Sometimes people do things that are so daring, kind, or unexpected that they feel like they came straight out of a movie. These aren’t instances of fame or large crowds, but of ordinary people making difficult decisions, stepping up quietly, or improving someone’s life when it counted the most. We selected a few actual examples in which someone’s deeds were so compelling that they remained in someone’s memory indefinitely.

Story 1: 

I was with my boyfriend when a woman came and pressed a sanitary pad into my hand. She said, “You need this.” I wasn’t on my period—I checked in the toilet. Something felt off. When I opened the pad, in shaky red ink and frantic writing, were two words: “Google him.”

At first, I didn’t understand. The only person with me was my boyfriend, someone I had only been dating for two weeks. Still, curiosity got the better of me. I took out my phone and searched his name, not expecting much. What I found left me stunned.

Turns out, my boyfriend is actually famous on TikTok. His videos go viral. He has this “experiment” where he dates or befriends people for a month, then shares his experiences online like some kind of social project.

My world collapsed. I thought I had finally found the one, only to realize I was just content for his next post. I left him there at the airport without saying a word.
I never saw that stranger again, but I thank her with all my heart. She saved me before I fell even deeper.

Story 2: 

I was 18 and had just moved to NYC by myself, trying to adjust to the lifestyle there (having come from a small town in the South). It was my first time using the train, and I had no idea how to buy a MetroCard.

So I’m standing there at the only working machine, with a line of people behind me, trying to buy a card. I was a little frantic because I knew people were waiting. People in the line started yelling at me to “Hurry up!” I started to get teary-eyed, which made me even more frantic.

Then, this guy stepped out of the line and told everyone to chill out. He came up, showed me step by step what to do, and paid for a 12-ride card for me. He patted me on the back and told me, “Next time someone yells at you, yell back, and they’ll leave you alone.”

At that moment, I didn’t feel so alone. Without his kindness and guidance, I probably wouldn’t have stayed up there and had all the great experiences I did.