Random strangers you remember fondly

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

Do you have people who you never really spoke to or knew, but they kinda made you smile and you still think about them years later?

Mine was a middle-aged guy I used to see at the gym, dad bod type but took his training VERY seriously. He used to coach himself, out loud, throughout his sessions: "just one more... that's it... YES" or "smashing it today, 2 more reps.....ONE MORE...UH!"

It sounds like it should be annoying but it was actually endearing, his total lack of self consciousness. I called him Encouragement Guy.

Do you have anyone you look back on?

many years ago I would cycle a certain route to work, I began to notice the same man on a bus, he started smiling, then waving at me if the bus passed me or I passed the bus, it went on for months, just a friendly hello most mornings that made a nice start to the day, maybe for him too.

The woman who handed me a packet of tissues on a tube train when I was crying and said “This too shall pass.”

Many years ago before mobiles i was driving to a summer job and i had to be there on time. It was very early in the morning. The car swung to the left and wobbled alarmingly. Managed to get off the roubdabout. Got out, and stared miserably at the flat.

Almost immediately a moped screamed past, then turned back. Off jumped two young lads, who insisted on changing the tyre. In less than 10 mins i was on the road again. They were amazing!

Heavily pregnant, returned to car to find a giant range rovers either side of it. Had no chance to squeezing to the drivers door, and then getting in. Twiggy would have struggled.

Stood there in despair, wishing could sit down. A man parked his car near me, he didnt speak English so i sort of pointed and shrugged. He took my keys, popped the boot, scrambled over the seats, reversed it out, handed me the keys and left. I was very grateful! He just nodded and smiled.

Oh yes, the meaningful chats you'd have with girls in nightclub toilets 😂 And sometimes add them as friends on FB 😵🤯🤗🤨

Thought of another one, same place, DS2 again. Some American airforce guys were staying at the pub, they chatted to DS about planes and gave him a sew on badge to keep. Again they initiated the conversation saying 'hi kid', we had our dog with us too, I think they made a fuss of him first!

We have a running Jesus here in Essex.

The lovely elderly lady who called me over when I worked in a coffee shop, just to tell me she thought I was very pretty. It was just such a nice thing to say, I was 20 at the time and quite insecure.

Years ago my grandad had dementia and had tried to kill my granny because of it. I had been to help get granny sorted and him into a care home and got the train home. I was in absolute floods of tears and when I got off a homeless man at the station got up and asked me if I was okay and gave me a hug and offered to buy me a coffee (I refused!) and then insisted on walking me over to where my friend was waiting in her car. I will never forget his kindness.

Thought of a recent one now from last week. As I walked into the local Tesco a homeless guy outside saw me yawning, and asked if I had a tiring day. As I came out lugging bags he offered to carry them to my car. I declined but just a nice interaction from a guy with his own problems made me feel positive about fellow humans.

a little boy and his mum. Going back a long time ago when I was 18 (40s now) and I was walking towards a pub to meet a guy who was constantly messing me around and using me to be perfectly honest.
as I walked pass the boy (about 6ish) he gasped and whispered something to his mum she giggled and said why don’t you ask her and he said are you a real life Disney princess because you look so beautiful! Honestly that made my self esteem which had been in tatters go through the roof so much so that by the time I got to ‘date’ I looked him up and down and said actually I’ve changed my mind and don’t call me ever again 🙌thank you little boy for making me feel special you little sweetheart

I once sat next to a Sikh guy on a flight to Derry. He regaled me all the way there describing his childhood growing up in Derry, going to Catholic school, his run is with the locals, including an encounter with Martin McGuinness. My DH was sat across the aisle, I hardly spoke to him because this guy had me in stitches laughing. DH didn't mind a bit btw, he was happy to snooze.

Last year when I had a newborn people often stopped me to admire the baby and ask her name, age etc which was lovely. In a supermarket an older lady smiled at the baby but then turned to me and asked how I was doing. Being terribly British I obviously said fine, thank you but actually was having quite a hard time and she likely noticed my eyes well up a bit because she held my arm, said ‘it gets easier I promise, look after yourself, you’re important too’ and then it was my turn at the checkout and I moved forward, she moved off to the side and that was that. I remember her fondly, especially as it is indeed considerably easier these days!

