The social movement "Pay it Forward" has been around a considerable amount of time. After doing some research - as little as possible, I may add - I found it may have very well started as far back as 317 BC in ancient Athens when the concept was used in the play Dyskolos written by Menande. "Make rich as many people as you can by your own efforts. For this act never dies."
Since then, some of our greats throughout the centuries have used and implemented this philosophy in their own works and daily lives.
Lily Hammond is to believed to have coined the phrase in her 1916 book In the Garden of Delight with the quote "You don't pay love back; you pay it forward". I had started reading it online because our libraries in the area don't have it for loan. Ah, what a wonderful thing the internet is.
In todays age of social media the ripple effect of this philosophy could be enormous; it is truly amazing when you think about it. One person's kind gesture of paying it forward could thus yield a world of difference whether your alms be to a charitable cause, a thoughtful deed or even just a kind word or friendly smile. A friend on Facebook (John) posted a pay it forward drive he himself is taking part in, so I decided I would be a part of it too, through him.
I'm reminded of a vacation day in Delaware this past summer. As Mikenna and I walked around sightseeing in Rehoboth Beach while her father worked she spotted a police officer writing tickets for cars parked in expired parking meter spots. She asked me for a quarter and I was a little puzzled since we had just come from the boardwalk. I gave her the quarter and she walked towards a car parked at one of those expired meters, its red flag stood erect. I stood there and watched her drop it in the meter and I smiled. As she walked back to me, I reached into my purse and retrieved what quarters I had and as we walked under the warmth of the day amidst the bustling crowds of beach goers it warmed my heart to see her paying it forward. That small act of hers ended up costing a mere $3.75 giving us not only a cherished memory we shared together, but also a feeling deep down within us, that maybe, in some small way, we made a difference in someone's life. And then the next day, we were the ones who got a parking ticket.
We all are capable of implementing some form of this, whether it's big or small. An 11 year old proved that.
"What wisdom can you find greater than kindness" ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau
