Hidden Brain - Josh Gitelson: My Unsung Hero

Episode Date: May 7, 2021

At the end of every episode, we take a moment to thank an Unsung Hero: someone who’s not on the staff of the show, but who went above and beyond in helping us out. In recent weeks, we've been asking you to share your own examples of someone who's made an impact on your life. This time, Josh Gitelson of State College, Pa., recalls a small gesture of kindness from a stranger on a plane. Do you have a story of an unsung hero you want to share with our listeners? Tell us about it! Please email us at [e-mail], with the subject line "Unsung Hero." For some guidelines on what we're looking for, go to hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero.

This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedantam. At the end of every Hidden Brain episode, we take a moment to thank an unsung hero. Someone who's not on the staff of the show, but who went above and beyond in helping us out. We've thanked IT colleagues, sound engineers, cafeteria workers, our spouses, our friends, and our mothers. Over the years, many of you have written to us to say you love this segment, and so we've been asking you to share your own examples

of someone who's made an impact in your life. Someone who didn't have to help you, but did anyway, who supported you in a time of need and deserves to be recognized. Perhaps they don't even know what a difference they made. Hi, Shankar. I would like to talk about my hero. I wanted to share my story about an unsung hero. I don't actually know the name of my unsung hero, but I'll remember him for the rest of my life.

My unsung hero would definitely have to be my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Abrams. She was trying to teach her. I don't know who they were. I can't even remember their face, but I do remember what they did for me. I can't even express to you how much you've changed my life. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you.

Here is a story we want to share from listener Josh Gittleson of State College, Pennsylvania. My unsung hero is the man in the Panama hat on the flight to Boston. As the plane neared touchdown, my daughter, who was still a lap infant, vomited suddenly before I could grab an air sick bag, and most went all over the front of my shirt. As I anticipated, making the walk of shame down the aisle and into the terminal, still holding my daughter, and stewing until I could reach my checked luggage, a gentleman behind me in a Panama hat pulled a fresh undershirt out of his bag, and gave it to me. I never got his name, and he wouldn't let me send him his shirt back, and to this day, it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I never got his name and he wouldn't let me send him his shirt back. And to this day,

it was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Man in the Panama hat, whoever you are, thank you. That's listener, Josh Gittleson. If you have your own story you want to share with our listeners, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at ideasathydenbrain.org with the subject line, Unsung Hero. Be sure to include what happened, how that person helped you, and what you'd like to say to them today. The more specific, the better,

where especially interested in stories about a single moment in time. Recordings of three to five minutes are plenty. We hope these stories in the last couple of weeks have encouraged you to notice the unsung heroes in your life and perhaps inspired you to become an unsung hero for someone else. I'm Shankar Vidanthantham. Thanks for listening. you