I almost threw up on a plane when a woman sitting behind me with a strong obese put her dirty, smelly bare foot right on my armrest. When I asked her to clean her leg, she laughed and said, “My feet need air. Don’t like it, get to another place!” I’ve never seen such shame. I decided to teach her a lesson, and soon the whole plane laughed at her. But when I found out who this woman really was and where she was flying, I regretted that I did it at all…

I replied:

“And you reminded me that sometimes a whole untold life story is hidden behind a person who we don’t like at first sight.”

Today, Linda and I are friends.

She never puts her feet on other people’s armrests again.

And that funny pink sock is in his bedroom, next to Emily’s photo.

Sometimes we talk on the phone, remember that flight and laugh together.

But I also learned one very important thing.

The pain of a person does not justify his rude behavior. However, sometimes it is worth listening to his story, because an apology, a desire to change and a little human warmth can transform even the most hopeless day.

And if that day I just went on to hate Linda, I would never know how much pain was hidden behind her loud laugh.