I didn’t go to Best Buy that day expecting anything special. I was just running in quickly, hoping to find something they didn’t end up having. So there I was — standing in line with nothing but a single bottle of water, slightly annoyed, ready to be on my way.
That’s when I noticed the man in front of me.
He looked familiar — really familiar. He had a cart full of stuff, standing there casually, no entourage, no security. Just him.
And then it hit me.
It was Tom Hanks.
I couldn’t help it. The words flew out of my mouth before I could stop them.
“Forrest Gump is my favorite movie!” I blurted, instantly regretting how awkward I sounded.
But instead of brushing me off, he turned around with that iconic warm smile and said, “That was my favorite movie to make! I’m glad you love it.” And just like that, we were talking — like old friends. We chatted about movies, about Forrest, about how certain roles just stay with you. I was starstruck, but he made it so easy to talk.
Then came his turn to check out. As they were ringing up his mountain of tech gear, he glanced at the bottle in my hand and said, “Oh, let me get that water for you.”
I was stunned. “Oh, no, you don’t have to—”
But he insisted.
He paid for my water like it was the most normal thing in the world — like we were just neighbors at a corner store.
Then, as we walked out of the store together, still chatting, he turned to me, smiled, and said:
“Nice talking to you! You’re a very nice young lady… and always remember…” — and here, he shifted into that voice, the one that made me fall in love with Forrest Gump as a kid —
“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.”
I swear, time stopped for a second.
That moment? That kindness? That perfect Forrest Gump quote in the voice that made it famous?
It was the best thing ever.
A tiny bottle of water.
A chance encounter.
And a memory I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
Because sometimes, you really don’t know what you’re gonna get — but every now and then, it’s Tom Hanks.
