Martin T

Forty years ago at the age of six I had spent a great deal of time in a box in the closet and endured many years of abuse at home. I came to my first grade class sucking my thumb and staying behind when the class would go out to play. I was filthy and neglected. At one point I was kept out of school for an extended period of time while in Martin's class with diapers wrapped around my face. When I was 30, I learned my face had been crushed even though I had no memory other than the fact my mom would tell my teacher I had some disease no one knew about and I remembered it wasn't true.

My teacher, Martin, called daily and even came to my house and my mother refused to let him in. Forty years ago family business was family business, not like today. My teacher was reported to the principal and weathered a great deal to continue to pursue my well-being.

Even though I had to grow up in this environment, I believe in my heart, my teacher gave me hope and helped carry me into adulthood a whole, happy, loving human being. He helped me to see there were good loving people who did not want anything from you. I model myself after him today.

Submitted by Anonymous


Love
Pass It On®
Pass It On®

  email

Your Comments
Aziz from Uzbekistan APRIL 21, 2014
Written not by the hand, but by the Heart

Emilia B from Broussard, LA, USA NOVEMBER 3, 2009
Thank you for this website and all the great soul food it provides. I found this essay especially full of wisdom and I feel love for this kindred spirit.

Nene F. from DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA JUNE 13, 2008
This is an eye opening essay. I'm moved by everything that is written in here.

Nick from Hong Kong DECEMBER 28, 2007
What you have written is truly amazing. If only everyone could follow them. Thank you.

siddhi shah from India DECEMBER 7, 2007
it certainly touches the soul. But i've seen more inspring and utmost selfless people with true grit and strength that has touched me and will always remain inspirational to me....

Aditya S. from Hyderabad, India SEPTEMBER 23, 2007
I now come to a point of realization that whenever you feel alone; in moments of despair and when you feel insignificant; there is something to look to...your own character. Keep building on it.

C. Fortune from Cape Town, South Africa SEPTEMBER 5, 2007
Wow! What an Inspirational piece of writing. It truly opened my eyes to how much character means, and how important it is--for it determines my destiny!

Hasa from Hyd, India AUGUST 24, 2007
This tells us what is strength of character.

Matthew R. from Manila, Philippines AUGUST 2, 2007
Thank you--this brings me to life again after all my doubts and imbibitions. I can say..ah, its nice to be back!

Ray E. from Phils. JULY 10, 2007
...this essay really opened my eyes to what is really important in life,caring for others, understanding their needs & not being selfish. This world would be a better place to live in if we just follow what the writer has written on this article. Very enlightening!

Anthonia N. from Abuja, Nigeria JUNE 6, 2007
I absolutely agree with most of the sentiments expressed by this writer. It is important for us as individuals, apart from striving to be the best we can be, to also encourage others to be their best so that the world can be a better place for us and for the future generations. It may seem like one's effort might be little but just do what you can and it would go a long way as each person does their bit. Thanks for such an impactful message.

Ariana T. from Newark, NJ MAY 31, 2007
WOW.I'm only a middle school student but reading these works...They just really make you think about life and that we should be grateful for all that we have and don't have. I can't wait to share this with my class in school!

Aarti from India MAY 30, 2007
really your work is really very inspiring for introspection..your words have the strength to lift up a person when he or she is down.

Amanda K. from UK APRIL 1, 2007
Ah, I believe I am at that stage in life you were in, selfish and materialistic. I can only hope and pray that as I grow, I can shake this. To become a better person and achieve things for the betterment of the world as a whole, those are aspirations I must admit I've flirted with. Thank you for writing such a wonderful essay of sorts. It has struck a nerve.

kelvin c. from Lusaka, Zambia. MARCH 27, 2007
with my deepest yearning for knowledge, especially in the aspect of character,this passage has done just what I've been looking for. The content is straight to the point and it calls for one to look on the inside of him/her. Thanks for this.


