
The people in our lives can have a pretty big impact on us, but sometimes it's the strangers we only meet once who make the biggest difference.
It's those strangers, and our interactions with them, that we remember for the rest of our lives
Reddit user u/mahaslays asked:
"Who's one stranger you will always remember?"
After a series of bad choices I found myself barefoot, without my purse, and lost in a city I didn't know. I sat in front of a gas station for awhile and the cops were called. I begged for help, to use a phone to call someone, anything. After 20 minutes of back and forth cop 1 called me a whore and cop 2 just shook his head and got in his car. Given the area, yeah I fit the bill.
A cab driver had been parked near me and had been in the car while this exchange was going on. He stepped out shortly after the cops left and sat a few feet away. He offered his cell phone and said he would drive me home at no cost. I called a family member that hung up shortly into my call asking for help. I chose to trust him, to get in that cab, and give him my address. It went against everything I've EVER known but ultimately he got me home safe. His name was Mustafa (he made a joke about being older than the Lion King). He said to me "You will someday find someone who will treat you like a Queen but you must think of yourself as a Queen first". It was one of the nicest things someone has done for me. I tried giving him money when I got through my front window (again, no purse) and he said it was okay..that he needed to be on this side of town..25 miles away.
When i was a kid we had to go around the neighbourhood and ask people to sponsor us for a charity something at school. When we ringed the doorbell, we could look into the hallway. There was a man covered in bandages and blood from head to toe, screaming at is. I never ran that hard again in my life. And I'll never forget the image.
Wife and I took our honeymoon to Disney World 13 years ago. We were young, dumb, and broke.
Rather than have an expensive wedding, our parents helped pay for the honeymoon.
Leaving EPCOT one night, we got to ride at the front of the monorail. In the car with us were some man and his young daughter.
My wife and I were wearing our chintzy Mickey and Minnie honeymoon ears. The man asked us how long we had been married. We told him only a few days. He said congratulations, reached into his jacket and pulled out his wallet, and gave us a $100 bill.
I tried to refuse, but he said it was ok. "I own a couple of banks."
It likely didn't make much of a difference to him, but to us, it meant that we got to eat at an amazing restaurant for dinner on our last night there.
I remember when I was like 4-6 I was walking with my dad through a very crowded street and I looked at a kinda normal man (mustache and brown jacket) and thinking I'll remember him. He didn't even look at me or seemed creepy, he was just walking.
15 later I still remember the mustache man.
My wife and I were on our late honeymoon in Saint Croix. There was an old hippie couple at the lounge at our resort and we spent an evening with them. The husband played the trumpet and the wife played the guitar. They played a song called "Mr. RV." and it was so good I asked them to play it twice. It was about an old man driving an RV who was inadvertently delaying traffic. I don't remember the song anymore. But I'll always remember those two. Really nice people.
When my grandmother (who had cancer) was having a dangerous procedure done, my mom and I were in the waiting room and this older man looked at us and told us everything would be alright and quoted some scripture. My mom swears that she immediately felt at peace when he said that. Once the procedure was done, we realized we had forgotten a blanket in there and went back to get it. The man had it draped around him and was asleep so we just left it with him. We saw him several times after that in different areas of the hospital. It was very strange because he told us he wasn't there for anyone. A few days before my grandmother died, she kept describing a man sitting in the room with her. She described him exactly like how this man looked.
I was at a local burger joint in my home town about a decade ago when I was 16 or 17 years old. It was around lunch time on a Saturday and the place was super busy. It was a five guys type ordering system so after placing my order I found went stand towards the back of the restaurant to wait for my number to be called. All the tables were full except one table with a single old black man sitting there. He was eating so nobody joined him, but he waved me over to sit down. He proceeding to talk to me for damn near 45 minutes in between bites as I waited for my food. He gave me all kinds of unsolicited advice on life and love and just about anything. Things that I still carry with me to this day. About 5 years late my mom dragged me to church with her one weekend I was home, and I saw him walking down an aisle through a very crowded conjugation, he winked at me. No way in hell he could have recognized me after all those years, going from 17-22ish I looked totally different. I couldn't find him after church and never saw him again. I'm half convinced he was an angel don't @ me
The nice lady I met on the Amtrak from Klamath Falls who found out I was into collecting coins and shipped me her entire collection. Thank you, Connie! It's been over 30 years and I still have those coins.
