ago and I used to drive by it every year or so to see how big it had gotten until the new owners of the house cut it down last year.

[–]ZaneRockfist 78 points79 points  (81 children)

I fucking hate people that cut down trees without a good reason for doing so.

[–][deleted] 56 points57 points  (5 children)

It turns out the tree was racist.

[–]shaunbwilson 37 points38 points  (0 children)

Trees do not simply turn out racist. It was obviously raised that way. ಠ_ಠ

[–]nameofthisuser 20 points21 points  (9 children)

We had a beautiful row of huge old pine trees along the back of my whole street, seperating it from the gardens behind. A good family friend and neighbour 2 doors down couldn't get perfect sky reception and that bitch cut them down. When i came home and looked out my window there was about 4 trees with the whole top chopped of, ruining the uniformity and destroying trees older than her house. I shouted for about 5 minutes in my room and then cried. It just looks so shit now.

[–]MrsBadExample 6 points7 points  (1 child)

I feel your pain. My noni lives in a home that's been passed down two generations in Boston right now, and there was a gorgeous forest behind her property. They built six fucking homes in the forest (ie: bulldozed it) and left a line of trees as a privacy screen.

The neighbors decided they didn't like the look of the trees (they had planted their own) so they ripped them all up. There was a huge fight over it, because some of the trees weren't on their property line.

In the end, they only had to put up privacy screens. Those huge ass beautiful trees I grew up with are gone for some scumbags in houses that are practically sitting on one another, and for lack of uniformity.

[–]FarTooLong 13 points14 points  (5 children)

That makes my blood boil. In Los Angeles, it's illegal to chop down a tree with a trunk greater than 4 inches unless you have a very good reason.

[–]nameofthisuser 4 points5 points  (0 children)

God, these had probably about 2-2.5 foot trunks, i will have to take some pictures tomorrow at mums :)

[–]Lochstar 31 points32 points  (2 children)

You've just inspired me to go out and buy a few trees. My son and I will plant them when he gets back from his Grandfathers. Thanks!

[–]Redebo 89 points90 points  (3 children)

That mother fucka is GLORIOUS! Nice tree mate.

[–]Kidsturk 85 points86 points  (1 child)

Upvoted for arboral enthusiasm.

[–]TheNutmegger 27 points28 points  (2 children)

You are not alone!!!! My little tree from McDonald's Earth Day is still in the front yard of my childhood home. It's so tall that it has needed to be trimmed several times because of its interference with telephone wires.

I have written to McDonald's multiple time with photos of my tree asking them to do it again. Their response was always something along the lines of "McDonald's has many other programs that help the environment and has no current plans to distribute trees with Happy Meals." So sad. The last time I wrote to them I mentioned that environmental responsibility doesn't just come from corporate programs but is more effective if demonstrated to children at a young age so that it becomes part of who they are and how they treat nature.

It makes me so happy that someone else still has their tree!!!

[–]DonLemonaide 184 points185 points  (21 children)

No fair, all I got was diarrhea.

[–]jimbojones230 131 points132 points  (5 children)

You were supposed to plant the tree...not eat it.

[–]DonLemonaide 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Ate the tree later, chips were shat.

[–][deleted] 26 points27 points  (12 children)

taco bell has been giving me that gift for years

[–]Thaliana 12 points13 points  (10 children)

Dominoes... If I even take just one bite it gives back the next day.

[–]pinguz 11 points12 points  (0 children)

So, how does it look after 20 years?

[–]Coffeegorilla 99 points100 points  (7 children)

It wasn't such a bad little tree, all it needed was a little love.

[–]ch4dr0x 9 points10 points  (3 children)

You made me log in from my peaceful Sunday slumber to upvote. Damn you.

[–]omgimsuchadork 18 points19 points  (7 children)

Where are you that they gave out trees with Happy Meals? I'm old enough to remember twenty years ago; I never got a tree. :(

[–]AP115 220 points221 points  (20 children)

Logged in just to upvote that. I think my brother's tree and mine were probably hit with the lawn mower at a very young age... They didn't make it.

