Who do you remember from your past who would have no idea that they'd been memorable to you?

[halexanderamilton]

I saw a lollipop lady this morning and it made me remember the lovely lollipop lady from my primary school who was so friendly and fun and remembered all the children's names. I obviously don't know but I'm guessing she's passed on now, not knowing how she had affected me and most likely lots of other people. I am 52 now and I have remembered her with fondness. It made me wonder if there was anyone who will still remember me in 45 years when I'm gone, other than close family, obviously.

What random person can you remember with pleasure from your past who wouldn't know that you remembered them?

I had a wonderful, kind and wise youth theatre leader. Without saying anyhting she must have recognised not everything was quite right in our family because she let us into the theatre despite there being a waiting list and despite us never having the weekly subs. She built up my non-existent self-confidence and gave me lead roles. I was so unhappy in my early teens - friendless and bullied and absolutely hated school. She made life not only worthwhile but really fantastic. I look back on wonderful times, wonderful friendships, parties, a great education - all of it started with her.

I also had an adorable French teacher who I'm sure had no idea how wonderful she was. She taught me how to analyse texts. I remember in amazement her explaining themes and why writers put certain scenes in to show the themes. It was like having a secret code unlocked. She used to sit on the desk swinging her legs - she looked about twelve - as she talked passionately about Camus and Gide.

MsSweeney that struck a chord with me.

Woman who asked if I was ok when I was a young teen being followed down the street and shouted at by a crazy drunk man (my father).

Years ago I had made a decision about my career (to take a particular path) and always felt as if I had failed because of it (as I didn’t choose the more stressful, arguably more ‘worthy’ path). Another person in a related job to me but with many many more years experience told me about how they had in fact made the same decision years ago and never truly regretted it. I had known in my heart that I was doing the right thing anyway, but just to have someone else in a very similar position who had come out the other side really helped. The reasons and feelings that they listed were all almost identical to mine.

I doubt they even remember the encounter but it made a huge impression on me and I often think about it.

I could fairly easily get in touch with them and let them know as we work in the same big organisation but would come over as a complete stalker so I never will.

The cleaning lady at my primary school who was just a lovely lady and always spoke to me.
A teacher when I was 8 who was amazing.
Many of my pupils over the years, but one in particular who was the bravest little girl I have ever met.
Very school based

@TooStressyTooMessy what about that you can't tell that person how helped you.

On a stressful day a man stopped traffic to help me back out of a space even though I hadn’t asked him to. Seems so silly but it made me bloody beam!

Idk, I have often thought about it but it really was just a 10 minute chat at the end of a training session we were at. It probably meant very little to them and was about 4 years ago now. I think I would come across as very strange! Where I work is actally a very small world (hence it would be easy to get in touch) and I don’t want to make a complete idiot of myself. Probably wrong of me but have never wanted to take the risk .

I have two, both passed away now.

My A level Physics teacher in the mid 80s. She was pretty terrifying, but rewarded independence of thought. One particular h/w sticks in my mind, a lot of the class asked the really clever girl how to do it, I just went me own way. 'And Teen as usual has a different answer'. (I'd 'proved' dynamos on bicycles couldn't work).

My Director of Studies at university (lovely chap, passed away earlier this year). He taught calculus type stuff and taught us 'don't worry about the 2s' which means worry about the method first, don't get hung up on fine details unnecessarily.

Both these have been really useful to me in career and life. I wasn't anything special as a student so doubt either would have remembered me.

Makes sense stressy. Maybe you'll have paid it forward somehow

Makes sense stressy. Maybe you'll have paid it forward somehow

@1WayOrAnother She really was so different and so special. I only wish she knew.

My ballet teachers daughter. She must have been around 17/18 when I was 6. She was in proper (as in Royal) ballet school herself and would come and help out her mum in the holidays.

She was so kind and loving and patient. She seemed like a kind of serene mythical princess and was always smiling and glad to see you.

In many ways she was my first crush I think. An example of the kind of person I wanted to grow up into. I remember her as the most beautiful person I've ever met as well.

