The impact you've had unknowingly on strangers

[fantasialand]

This is lighthearted but I was wondering if any of you have ever wondered what seemingly random thing has happened in your life that may impact a stranger unbeknownst to them. Or maybe you're the stranger.

An example:
I was just about to go onto linkedin and whenever I type it in, it auto directs to a profile I looked at ONCE whilst anon, I am now no longer anon so she will get a notification. I have NO links to this woman. The story is my husband was angry about a new recruit at work who hasn't started and wanted to see if we could find her previous workplace (suspected nepotism), so we began stalking. A woman came up via Google with same first name but different surname, so I clicked and it was not the woman, we moved on. But I have now typed 'link' and pressed enter on google chrome predicted url about 25 times recently and everytime the URL is hers so she will get a notification daily of me stalking her. I didn't think about it until just now and how she may be wondering who I am, why I'm stalking her, what my reason is etc.

The other example is after I watched Dr Foster and I remember the hair thread on a scarf of a different colour which aroused Dr F's suspicions of an affair. On the Tube I watched as my very long brown strand of hair wafted onto a man's coat. I always wonder if this would arouse suspicion - I can't imagine thinking it would but the show got me thinking.

Finally, one for the Mumsnet posts I've seen. I was at the gym, went to swim after and didn't put my knickers back on after (I change into joggers and then shower at home). I put the towel in the basket (by reception so not based on changing room) and know I didn't put my knickers in there. When I got home I couldn't find them. I remember them hanging out my bag before which I placed next to a man's who was talking to a PT. It is very plausible they fell into his bag...I always wonder if I've caused some chaos there.

Do you have any stories similar or have been on the other side?

Not completely anonymous but I was crying in Costa and a 30 year old man came up to me and asked me if I was Miss Strawberryana. I used to be Miss Strawberryana before I got married. He said I used to teach him and he had always thought of me because he had terrible skin and I had always been so kind!

I went to meet my son's new teacher and it turns out I was her Year 7 tutor before she moved schools. She told me, she was really badly bullied, and I had got her through. I remembered her but not that I had done anything particularly above and beyond.

I got a message on Linkedin from a boy I used to to teach (now a man) and he wanted to thank me for my lessons, because they had sparked a life long interest in a subject...that I only touched on...

So I have taught thousands of children but there are my three examples of how I touched people and I would never ever have known. So I guess, you never really know your impact on others and what they are conscious of that you are really not.

I used to work at the ambulance service answering 999 calls and I often wonder what happened to some of the people I spoke to and also to some of the people that they were trying to help. I wonder if I made a difference to their lives and if it made any difference that it was me and not someone else that they spoke to.

Well it's not anonymous but a law student helped me with a SEN tribunal and he absolutely changed my sons life. He wouldn't know this as we won the Tribunal and that was that.

The whole thing was incredible dirty tactics by my LA and I told him I couldn't go through with it a week before. He said to me "this isnt about you, it's about your child and you absolutely have to step up and get over yourself" words that have absolutely made me a much better mum to my kids, especially as his little brother, little sister and older brother have now all had SEN tribunals.

I made a sand cat sculpture on the beach on holiday. It wasn’t brilliant. But someone walking past liked it and took a photo of it and I think somewhere out there, there’s a person I don’t know with a picture of my sand cat on their phone.

Cat:

Haha love the cat sculpture. There will be many people whose dogs are on my phone out there and they have no idea.

love how much teaching has really impacted students - think a lot of teachers need more positive stories like that!

Visiting a secondary school (job) , a girl was waiting in reception, im guessing late so had to be signed in
She said you're Mrs chickinbell aren't you , you taught me to read (when she was small at primary school)
I could have cried as I work with the more challenging pupils and this was about 9 years later

My nans warden at the care home was someone she had helped train when she was a warden it made everyone a bit sad really as my nan had dementia although she did remember her!

I'm accidentally friends with someone on FB who has the same name as a rellie. He's so suave and cool and has fancy coffee and cigars and hangs out in cool places.

I do wonder if he looks at me and thinks, 'blimey what a chav'.

I had hospital appointments every so often (only 2 or 3 a year) with a consultant, due to a chronic medical condition I have. One day I was seen by somebody different and I didn't recognise him at all, but he recognised me. He told me that years ago, when he'd just started his training and sat in on other doctor's appointments to observe, I was one of the first ever patients and that he'd remembered me and often wondered how I was doing (sounds a bit like a chat up line but I was married and wearing my rings so I assume it wasn't!)

I may have gotten a nurse into trouble.

I was in hospital having a possible miscarriage. The bleeding stopped and a nice woman doctor examined me internally. Everything was okay. I needed to wait for a ultrasound to check baby was still there (or not) and could be on my way home.
A doctor came in, ignored me completely and talked to a student in another language (about me) for 10 mins or so. Both male if that matters because it did to me. He then turned to me, finally, and rudely told me to remove my jeans and underwear and lay down. I asked why as I'd been examined already and this was for a tummy ultrasound. He talked to the student again (in his own language) and then pretty much told me off. He said that the student needed to examine me because how else was he supposed to learn. I said no thank you. I just wanted to know if my baby was dead or alive then go home. He insisted. I asked if it was for my benefit or theirs. I had been examined already and it was there in my notes that my cervix was closed. Nothing to see here. He kept insisting and getting sharper with me and I was getting really upset by this point. The very young nurse who was in the room too stood to my defence and told him politely that I wasn't comfortable with another internal exam and that, if he would like to take a look at my notes, it had just been done. He argued with her and she ended up staying loudly that "Doctor XXXX the patient does NOT consent!" He huffed, slammed the ultrasound device over my belly, said, "There! Heartbeat!" and stormed out speaking angrily in another language to his student. The nurse apologised, explained my baby was okay and as I left later I heard her getting a massive bollocking from her supervisor and the doctor.
I hope she didn't get into trouble that affected her career.

Shouldn't have because that's what we are there for but often Drs and even worse senior nurses think it's better to expect an apology

Christ.

Thank god for your nurse. I'd have written a massive complaint and highlighted how amazing she was, she advocated for you and did her job very well in circumstances many others wouldn't have. (I totally understand that you were NOT in that head space). Thank god she was there. And I'm pleased you had the outcome you wanted ❤️