Pay It Forward

Oh how I would love to say I do this. But sadly I do not. Unless you count listening to people with they need to vent, maybe that makes them listen to people and so forth. Who knows?:m075:
 
once in awhile I'll do something random like pay the toll behind me, or there was one day that a guy ahead of me had a bunch of kid medicine and realized at the register he left his wallet elsewhere.

I told him to take his stuff and told the clerk to ring up my stuff and I'd pay for it.

*shrug* Sometimes I'm am a sucker for the people in distress
 
I too am a sucker when I see distress (especially in children).


The other week when I went snowboarding a little girl infront of me had a tray with a burger some snacks and a drink. The prices are exorbitant at places like this. When all she had was a $5 bill to pay for $5 worth of food that cost $11 she started having to remove a single item at a time and getting a new total. This struck me and I motioned for the cashier to accept the five dollars and let me pay for the rest.

When I worked at a gas station a father came in with his 2 children and along with whatever he was buying (milk and smokes and a newspaper or something along those lines) his children were practically begging him to buy some candy and a cheap knick-nack and he broke down to their pleas and asked me for a total. The man pulled out all his change and obviously couldn't afford it. I hated the idea of a man not being able to provide these simple albeit unnecessary and wasteful pleasures to his children. With his money on the counter I told him that this was correct, handed him his bag and bid him a good night. After he left I pocketed his money and charged the sale on my visa.

I also stop for people stuck on the road. I've given people rides down the street for gas, lent them my cellphone to call for help, pushed more than a few vehicles to the curb, pushed more than a few vehicles to get them started (When someone tells you to put it in first and hold the clutch dont put it in first and expect them to be able to push it started with the clutch released and dont make them work harder to get it moving fast enough for second gear!).
I've been lucky enough that when i stop people usually have things under control or honestly just need a little help and aren't looking for a sucker to mug or take advantage of.

I do these things because I would want someone to help me if I needed it, and because even if I dont want to push your car in sub-frigid temperatures, the person I want to be wouldn't think twice.
 
gOpHeR said:
I too am a sucker when I see distress (especially in children).


The other week when I went snowboarding a little girl infront of me had a tray with a burger some snacks and a drink. The prices are exorbitant at places like this. When all she had was a $5 bill to pay for $5 worth of food that cost $11 she started having to remove a single item at a time and getting a new total. This struck me and I motioned for the cashier to accept the five dollars and let me pay for the rest.

When I worked at a gas station a father came in with his 2 children and along with whatever he was buying (milk and smokes and a newspaper or something along those lines) his children were practically begging him to buy some candy and a cheap knick-nack and he broke down to their pleas and asked me for a total. The man pulled out all his change and obviously couldn't afford it. I hated the idea of a man not being able to provide these simple albeit unnecessary and wasteful pleasures to his children. With his money on the counter I told him that this was correct, handed him his bag and bid him a good night. After he left I pocketed his money and charged the sale on my visa.

I also stop for people stuck on the road. I've given people rides down the street for gas, lent them my cellphone to call for help, pushed more than a few vehicles to the curb, pushed more than a few vehicles to get them started (When someone tells you to put it in first and hold the clutch dont put it in first and expect them to be able to push it started with the clutch released and dont make them work harder to get it moving fast enough for second gear!).
I've been lucky enough that when i stop people usually have things under control or honestly just need a little help and aren't looking for a sucker to mug or take advantage of.

I do these things because I would want someone to help me if I needed it, and because even if I dont want to push your car in sub-frigid temperatures, the person I want to be wouldn't think twice.
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This is brilliant! :) Sounds like you are a yesman!! naah but this will pay of someday because everytime you help someone in need of it, they will remember and help someone next time. It is like a chain reaction, the same way smiling towards someone new will make them happier.

This happened to me once when I was stuck in the city with my best friend and there was no way home as we missed the last train, so this man called a cab and payed it for us as we had no money (ofc it was scary). However he stricktly said remember that next time someone else may be in need of help. It was like an epiphany because we would have been stuck there all night otherwise and who knows what could have happened. ^^
 
Random acts of kindness are always a good thing if I'm in a position to give them.
 
Sometimes. Over my lifetime so far, it probably adds up to "quite often".

My husband does this routinely, letting older people or women with babies ahead of him in line, giving them his seat if seats are scarce, buying them coffee if he can see they're anxious (i.e. to catch a flight, etc.).

He spends a lot of time in airports and hospitals, and has a lot of opportunity for small acts of kindness, and he generally acts on that impulse whenever possible.

I absolutely LOVE that about him.
 
I have always been afraid to do this. Possibly because I feel such outward show charity is a little vain or something.

BUt I do end up feeling really really bad when I pass up on the opportunity.
 
I do this a lot. Not paying it forward so much as random act of kindness. I only it do it though because I always feel inspired when people are kind for absolutely no reason. It's like a minor miracle or something. Helps me believe in humanity's magic. Since I know how much *I* get a kick out of the kindness of strangers... why not add to it?
 
ZenCat said:
He spends a lot of time in airports and hospitals, and has a lot of opportunity for small acts of kindness, and he generally acts on that impulse whenever possible.

I absolutely LOVE that about him.
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Awwwwwwww I melt for this kinda thing... That's a trait I would LOVE my future partner to have <3
 
Yep. My tire had a flat and when I had it towed to a place to be repaired (I didn't have a spare) The repair man said, "You've had some trouble with this car?" (As he noticed that the tow truck guy did not put it in neutral when he towed it in, and now there's a whole other mess of problems with it.)

Well, the guy at the tire place did not charge me anything at all for the new tire or the labor. I couldn't believe it. I was utterly baffled as to why he'd take a hit for somebody else's mistake.. But I certainly appreciated his kind and altruistic perspective on life (as well as the money he saved me!)
 
If I see someone in distress and I have the ability to help them than yes, more times than not, I help. Mostly, because I have a hard time looking away, and I hope that if I ever need it someone kind will help me as well. I believe in the good of others and if I can shine a little light of my own than, twinkle, twinkle.
 
I guess my volunteer work with the kids from the inner-city school I did for years was a form of paying it forward--not the academic work as much as the weekend "enrichment trips" and homework nights. While most of them didn't achieve what I hoped for--high school graduation--maybe that wasn't the point. Maybe the underlying good will come from their taking someone under their wings and giving whatever they have to give to someone in need. In short, what I should have hoped for was generosity rather than graduation.
 
One week ago, when I was riding to school. I saw that a man on the other side of the road dropped his coat on the ground without noticing it. I yelled at him but he didn't hear me. I looked on my watch to see if I had enough time, which I did. So I crossed the street, picked up the coat and tried to catch up to him. He was riding quite fast so when I finally caught up I was exhausted. The big thank you he gave me when I handed over the coat made my day :)
 
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