A couple of years ago, I was flying to Bucharest and I realized that I hadn't seen my wallet since Zurich. The man sitting next to me on the plane, seeing me frantically rifle through my backpack, asked me if I was missing anything. I told him I couldn't find my wallet. We talked during the plane ride and as we were about to leave he gave me 10 euros, saying, "I won't starve without it, but you might." His name was Jerry, and he was an environmental consultant from Allentown, Pennsylvania.

As it turned out, I had a great time in Romania, and my wallet was waiting for me in Switzerland, at the lost-and-found office of the airport. Life went on, and so on. But I'll never forget the kindness of a total stranger on a plane in the middle of the sky over the Carpathians.

Thank you, Jerry. I hope I find you one day.