My husband & I were on vacation in Banff celebrating our second wedding anniversary when we were caught in an avalanche on a mountain road. Our car was completely buried and we made the decision to get out of the car through the window (we had no food or supplies and had no idea if we'd suffocate or how long it would take to be dug out). We started running and more avalanches started to fall down but thankfully we outran them. Finally when we got to a safer area, a park warden and two cars drove up. In one car was a father & daughter who lived locally. They had been ice climbing in the area when the road closed so they had to stay with the warden until he could escort them back to another city. The man saw how traumatized and upset I was and immediately opened a bottle of tea and gave me some and asked if I was ok. The warden left us all for a while as another warden was stuck and needed help so we stayed in their car for around 2 hours.
They were SO NICE. They kept offering us food & drinks. But mostly, they really just helped us get our minds off the fact we had just been in a very scary situation (and were potentially still) and were in a bad situation as our car was buried, the road was closed so we couldn't go back to our hotel, we didn't have any stuff, etc. We talked about a lot of different things in the span of two hours and really, it was just comforting to be with other people and it was cool to get to know some locals. Crazy to think how strangers can just be thrown together like that. I know they had to miss work & school the next day due to the avalanches. I hope they have many more safe ice climbing adventures!
This was several years ago. I was in a horrible place in my life. Within a 6 month time frame my dad died, my grandma died, my sister had a massive stroke, I got shingles (I was 31) and I found out I had the onset of the same heart condition my father passed away from. I was very depressed and it was a struggle just to get up most days and take care of my family. I had taken the day off work, dropped my daughter off at school and was just sitting in a coffee house. This older woman came up to me and just hugged me for a few minutes. I totally lost it, I ugly cried while this complete stranger held me and patted my back like I was a child. Once I calmed down it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I guess she could just sense that I just needed a shoulder to cry on. I thanked her and she looked at me and told me to keep my head up, that things would work out and get better. She left the coffee shop and I've never seen her again.
still have the heart problem, but it hasn't progressed since my diagnosis. My sister has regained some of her mobility and is doing surprisingly well. So I guess she wasn't wrong.
A couple of years ago, I was standing in line at the grocery store, minding my own business, waiting to check out. I notice the lady in front of me (older woman, maybe 50s, I was 21 at the time) is buying a cake. She put it on the belt and when she did she kind of looked at me looking at the cake and I cracked a joke, something like "man that looks good!" She laughed a bit and told me it was her sons birthday.. After I acknowledged that, she then shared with me that he would have been about my age.. he had passed away. She told me every year she has a piece of cake on his birthday just to celebrate. She began to tear up and cry, admittedly I kind of did too. She asked for a hug, which I agreed to. A very random interaction that was deeply filled with emotions.. I will never forget that.
I was at a bad point in my life. I barely had any money and no set home. All I had was one duffel bag full of my clothes and a small backpack. I moved around to different states sleeping on friends couches. This went on for almost a year. I was going to fly out on my next destination and they would not let me bring my duffle bag as a carry on. I went back to the check in area. I had no money to check it in and they wouldn't do it for free. At the moment I was quickly taking out what clothes I could fit in my backpack and just toss the rest of my clothes before I was late for my flight. (This was all going on in at the check in) Then a random stranger puts $35 on the counter and walks away. Didn't catch how he looked but I will always remember his kind act.
Years ago I was married to an abusive addict. I went to the bank and opened a separate account trying to prepare a way out. I asked a lot of questions about whether my husband would see it online or any mail would come to the house, etc. The bank rep helping me figured out what my questions meant. She wrote down her first name and personal phone number and gave it to me. She said if I ever needed a place to hide all I had to do was call. With no connections between us he would not be able to find me. I never called her, but her number is still in my phone, only because when I see it, it makes me smile to know that a stranger cared and was willing to help, and also as a reminder of how free I am now. I wish she knew how much that meant to me.
