What obscure off-the-wall thing did someone say to you that shaped who you are today?

When I was in first grade, the boy who lived across the street from me (maybe 12-15 years old at the time) walked up, looked me dead in the eye and said, "The answer to every question is 'observing.' " After he said this, he simply turned and walked away without saying anything else.

My lexicon at the time was rather limited and I didn't understand immediately what he meant My parents received a call the next day because I would only say 'observing' when I was asked a question. I was not a clever kid.

However, over time I began to appreciate what he said to me. In a way, I think this forms the bases of my thought process and a slight obsession with scientific inquiry. Every question answered starts with an act of observation. I am the only Atheist in my family and before I moved out of the US, I never met another atheist.

Thanks Ragu Raju if you see this!

TL;DR: The answer to every question is 'observing.'