When the kids where at primary school,wed walk past this one spot at the same time every morning (Monday to friday-no idea about weekends)

And every morning,a bloke who from the neck up,styled himself on David Beckham (in the bleached blonde,zig zag hairband phase) and from the neck down,he looked like action man (green combat trousers and combat green jacket and army boots-no matter the weather) would walk around the corner and walk past us on the other side of the road

The kids where fascinated by him-he never seemed to notice us but they noticed him!

Walking back from school with DS5 we had popped into the shop and he had wanted a toy when I offered him a sweet. I told him he wasn't allowed a toy but could pick a sweet and he kicked off his first ever full blown melt down so we left the shop and started walking home the entire way he's hitting at me and shouting "I hate you" I just kept walking and smiling responding "That's okay, I love you" on the verge of tears and feeling like everyone was judging us another mum shouts out from across the road "You're doing amazing mum!" I never even saw her face but I've never forgotten that moment and the way it gave me such relief.

We went for meal in a new Syrian restaurant that had opened on a groupon with another couple. When we arrived is was a huge room and was dead apart from a small Middle Eastern family eating.

At the meal they bought out a huge birthday cake for the little girl. The staff were singing to the tune of happy birthday and we just all joined in . The mum looked so surprised and very happy.

She sent over what was possibly a quarter of this delicious fresh fruit and cream cake to our table. Was just a lovely touch.

When my DS's were in primary school (and one them thomas the tank engine mad) we used to drive by 2 girls at a bus stop-the boys named them Annie and Clarabelle after 2 thomas cars and we looked forward to seeing them every day.
never spoke to them-no idea who they really were!

The wonderful woman who helped me with my in the supermarket whilst I was trying to simultaneously wrangle my surfboard-stiff toddler who was screaming blue murder because I wouldn't let him ride his balance bike inside, said bike AND a basket of goods. Such a small act of kindness but one that meant the world at the time.

When my mum was in hospital I collapsed in floods of tears outside the ward. A very lovely lady who worked at the hospital gave me the biggest hug and sat and talked with me till I calmed down. Janet from Great Western hospital your kindness will always be remembered ❤️

About 10 years ago I was going through a difficult time in my private life. I was lucky I managed to find a car parking space down a street close to my office close to a care home. I parked around 8am ish & a lovely old lady used to sit in the window eating breakfast & wave to me & I would wave back and it just made me smile at a time I had very little to smile about. It went on for about 3 months & then she was gone xx

A lorry driver who helped me out. I was a young woman, in another country, driving alone in a car that was faulty. It was a lot of steep hills and the car was going so dangerously slowly on a motorway. I was trying to get to the drop off at the airport. It was the early 90s, no mobile. This big lorry pulled in behind me and stayed with me. I felt really vulnerable and when there was a place to pull over I pulled in. The lorry driver did too, and I was quickly making my way towards others who'd had also pulled in, but he caught up with me, seemed genuinely to recognise my distress. He looked under the bonnet, nipped to a shop, came back and fixed it. I can't recall if he then followed me for a bit, but his fix worked and I made my flight. I often think of him.

In a town starting with H by any chance ?

A brief encounter ❤️

This warms my heart! I love random acts of kindness ❤️

On my second solo outing with all 5 dc, dc1 decided to throw a full on strop on the way home, almost outside our house. A lady stopped her car and offered us a lift home. I said thank you and explained I only had to go a few more metres and she told me I was doing great, that she was a mum of special needs dc as well and gave me a hug.

I ran the London Marathon in 2010. I had a terrible day and felt awful. When I got to the finish I sat down on the pavement and cried my eyes out. Sitting on the tube on the way back to Liverpool Street, alone, knackered and tearful, a group of ladies in their 60s were sitting opposite me. One of them leaned forward and said to me, 'have you just run the marathon? Oh my goodness: you're amazing. Let me shake your hand.' I have never forgotten her.