i was moving out of a terrible living situation and had to pay rent for two places during a single month because the only decent place i could find was only available starting the month prior to my old lease being up. it was a saturday and i was using Lyft to transport empty boxes/suitcases to my old place so i could pack them and get a second Lyft to my new house (the idea was to make the actual moving day easier). the Lyft driver that picked me up was this older gentleman in an SUV who was like "what's with all the boxes?" and didn't get into the situation about having a sh!tty living situation, i just said i was in the process of moving.
this guy then offered to turn off his Lyft app, let me pack the SUV full of as many boxes as would fit, and then drive me to the new house. i told him i didn't have money to pay him and he said it was okay, he didn't want money. He said his reasoning was that he was "so blessed in his life and wanted to pay it forward".
and NO, he wasn't a creeper (i'm very good at picking up on that kind of behavior, and i wouldn't have been down if he was being weird/creepy about it).
This guy helped me pack the SUV (and not just the trunk like I was originally planning--I'm talking the entire backseat and trunk), drove me to the new house for free, and helped me unpack the SUV and put the boxes in the garage. and he didn't want anything but a 5 star rating for the initial ride. i thanked him profusely, gave him 5 stars and as much of a tip as the app would let me (which is about $12). i posted about it on Facebook and a friend of mine who worked for Lyft helped me get the guy recognized in their internal monthly newspaper, so there's that.
I will never forget Gary, or his kindness.
Between 16-18, I had a lot of trips to A&E. I was really mentally ill, undiagnosed, and nobody would take responsibility for my care because I was too old for child services, but too young for adult care. Most A&E staff aren't trained in complex mental health, and their only job is to keep you alive in a room until an on call psych can get to you.
One trip, there was a student nurse in triage. She was probably only a year or two older than me. I was at hospital on my own and frankly quite terrified after a bad bout of mania and psychosis. She took me to a quiet room, made me tea, and sat with me and made sure I was okay. I never got her name and I never saw her at that hospital again, but she is the single most compassionate person that I met in all of my hospital trips. She's probably qualified by now, and I'm sure she's an incredible nurse.
At 16 I ended up homeless for a few months. This dude showed me the ropes to survive. He had a PhD in history and a seriously addictive personality. I owe that stranger my life.
I worked in chemo room cleaning and stocking supplies. One day after a particular gentleman had finished his "maintenance treatment" for his terminal diagnosis. He went out if his way to come over to me and out of all the staff and other patients in the room he gave me the biggest hug and said, "I think you need that more then anyone else here ever will." He then grabbed my hand and gave me a rock with a happy face on it. I carry it in my pocket everyday. He was not wrong either, I definitely needed the hug.
I was walking into a Wawa one morning before work to get coffee. I have a beard and my typical work outfit was a SnapBack hat worn backwards, with a black company shirt and tan shorts. I had gray shoes too. As I hold the door for a dude who was leaving, I caught a glimpse of him. He looked exactly like me, beard, backwards SnapBack, black shirt, and tan shorts. He looks st me and then looks away and then does a double take. He stops before walking completely out and we make eye contact. We both shake our heads and let a small exertion of air through our nose and walk our own ways. I still, to this day, think I have a long lost twin that my parents never told me about. This was 8 years ago and I think about it randomly from time to time.
When it comes to electing a leader, the choice is an easy one if a potential candidate shares the same values as yours.
And while a candidate is fit to lead remains to be seen, we rely on our instinct to choose someone with whom we can relate.
But sometimes, our options are limited and we inevitably go with someone who is the lesser of two evils.
Curious to hear from strangers online about a hypothetical, Redditor Cashmeresquid2309 asked:
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for an openly Atheist presidential candidate? Why or why not?"

Redditors were quick to point out the answer was a no-brainer.
We Already Know The Answer
"Asking Reddit if they'd vote for an atheist..."
"I feel like the answer would be obvious."
– sarahmagoo
Sci-Fi Analogy
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for a Star Wars fan who heckin loves doggos?"
– WitnessChemical
For The Atheists In The Crowd
"Atheists of atheistville, would you vote for an open atheist?"
– nixcamic
Others weighed in with a range of opinions.
