Have you ever heard the phrase “Pay It Forward”? Ever since the movie of the same name debuted in 2000, people have been adopting the “PIF” mindset into their own lives. You have probably heard of national examples, such as the mystery person who puts a $10,000 diamond ring in a red Salvation Army bucket every year, or the man who randomly hands out thousands of dollars in 100 dollar bills along the streets of New York.
But what about here, in our little part of the valley? I decided to pose that question on my personal Facebook page and see what people had to say. The responses I received were simple, random, thoughtful, spur of the moment and more. Some were thought out well in advance and some just happened because of circumstance. Some were only givers and some were only receivers, and some were both, many times over. For some it was a one-time occurrence, for others, ongoing. Here are some of the responses I received:
Lisa paid the parking fee for the person behind her when the person in front paid Lisa’s. Bob opens doors for everyone, everywhere. Leesa takes her elderly neighbor out for dinner once a month. Mike was in the drive-thru at our recently opened Krispy Kreme when he noticed a police car behind him in line. So he bought the officer a dozen hot.
Suzi carries an extra umbrella in her car to give to someone when it is raining. Shirley reads the mail to her blind neighbor. Stacie’s kids gave up their Christmas money to buy groceries for a poor family. Kelly paid for a tank of gas for a man who told her he just lost his job. Matt’s neighbor plowed his driveway when it snowed so Matt could get to work.
Melinda was in Walmart when a man behind her in line, in his military uniform, paid for all her purchases. Now she is looking for someone in uniform to repay the favor. Molly was in McDonalds when the person in front of her paid for her meal, so she paid for the meal of the person behind her and told them to Pay It Forward. Marie was in the drive-thru line at Starbucks and when she got to the window she was told the person in front of her had already paid for Marie’s drink.
Margaret was in Hardee’s when she saw the lady in front of her have her credit card declined. The woman was embarrassed and left quickly, so Margaret paid for the woman’s meal and ran outside telling the woman to come back, she forgot something. The woman went back inside to find her meal waiting on her and Margaret gone. Helen anonymously buys winter coats and food for the same family every year at Christmas.
Kathy was in Food Lion when a man walked up to her and handed her a $25 gift card without a word. When she checked out she asked the clerk about the man and was told he had bought $150 worth of gift cards to give away right then. Paige paid a co-worker’s electric bill, which was past due, to keep her power on.
Perhaps the most interesting of all is Frank, who is now 55 years old and says he started PIF when he was eight. He found two $20 bills on the street, which was a lot of money back in the 60’s. He and his Dad took the money to the police station. After waiting two agonizing weeks, the police gave him that $40 which he promptly spent on four winter coats for his siblings. Frank said he has found a lot of money since then, always trying to return it if possible.
As for me, I have been the recipient more than once at Starbucks, and I have purchased gas and food for people who needed it. I guess the moral of the story is to be nice and look out for your fellow man. If we all did that, the world would sure be a better place.
Carla M. Bream
