Your Words, My Flashbacks
When I wrote about playing the game differently, hundreds of you read—and many of you shared stories that reminded me how often our best memories hinge on someone else’s quiet act of kindness. Three scenes keep replaying in my head. None cost more than a few minutes (or a tissue), yet each altered the day—and, in its own way, my outlook.
Snapshot #1 · The Paris Taxi Driver
PARIS: Rush-hour elbows on the Franklin-D.-Roosevelt line, a quick shove, and—just like that—my cash was gone. Still fuming hours later, I slid into a taxi bound for dinner at Chez Omar. Ten minutes after drop-off, the driver walked into the restaurant holding my brand-new Samsung Note II.
“No way you’re losing this, monsieur,” he said, refusing a reward. One honest gesture erased a day’s frustration and reminded me that most people tilt good.
Snapshot #2 · The Addis Ababa Helper
During a two-hour layover in Ethiopia, my cane-carrying father, my 13-year-old niece, and I shuffled through the connection chaos. A young airport employee spotted Dad, brought over a wheelchair, and accompanied him the entire time—guiding, chatting, lifting bags, joking with my niece. When Mom tried to slip him a tip, he pressed a hand to his heart and declined.
Two hours of unsolicited care for an elderly stranger left our whole family humbled—and proved that true hospitality doesn’t keep score.
Snapshot #3 · The Keyport Executive and the Tissue
Early ARIS days: MBA in hand, zero tech pedigree, and a million acronyms swirling in my head. My shot at a breakthrough deal came with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport, Washington. First meeting? I was sweating—literally—until the executive across the table quietly slid a tissue toward me.
He could have ended the pitch right there; instead he listened, encouraged, and asked real questions. Months later Keyport signed on, becoming one of ARIS’s anchor customers en route to a NASDAQ listing seven years later. That kindness—and fairness—taught me that nerves aren’t a deal-breaker when authenticity shows up too. I’ve tried to pass that tissue forward ever since.
Presence Over Hustle
What links a Paris cabbie, an Ethiopian airport worker, and a Navy exec? None will ever make a headline, yet each nudged my compass a degree toward empathy. Curiosity still powers my work, but it’s kindness—given and received—that turns experiences into stories worth retelling.
Seen any unsung kindness lately?
Share a note below—or tag someone you’d like to thank publicly. Let’s keep the momentum going.
Meet John Song 