Mad Over Stories

On April 26, 2003, Aron Ralston was hiking alone through Blue John Canyon in southeastern Utah when an 800-pound boulder shifted and pinned his right hand against the canyon wall. He had told no one where he was going.

At 14, James Harrison nearly died after major chest surgery. He received 13 units of blood from strangers — blood that saved his life. He made a quiet promise in the hospital bed: he would donate blood for the rest of his life in gratitude.

On a Tuesday afternoon in a suburban Walmart, a woman named Teresa stood at the checkout line holding back tears. She’d miscalculated her budget — again — and had $30 less than she thought. Her cart was full of groceries for her three kids. She began putting items back, quietly, methodically, trying