About 45
"What's funny is how many of them would probably say no, even though they voted for Trump and would do so again. Say whatever else you want about him, but I seriously can't understand how anyone could genuinely believe Trump is a Christian. He's so obviously faking it and is undoubtedly the most atheistic president we've ever had or are likely to have for a long time."
"This is a guy who's never even so much as read the Bible or attended church, who told a conservative radio host his favorite Bible verse was 'an eye for an eye', who told evangelical interviewers that he's never asked God for forgiveness because he's never done anything wrong, and who routinely commits all 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) without remorse."
– empfindsamkeit
From A Different Perspective
"Not an american but interestingly according to this survey on 1006 people from 2007, being atheist was the worst thing you could be as a candidate (of the things asked) with only 45 % of people saying they'd vote for one."
– ilovecatfish
An atheist candidate isn't necessarily a big strike.
Double Negative
"I wouldn’t not vote for someone just because they were atheist."
– HabitualEnthusiast
Credibility First
"This is it. If they’re running on platforms I support with a history to back up those campaign promises, I don’t care if they belong to the church of the flying spaghetti monster. They could literally be a member of the satanic temple and I, an actual practicing Christian, would give less shi*s than a constipated sloth."
"Edit: yes, I realize the Satanic Temple does not actually worship satan. I used it for that purpose. The Church of Satan has some…problematic views and I probably would not vote for someone who literally holds a platform of eugenics."
– Phoenix_of_Asclepius
Some view the role of religion in politics as important.
It Depends
"Religion can be relevant: I would have strong reservations about voting for a Scientologist, even if I agreed with the policies they proposed. I would have strong reservations voting for a member of an apocalyptic cult or, possibly worse, a follower of the (highly heretical) 'prosperity gospel,' which unfortunately includes more and more so-called 'evangelicals' — I didn't vote for George W. Bush, but it's not because he was an evangelical."
"It depends on the role: I'd probably be more flexible with a legislator than an executive (mayor, governor, president), as their character is IMO more important than for a legislator and their policy stances somewhat less important relative to a legislator."
"Satanic temple — well, that's just an organized group of atheists and humanists with an intentionally inflammatory choice of name. They're generally fine people."
– alyssasaccount
A Bad Rap
"The Satanic Temple is an excellent organization that every decent person should be able to respect. A Church of Satan member, not so much."
"There's a huge difference between them!"
– StarsEatArtBooks
And Redditor boganvegan said it best.
"Better an open atheist than a fake Christian."
It all boils down to trustworthiness. Without full transparency, how could anyone put their faith in a candidate who spews nothing but lies?
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Being home alone isn't always the most tranquil thing.
No one is there to help or protect you.
And things that go "bump" in the night... sometimes they do more than bump.
Redditor ag9910 wanted to hear about the times home felt like an unsafe place to be. They asked:
"What is the scariest, strangest, most unexplainable thing that has happened to you while home alone?"
I'm always freaked out when I'm home alone. Lights on. Yeah, my electric bill is high.
Dorothy?
"I dreamed the front door blew open at the exact time the house alarm went off... I hopped up and sure enough, the front door was open. No intruder."
fatowl
I See You
"Not home alone but only one in right side of the house. Went to my mom's bathroom to wash my hands and saw a pair of feet behind the half open door. Laughed and said 'very funny Ma, I see you.' then finished up and left. Bumped into my mother in the kitchen unpacking, nobody else was in the house. I'm glad whatever was behind the door didn't peek out."
SatanWithFur
“It’s Doug!”
"One night I had forgotten to lock my apartment door and woke up in the middle of the night. My bedroom door was about 2 feet from my front door, as you walked into the apartment. First a big dog ran by, then a person. Holy crap I was so scared and I screeched 'Who is it?!?!!'"
"A man said 'It’s Doug!' As I was thinking to myself, who the f**k is Doug, he said 'oh, crap.' He turned around to go back out the front door saying 'Sorry.' I asked 'Didn’t you have a dog with you?' He said 'Oh, yeah. Hey, c’mon!.' He left, his dog ran out after him and I locked my front door."
"Edit: glad you all thought this was funny, because I did too, once my heart quit trying to beat right out of my chest! The next day the girls at work thought I was crazy for not being upset, but eh, done is done. Peace!"
scarletohairy
Confused...