My eldest daughter is indirectly named after her - she was the first person I met with dds name. It's a fairly common name and everyone I met since with that name has always been kind and funny but she started that positive association.

My French teacher from high school. My parents got divorced when I was 14 and my mother moved out. She didn't want anything to do with me and my dad spent most of his time with his new girlfriend. I felt so devastated.

My French teacher was literally the only person in my life who bluntly said," Wow that's hard for you. A fourteen year old girl needs her mother." Every other person in my life either just didn't mention it or was full of prurient questions.

A lovely lady who patted my back as I howled in Alder Hey children’s hospital heart ward reception. It was last summer. She had a baby son called Angus so if you are here, thank you for your kindness.

Slightly different to most of the people here:

When I was in year 1 there was a girl who briefly went to our school. I remember her being called Sarah. I went to her house once, there was just her and her mum.
It was a real old house, I don't think there was electricity, and I also think they had to pull water from the well. It was built between standard Mill terrace houses, not sure why it had been left.
I remember wondering in what they called the garden, which was an overgrown bluebell wood, picking flowers with her, and her mum asking for us to fetch some water.
She moved away fairly shortly after that, I think with no warning, and the house was demolished for the village bypass. Looking back, I suspect they were squatting, may have been travellers perhaps.

Other one is quite sad. I used to nanny a little boy for a friend. She used to take the train through, I'd cycle to the station, collect him as she passed through on the way to work, then pop him back on the train when she returned and cycle home again.
One time I was running late and I was running with the buggy, and as I passed this lady I realised that she was crying badly. I ran into the station handed him over to his mum, and was back out again in about 5 minutes. But although I cycled round and round I couldn't find her again. I've always felt bad that I didn't stop, because his mum would have totally understood, but she'd then have had an hour wait for the next train and I didn't really think in time.

And a girl in the next village. I didn't really know her, but she was one of the only children in my year who went to the Sunday School and then she'd joined the choir, so we just waved at each other. We were both shy so we never talked much.
She was killed in her first year at secondary running off the school bus. She was going to meet her little brother for the first time and she was so excited.

The midwife and the surgeon who delivered my son, both super heroes to me - we will be just another birth to them.

A nurse called Mae who let me hold her hand and squeeze it when I was in pain during an operation when I was 19. It was later revealed that that surgeon wasn’t actually using anaesthetic and there was a scandal. No wonder it hurt. I will always remember Mae’s kindness 23 years later.

I was about 8 months pregnant and walking down a busy high street and tripped... mid-fall, a quick-thinking stranger grabbed my arm and pulled me back upright. So thankful to her- I could have really hurt myself, or my baby, if she hadn't have intervened!

The teacher when I was 7 who kept a stash of snacks in his press to give to kids who regularly came to school with no lunch, me included.

And the lovely doctor who held my hand & told me 'i won't let anything happen to you" as I was being put under for life saving surgery.

These are amazing. So many are teachers or other professionals who are 'just doing their job' but it really shows how what they do is appreciated and remembered. I hope that anyone reading who is in these sort of professions take the difference they make to people on board.

The student midwife when I arrived in hospital to have an emergency induction unexpectedly. She realised I was terrified and was the only one who took the time to ask what my original birth plan had been and how could they help stick as closely as possible to it.

Unfortunately she finished her shift after that and no else listened to me during the birth or in the 4 days in hospital after the birth.

I didn't catch her name but she was amazing.

On the underground heading to Victoria station. I had never been to London before. I had DS with me age 2.

I had fled an abusive marriage 6 months before. And was in my way to my brothers for a break.
As we got off the tube the wheel came off my pushchair (this was 1981. Pushchairs were heavy) and I was trying to hold it up with DS in it. Carry our luggage and work out where I was going.

Two huge looking RAF men were walking towards me. They both stopped. One took my luggage. One the broken pushchair. They took me all the way to Victoria Coach station. Made sure I was on the coach and settled. All the time entertaining DS.

Those boys never knew just how much faith in men they gave back to me that day.