From Hidden Brain Media, I'm Shankar Vedantam. This is my unsung hero,

stories where one person reached out to help another in a time of need.

One of the first people that came to mind was a woman whose name was the man in the Panama

hat on the flight to Boston. Is the kindness of that stranger.

So whoever you are, thank you so much.

Today's story comes from Ayana Thomas.

Some years ago, Ayana went to Japan comes from Aiana Thomas.

Some years ago, Iana went to Japan for a conference. She was excited to be there by herself, exploring Tokyo for the first time.

Early one morning, on her way back to the train station, it started to rain.

I didn't have an umbrella and the rain just started dumping on me as I'm walking to the train station.

And all of a sudden, this man walks up next to me

and he just opens his umbrella.

And he proceeds to escort me to the train station.

This is a Japanese man who doesn't speak any English and I don't speak any Japanese.

And we walk in silence to the train stations maybe a five minute walk.

So he didn't know or had no information for me as to where I was going, but he must have assumed that I was heading

back to the train station.

He escorted me in and then I looked at him and I just nodded my head and he nodded back.

And he just went back up the stairs and went on his way.

What I think is great about that man and why it stuck with me for so many years is that we didn't

exchange any words, but he was so kind to see a stranger that just, you know, was in need of some help.

And that was it. I am I'm Anna Thomas. She's a psychologist at Tufts University and a former guest of the show.

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