Here are some other inspiring stories you might like.
FAMILY
PAT C Next to his faith in God, the most important thing in my Dad’s life was his family; my Mom who was the love of his life, his kids, grandkids, great grandkids, brothers, and sisters. One of the ways he made life better for all of us and left his fingerprint on our lives was through the use of what I like to call...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
CHARACTER
MARJORIE W Marjorie W. grew up in a logging town in the mountains where she was expected to marry and spend the rest of her life taking care of her parents. After World War II, she was able to go to college and change her life's path. Despite leaving her little town, she never lost her core values. She was an honest,...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
COMPASSION
CHARLIE SCHULZ My son, Charlie, was an inspiration to many during his 19 years on this earth. When Charlie was in 5th grade, despite what we learned later was severe social anxiety, their strong sense of what was right led them to circulate petitions among their 5th grade schoolmates and write and present a statement (through...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
MENTORING
MISTY WELLS 5 Years ago Misty saw a need in children in Foster Care and she took action. For the past 5 years going strong Misty started a non profit called " A Reel Future" where she takes children in Group Foster Care fishing. She has single handed taken over 3,000 foster children fishing. She is showing them...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
KINDNESS
WENDY T Wendy was my wife of 4 years. We dated in high school, over 30 years ago. Eight years ago, we reconnected, and fell in love all over again. I quickly became attuned to why she was so special: Her kindness. I had never met anyone before, who showed as much kindness to everybody, as Wendy had. It wasn't one...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
HELPING OTHERS
SAWYER A. After learning about children and families in the poverty-stricken villages of Zambia; a country in south-central Africa, Sawyer Anderson wanted to help bring clean, safe water to the villagers. At age 9, Sawyer wrote and illustrated the book, Water Works, which is published in America, Vietnam (in Vietnamese)...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
BRAVERY
HARRIET TUBMAN Harriet Tubman freed 300 slaves she was so brave that is why she is my hero
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
LORI R. In 2012 Lori, along with her then high school age daughter Shira, began to keep their vehicle filled with pet supplies to hand out to the pets living on the streets of Riverside, CA with their homeless companions. They would give out pet food, leashes, collars and water so the pets would be fed well and kept...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
WISDOM
JAHSEH O There are many heros I look up to, but Jahseh Onfroy helped me through the darkest times in my life. His music did not only help me but it helped countless people. When he spoke to us, it was always about growing and becoming better than what we are. I have learned many valuable lessons from him, and I constantly...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
COURAGE
WINSTON CHURCHILL Winston Churchill was a transformational leader who exemplifies courage and an absolute refusal to give up in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Churchill had the ability to understand the needs of others, listen to those around him, and admit his mistakes while never wavering from his ultimate goal. ...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
COMMUNITY
MATTHEW M Matt was a shining example of what it meant to be a good person. He devoted countless hours to volunteering in the arts and helping his community and even more to the people he loved. He was brilliant, kind, funny, comforting, generous, ambitious, loving, witty, and so many other wonderful words that I could not...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
CARING
TISH R My former wife is an amazing individual. She works as a behavior analyst, and has been helping injured others achieve a much greater quality of life. In one of my proudest specific memories, she facilitated a transition for a man who was in an ALF, brain-injured, from wearing diapers in a wheelchair to...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
BEING THERE
BK SAINI SAINI My husband helped me since he knew me since 1975. He is there for me every single day. He is so kind all the time. He took care of me during any need except not when he is at the job. He comes at home if any emergency arrives. For God’s grace he was never called till today. I still remember when our second baby...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
A BETTER LIFE
MARC W My father immigrated to the US in the 1950s with his parents when he was a small boy. Holland was still recovering from the Second World War, and opportunities seemed limited. Adding to the economic challenges, my father was the product of a relationship that was scandalous for the time: my grandfather came from...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
PEACE
DANA W Grieving (Fly High Dana Wilson Jr.) On March 7, 2022 my only little brother passed away at home in his bed. This has been one of the hardest things to deal with. I dont think a day goes by that i dont find myself breaking down crying. I think my eyes are puffy did alot of crying yesterday..omg this is really...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
VISION
FRANCES P Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the fourth United States Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member of the Democratic Party, Perkins was the first woman ever to serve in a...
SUBMITTED BY ANONYMOUS
Read Story
Where did your values come from?

We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.

Tell Us Your Story All Everyday Hero Stories

We use cookies or similar technologies to process data when you visit our site. This data may relate to your use of our site, your preferences, your device, or other information about you. We and third parties may use this information for a variety of purposes, such as enabling the sites to function, to personalize your experience when using our sites, and for analytical purposes. Read our privacy policy and terms of use for details. close

Reject All Accept All