"My sister and I were home alone and we heard someone big running up the stairs. The stairs make lots of noise with slight pressure so when there’s someone big on them you can tell. I went out of my room to check but saw no one anywhere and my sister also came out of her room and she asked if that was me I said no and we both looked around to see if there was anyone but found no one in the whole house. We were confused and called our parents and just waited until they got back and that was that."
JtSudbury04
I See You
"I very clearly saw a guy walk into my room. But when I went after him there was nobody there. I checked in the closet, under my bed, everywhere one could hide in my room."
HighlyOffensive10
This is why home video surveillance is key.
"NO"
"My parents were on a road trip, just left, and I sat down at my desk. I thought 'Weekend alone by myself' and a voice yelled into my right ear 'NO' so loud it hurt."
Th4ab
Wild
"I managed to lock myself out of my house on my birthday during a tornado while trying to bring my cats to the basement for safety. I later found out that the tornado was approximately a couple miles or less from me at that exact time. The sky was green and it got weirdly calm and then I could hear what sounded like a train coming before I found an unlocked window to climb through. Wild times."
SilverGnarwhal
Saturday morning in the 80s...
"I wasn't home alone but I was awake by myself one Saturday morning in the 80s when I was around 7 or so. I believe my mom was the only one home because my dad went to the lake to go fishing that weekend, and I'm not sure where my older brothers were, maybe they went with him, idk."
"Anyways, my mom's sleeping in, and I'm in the living room by myself, watching Saturday morning cartoons and making a fort out of sheets and cushions. Something made me turn around and I saw my dad in his pajamas standing in the hallway entrance with his hands on his hips, looking the mess I was making and shaking his head."
"He then turned around and walked into my room, which was just off the hallway entrance. Dude. I didn't even look, I just booked it to my parents room and woke my mom up. I don't remember what happened after that, this was around 35 years ago. And yes, my dad was fine, nothing had happened to him."
smriversong
Get the Bat...
"I was at home by myself on a call with some friends when all of a sudden my dog begins to bark like crazy, which was odd since it was the middle of the night and he's usually sleep. I go downstairs to check on him and find him barking at our hall closet, terrified I grabbed my bat that I keep in my room just in case and open the door. There was nothing out of usual at first at then I look down and notice a familiar looking object at the bottom of the closet."
"It was my mom's necklace she had lost when I was 9, (i'm 15 now just to put in perspective how long it's been). I showed it to my mom at breakfast and she was just as shocked as I was. I still have no clue how it got there or how my dog knew it was in there, definitely one of the oddest occurrences of my life."
SomeRandomIdiot14
Meow
"Many years ago, I was 14 or so, my first night alone in the house when my parents were out. Lying on the living room floor reading, my cat sleeping next to me."
"Suddenly, cat wakes up, stares intently into the dark corner of the room behind me, hair on end, growls and then bolts out of the room and upstairs. I look behind me and see nothing, but follow cat upstairs and hide under the covers. Freaked me out."
LairdofWingHaven
Thank God for alarms. I hate being home alone.
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The human body is still such a mystery.
How much do we really know?
Not a lot apparently. We're learning more all the time.
And most of it is gross.
Redditor BathNo7713 wanted to discuss the ick factor of anatomy. So they asked:
"What is the most disturbing fact about the human body?"
The body freaks me out. But it's all I've got. So teach me some things.
Minutes...
"The fastest killing virus takes around 4 days to kill you. That would be Ebola. Your immune system can kill you in 15 minutes."
will477
'locked-in'
"If your brainstem (the part of the brain that mediates most motor control for all of the body) is damaged, you can get 'locked-in' syndrome. That means you're fully conscious and aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak. The only muscles that remain unaffected in most people are the muscles that move they eyes and the eyelids."
"You're essentially trapped within your own body with your only way of communication being blinking or moving your eyes It can be caused by toxins, blockage of the basilar artery which is the main artery of the brainstem, or other brainstem damage."
4oodler
Explosions
"Some people suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome, which causes them to hear a loud bang when they wake up."
