Off Topic - Pay It Forward

Dear Readers,

I have a confession to make.

I am one of those corny people that still has hope in humankind.

I believe in being part of the solution, not part of the problem. I believe that we all benefit when those around us are doing well. I believe in giving someone else credit for what I've done. I believe in trying to leave things in a better condition than I found them. I like to participate in random acts of kindness and to pay it forward.

Last night I had to pick up some groceries after a long day in the office. I was in that daze that happens when you are picking up dinner at 9:00 pm. I was moving my cart down the aisle when I nearly ran into another shopper. She stopped me and asked me for help. Nearly crying as she told me about her boys and I saw that her basket had only generic rice, beans, oats, and bread. My immediate reaction was to give her a hug and tell her that its tough for everyone right now. She burst into tears and told me that even if I couldn't help her with her groceries that I had already helped her enough. Usually, I don't carry any cash but I just happened to have a $10 and I gave it to her.

Sure, she may have been feeding me a line. I like to think that my many years of sales and marketing experience allow me to get a fairly decent read on people. In addition, when you grow up in the "bad" part of town you tend to recognize other poor folks. At any rate, it really doesn't matter.

I did the right thing.

I can look in the mirror and say that I did my best to leave things better than I found them.

If she did the wrong thing, she's got to live with that. Plus, if she's taking that much energy to be that convincing then she deserves my $10 even if she didn't really need it.

My conscious is clear.

Have a great weekend. How about trying to pass on some goodwill while you're at it?

Sincerely,

Still Hopeful About Humanity