MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
Time now for "My Unsung Hero," our series from the team at the Hidden Brain podcast. "My Unsung Hero" tells the stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else. Today's story comes from Darrell Barber. When he was growing up, Barber's father was in the Army. The family moved every few years, and being the new kid often meant he was lonely and a target for bullies. In the sixth grade, on his way to the cafeteria, Barber recalls being stopped by a group of boys. Their leader was an eighth grader named Reuben.
DARRELL BARBER: He grabbed me by the collar and threw me up against the wall. His - he was holding me with his left hand, and I could see that his right hand was already balled up in a fist. And I remember thinking, my head is pressed up against a concrete wall, and when he hits me, it's going to hurt. So I just kind of braced myself for that. And then I heard a voice. It wasn't loud. It was calm but firm. And the voice said, leave him alone. Well, we all turned to look, and there was this guy, an eighth grader, who looked like a football player. He was big and muscular, and Reuben immediately let go of me. The kid's name was Marcus.
And after Reuben and his friends left, Marcus looked at me and said, come on. And we walked to the cafeteria together. He had lunch with me, and after that, Reuben never bothered me again. Now, I was still pretty socially awkward. So Marcus and I, we really didn't talk a lot. We just kind of hung out. I never knew that much about him. Back then, there was no internet. So when your family got new orders, you most likely lost contact with your friends. At the end of the school year, my dad got orders for the Presidio in San Francisco, and I never saw Marcus again.
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BARBER: What Marcus did had such a profound impact on me. You know, at my next school, I started noticing the loners. I made an effort to get to know them and have lunch with them. And in doing that, I became more outgoing, and I was really protective of my friends. So, Marcus, if you're hearing this, what you did for me that day absolutely changed my life. And I don't think I ever thanked you for that. So thank you.
KELLY: Darrell Barber of St. Louis, Missouri. You can find more stories of unsung heroes and learn how to submit your own at hiddenbrain.org. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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