ToraMix19
"When I was younger I believe I experienced this a few times. Sounds I heard were: about a million people talking and laughing all at once, a train that irl would've been about a foot away from me based on the volume of the sound, and a door slamming loudly."
aliaisacreature
Pain
"Not sure if this is by design, but I totaled my car once, almost completely uninjured somehow. Then I looked down to my right hand which I remember jabbing into my dashboard at 55mph. Luckily (unluckily?) only my pinky took the blow. But instead of a floppy-udder full of bone-sand, my pinky was 0.5 inches long."
"Broke no bones, but instead perfectly stacked my phalanges, or finger bones, INTO my hand. This is fixed by a muscular Russian murse grabbing your pinky with both hands and pulling very hard. God I wish they gave me more lidocaine."
TelevisionOlympics
Functions
"If you have a surgery where they need to move your organs around they might not function for a day as the body assumes that they are dead."
tonythebutcher13
Move things around? You mean that's not fake when it happens on "Grey's Anatomy?"
"The only reason you are not aware of it is because the ambient noise kind of drowns it out because your ears focus on it. If you go to one of those super-silent rooms that absorb all sorts of sounds, it is a really weird way to reacquaint yourself with your body."
Black_Handkerchief
The Mouth
"Idk about the most disturbing but how bad human teeth are. We’d think it’s our sugary and processed diets these days that cause it, but even Otzi the iceman discovered in Italy was found to have terrible teeth, mouth diseases and cavities. It’s odd that even with the most basic of diets our teeth are so bad."
Dorianisconfused
In the bowels...
"I noticed this after my abdominal surgery. When I turned over in bed my guts seemed to fall from one side to the other. Mentioned to my doc and she confirmed it was my bowels rearranging themselves."
squatter_
"Apparently the doctor just throws your intestines back in there higgeldy-piggeldy because there isn't a correct way to pack them neatly."
LostDesigner9
A Quick Burst
"There are a vast number of ways that your body can malfunction and kill you with little or no warning. An aneurysm can go undetected until it bursts and kills you. Getting hit in the chest just the right way can stop your heart. You can encounter an allergen that never previously provoked an immune response that freaks out your body so badly that you die. You literally just never know if your body will just... die."
Unsolicited_Spiders
The body is such a conundrum. Sexy and gross all at once.
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Being overweight comes with numerous challenges.
And not only challenge's to one's health.
Unfortunately, overweight people are far too often a target for judgment and ridicule, often owing to misconceptions.
Even worse, sometimes simply being bigger than other people leads others to assume that they must also be less than or inadequate in general.
Redditor Rude_Guarantee_1479 was curious to hear what people felt is the worst part, or most common misconception about being overweight, leading them to ask:
"What is the worst part about being a fat person?"
Since I'm fat, I must also be stupid.
"For some reason people always assumed I was simple minded/stupid when I was obese."
"Now that I've lost weight people just talk to me like I'm a regular person."- batyablueberry.
No comfort to be had.
"Feeling uncomfortable all the time."- Keithninety.
Not being seen and always being noticed.
"I have a fear that nobody is ever going to fall in love with me because I don't feel visible and I am fat
Also, going to the pool or beach and you have to put on a swimsuit. I feel like a seal stranded on the beach.- mango_0111.
Inadequate clothes.
"My belt trying to stab me in my belly when I sit down."- jimjohn2017.
"Nothing seems to fit nicely or still look nice in your size."- OutlandishnessNo1950.
"The amount of pants you go through."- Cmonredditalready.
"Putting on a shirt, walking into the backroom, seeing how it makes me look, and then never pulling out my favorite shirt ever again."- YeaItsaThrowaway112.
Never feeling good about yourself.
"Feeling guilty while eating your favorite foods, not looking good in photos/clothes."- pissed_at_everything.
Mobility challenges.
"My thighs rubbing and chaffing."
"I'm so raw right now."- HeavyBreathin.
Unwanted nicknames.
"Not the worst part, but the most constantly sh*tty part is constantly being called 'big guy' by every kind of person other than other 'big guys'."- Professor-ish.
As the old saying goes, true beauty comes from within.
And the way someone looks should never be one's first impression.
Nor does anyone need to go through the day facing unwanted judgment when simply walking down the street.
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