NewMexiKen remembers living in the San Francisco Bay area when the tolls on the bridges were 50ยข and it was not uncommon to give the toll taker a buck and tell him you were paying for the car behind you, too.
Now the toll is $3 and most locals use FasTrak. Alas, such is progress.
Anyway the story that follows reminded me of that lost tradition in a random acts of kindness kind of way. I never actually do this kind of thing myself, but I think it’s really nice that others do.
I was in the drive-thru at Tim Hortons by my house and had just ordered a coffee and croissant. I waited to get to the window and they handed me my order and said it had been paid for already. I curiously asked, “Who paid for it?” And the girl said, “The woman ahead of you. She does it all the time for people. And all she asks me to tell you is ‘pay it forward.'”
This made my entire day, and I made sure to tell everyone at work about it!
The next time I was in the same drive through, I paid for the person behind me. The best part about the whole thing was that I could spend the rest of the day imagining how that person felt. I know how good it made me feel, and it stuck with me.
You never know how someones day is going, and a small act like paying for a persons coffee can turn their entire day around.