You may have seen the 2000 movie, starring Haley Joel Osment, Helen Hunt, and Kevin Spacey. If you have not, its a moving drama about a young boy (Osment) who is challenged at the beginning of the school year by his teacher (Spacey) to do something to change the world for the better. This young boy comes up with the idea of “pay it forward,” to do something for someone else in order that they will do the same and so on.
Why would I bring this type of movie and concept up? Well, I was at Nino Salvaggio (a great international grocery store) early today in the hopes of finding some Indian spices and Falafel. As soon as I had all of my items gathered, I headed to the check out. There was only one person in front of me, a gentleman of a tall stature, slightly overweight, in his late 40’s – early 50’s. He was talking with the cashier, who happened to be working her last day before going back to college.
He then turned to me and said, “I know you will have a good night.” Puzzled, I responded with, “Ok, thanks.”
The cashier then proceeded to scan my items and as I looked at the screen, I noticed the price was adding up to around $170 dollars. It hit me like a brick. I turned back to him and said, “Are you trying to what I think you are?”
He response with a twinkle in his eye was politely, “Yes.”
As he grabbed his groceries and just as he was about to leave he turned to me one final time and said, “Do me one favor…do this for someone else, will you?”
I looked at him and said, “You got it.”
In the midst of stress and financial worries, where I have recently found myself wrapped up, I find myself dumbed by grace and human kindness. Something about this particular situation will stick with me, for a while and that is, it is time to pay it forward as well. It is time to bless another person so that they will in turn be blessed and then become a blessing in return.
Well, these are just my thoughts of the day…
