[James' Reply: I think you'll find the RSS feed on the home page of the blog. Go there by following the How I Learn Stuff Blog link.]

[James' Reply: Why do you stay in that job? What do you do in your off-hours?]

When I was about 19 a fella approached me to tell me I had saved his life some years before. I looked at him, perplexed. I wasn’t even sure who he was, though he looked perhaps vaguely familiar. Upon further explanation it was revealed that we had attended the same high school, though we’d never been in the same class. It was a high school of over 3,000 students, so it is no surprise I barely recognized him those years later.

Anyhow, the story he shared was as follows:

On sunny afternoon as I walked past him on the street outside the school, I smiled and said hello.

He had been on his way home, intent on suicide, because he felt ‘invisible’ and ‘like nothing’ in the world. He described how he had it all planned out, and had already taken the steps of preparing for the act.

However, as he put it, “a pretty, popular girl smiled at me, said hello. Obviously I wasn’t as invisible as I had thought. I figured maybe I’d been a little too quick to think of killing myself. Maybe I should stick around a little while and see what else I was wrong about.”

I was 14 at the time it had happened. I had no clue I was affecting the life of another in any significant way. I was merely being friendly, kind, as I passed another in the street. Little did I know that something as simple as a smile and hello could do more than make someone feel a bit more cheerful for a moment.

Hearing his revelation of the impact that simple, almost automatic act had upon his life that day shook me to the core. It changed me forever. What power to know that it is possible to have life-changing impact (world-changing even! Who knows what impact he or others whose lives he has touched will have upon the world, now that he decided to stick around) even when we aren’t conscious that we are doing so. It made each action I took, every word that I spoke, seem tremendously important. It made me realize that perhaps one should contemplate one’s words and actions more deeply than I’d ever before considered.

However, the story doesn’t end there. See, in his sharing with me the impact I had upon his life those years ago, he gave me a gift in return: He introduced me to that path that would shape my own career…the importance of living the examined life.

I believe your story of Mrs. Mossey is evidence of the same kind of almost magical power we all wield, but far too often fail to consider: the very ways in which we speak to others can transform lives, and the very world around us. Think how powerful that is, if we apply it with conscious intent! Do you believe Mrs. Mossey was conscious of what she did that day? Had she read the piece in the paper and thought, “I had better recognize this young man, perhaps it will have an effect upon him”? Or do you think perhaps she read it and thought, “Here’s a fella whose got something going on in that noggin of his, perhaps he can figure out the solution to this problem.”? The first would imply that she applied conscious intent to lend a young man a helping hand. The latter that she saw someone who could help her out.

[James' Reply: She just emailed me this "I must admit, I chose you because you made me feel confident that you could do it." So, there you go.]

Does it matter what her motive was, if the outcome was the same? Perhaps not. However – just think of the power she held. Granted, the outcome was the same. But – if one could recognize that power, and begin to use it consciously to inspire others – WOW!

I bet Mrs. Mossey’s tickled to learn of the gift she gave you. In fact, I bet she’s more than tickled – I bet she’s deeply moved, much as I was when the young fella came to me to share that I had unknowingly saved his life that beautiful day. I’m so glad you’ve given her the gift of letting her know these things, and that you’ve done so in such a public way, so that others can see the power simple acts of kindness or respect can have in the world.

[James' Reply: For those of you who don't know, Laura is the author of The McGraw-Hill Homeschooling Companion. Thanks Laura.]