Ken Wilcox felt hopeless. Then a simple gesture from a stranger changed his life.
Ken Wilcox
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Ken Wilcox
Ken Wilcox felt hopeless. Then a simple gesture from a stranger changed his life.
Ken Wilcox
This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.
Editor’s Note: This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifebuoy by dialing 9-8-8, or Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Ken Wilcox started 1993 feeling hopeless. He had a new job in Washington, D.C., and although he was well paid, his boss was what Wilcox describes as a “tyrant.” On top of this, many of Wilcox’s friends were falling ill and dying of AIDS.
“Life was bleak,” Wilcox said.
One January morning, after a business meeting, Wilcox was walking down a busy street. It was freezing cold and all the holiday cheer of the New Year had vanished from the city. He had just received two difficult phone calls: one from his angry boss and the other from a friend who had recently been diagnosed with AIDS.
“So I felt really unhappy. And I just didn’t understand what the purpose of life was,” he recalled.
As the sidewalk was crowded, Wilcox moved along the outside sidewalk, near the road.
“And as I was walking, a city bus came and it came so close to me that I could feel it brushing against (the) right arm of my coat. And suddenly an idea came to me… And this idea was that I could wait on the next bus and lean over a little bit and that bus could put me out of all my misery.”
As he pondered his idea, Wilcox made eye contact with a woman walking toward him.
“She deliberately looked at me and searched for my eyes. And when we locked eyes, she just gave me this beautiful, wonderful smile,” Wilcox said.
“She didn’t say anything to me. She just smiled at me. And that smile alone was enough to keep me moving forward.”
Shortly after this interaction with his unsung hero, Wilcox quit his job. He is now a minister, a job he loves.
“I must marvel that all of this happened because this wonderful woman on a street in Washington, DC, on a cold January day, decided to smile at me. She is my unsung hero.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, there are people who can help. Call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline to 988.
My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes come out every Tuesday. To share your unsung hero’s story with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
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