Chance encounters with someone who changes your life?

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Have you ever encountered someone, however briefly, who somehow managed to alter your course in life or your attitude? Someone whose subtle or unintended influence managed to touch you in a way you can't explain? Let me explain. I'm a cashier in a store, so I interact with people on a daily basis. For several months, I had a regular customer who came in who was always very pleasant. He was a grad student from Ukraine, studying in the US. I run the self check-out, so almost every time he came in something he bought would require assistance. He was patient, polite, always smiling, always positive. Once, his order was cancelled on him somehow and he took it with a smile and re-rang everything, even when I offered to do it for him because of the inconvenience. It was a refreshing change from my usual customers, let me tell you. I chatted with him occasionally. When I first met him, I was stunned by the sheer power of the positive energy he gives off. It really made me want to get to know him. So by chatting, I got to know a little about him and really came to look forward to when he stopped in. Yes, I know he wasn't stopping in to see me, but somehow he managed to brighten my day everytime he came in. I haven't seen him in a few months, so I'm guessing he's either moved closer to school or he's gone home for a visit or for good. Either way, his influence will not be forgotten. He's my age, and I know that he still has another year or two of school, which made the idea of going to culinary school at my age not as ridiculous to me anymore. The more I talked to him, the more I stopped thinking about reasons I can't or should go to culinary school and started thinking of reasons that I should and ways to get rid of all the "can'ts." This man was only a brief passing through my life, but has made an impact. I wish I could somehow thank him, because by simply being himself, he has changed the course of my life and my attitude. If he can do that from a few 5 minute encounters a week over the course of a few months... I imagine he could change the world if he has a mind to. Have you ever encountered someone like this?