An older kid stepped up to save him from bullies — and changed his life : NPR

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Now it’s time for “My Unsung Hero”, our series from the Hidden Brain podcast team. “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 a child, Barber’s father was in the military. The family moved every few years, and being the new kid often meant he felt alone and a target for bullies. In sixth grade, on his way to the cafeteria, Barber remembers 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 against the wall. His… he was holding me with his left hand, and I could see that his right hand was already clenched into a fist. And I remember thinking, my head is pressed against a concrete wall, and when he hits me, it’s going to hurt. So I kind of prepared myself for that. And then I heard a voice. It wasn’t noisy. It was calm but firm. And the voice said: leave him alone. Well, we all turned around to look, and there was this guy, an eighth grader, who looked like a football player. He was tall and muscular, and Reuben immediately let go of me. The child’s name was Marcus.

And after Reuben and his friends left, Marcus looked at me and said, come on. And we walked together to the cafeteria. He had lunch with me and after that Reuben never bothered me again. Now I was still quite socially awkward. So Marcus and I really haven’t talked much. We just spent time together. I never knew much about him. At the time, there was no Internet. So when your family received new orders, you probably lost contact with your friends. At the end of the school year, my father received orders for the Presidio of 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 to notice loners. I made an effort to get to know them and have lunch with them. And in doing so, 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 completely changed my life. And I don’t think I’ve 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 yours at Hiddenbrain.org.

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