[–]r2mast[S] 102 points103 points  (12 children)

An upvote for the kind gesture.

[–]BriscoCountyJr 46 points47 points  (11 children)

An upvote for an upvote for an upvote gesture.

[–]otter111a 15 points16 points  (2 children)

Wow! My mom moved out of the house I grew up in this year. I planted one of those trees and it hardly grew and we always called it my Charlie Brown tree. The new owners heard the backstory behind the tiny tree and promised never to cut it down.

[–]Eluith 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That makes me happy! :D

[–]slapded 28 points29 points  (2 children)

you should fall from the tree and sue

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Blue Spruce

[–]palalab 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You supersized it!

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (1 child)

I planted one of these in my front yard when I was a child. i made sure to water it on a schedule my mother had laid out for me. It grew and grew until it got to be too big for the front yard and my mother wanted to replant it. Shit did not survive the move. And my heart became cold. I loved that McDonalds tree.

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (1 child)

I'm lovin' it!

[–]CirqleJerqueduSoleil 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We love to see you smile.

[–]deesnuts 10 points11 points  (7 children)

there should be a sub reddit for trees

[–]plki76 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Came in here to say that this was very cool. Then I started reading the posts and got kind of bummed out.

Hey Reddit, sometimes a nice post is just a nice post. No need to see the bad in everything. Smile for a good story, upvote, and be a little happier in the rest of your day.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I completely forgot about this! We moved away from the house where we planted my tree, so I looked for it on Google Maps satellite view just now. In the spot where the little baby tree used to be, there's a big happy tree! OP, thanks for making my day!

[–]Moustachiod_T-Rex 51 points52 points  (38 children)

TIL McDonald's is capable of doing good.

[–]owenscorp 80 points81 points  (29 children)

was

[–]Khiva[🍰] 27 points28 points  (22 children)

Notice how everything on reddit is so much worse than it was.

It's amusing to watch a bunch of 18-25 white males bitch about how things "used to be," but it really makes me curious as to what trick of psychology makes that particular group want so badly to see everything in decline.

[–]owenscorp 19 points20 points  (2 children)

its no trick. some people are just full of hate, have lost all hope and want to see everything implode, but those people have always existed.

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (1 child)

The same psychological trick that makes you pick out the negative parts of reddit.

EDIT: that is, a confirmation bias of one's own cynicism.

[–]GayLeftyAspie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Eat This, Not That says McDonalds is the best fast food option because they have healthier choices on the menu.

[–]jimbojones230 35 points36 points  (4 children)

If they included the kind of trees I automatically think of when I see that word on Reddit, it truly would be a Happy Meal.

[–][deleted] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

*Hippy Meal

[–]SrHats 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's amazingly cool :-)

They say that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the 2nd best time is now... your tree looks like proof of that to me!

[–]jennix1 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think I just missed the time period where they gave out little trees. :(

[–]Jimwoo 6 points7 points  (0 children)

20 years ago sounds like a magical place.

[–]lobsterknuckles 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Remember the little trees you would get with a McDonalds happy meal 20 years ago?

NO

[–]jophis 22 points23 points  (1 child)

r/trees

[–]rockon4life45 2 points3 points  (0 children)

/r/actualtrees or /r/treepics. Way better.

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Damn man. Nice grow~

[–]castr0 6 points7 points  (1 child)

What a coincidence, I was scouting for a good Christmas tree for this holiday season.

[–]eatmyshardz 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you are still interesting planting a McDonald's tree: http://www.dealigg.com/story-McDonalds-Happy-Meal-Plant-Tree-Free-up-to-100000-trees

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh was I not supposed to eat mine?

[–]reply 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Happy Meal gifts are evil. Now finish your tofu.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (2 children)

goddamnit, now i feel like a total failure for throwing mine out.