Pay It Forward is a phylosophy I have adapted the past few years. If you don't know what it is ... it means that you perform random acts of kindness to complete strangers. You don't take any credit, that's not what it's about. It's about making someone elses day a little easier. It's about sharing what you have or can do with someone who needs it. It doesn't have to be anything big. It can be as small as parking someone's grocery cart for them, or opening a door and saying 'Have a great day', or one of my favorites is to pay for the meal of whomever is behind me at the drive up, and asking the cashier to as them to pay it forward. But the best ones are when you are able to make a real change, like buying someone's groceries when they left their card in the car, or helping a stranded driver by getting a new battery for their car. These are really big things and I've done many of them, but the kindness does not have to be this big. Any kindness you can provide will be appreciated by the recipient. When I have an encounter where I'm actually face to face with someone and trying to convince them that I want to help without credit or even telling them who I am, I make it a point to task them into paying it forward to someone else. I never know if they do or not, of course, but I think the experience is enlightening to them and extremely satisfying for me. How do you Pay It Forward??
I did buy a homeless guy a meal. Yet the next day we had to kick him out. I also paid for someone's meal because they said they were broke. I got used, because he was an ex employee wanting to be rehired a 3rd time. He promised to pay me back. Oh well. I now don't buy anyone a meal.
I tend to tip fast food workers for being so nice. I only buy drinks now, I won't eat fast food anymore. I appreciate it when someone tips me. It also is part of my job to help customers with disabilities. Today a woman in a wheelchair came in. I took her change to her around the counter and placed it in her hand. I got her food and took it to a table of her choice. I also cleaned it off a second time because she can't be around germs. I also took her tray to the trash for her. Some guy opened the door for her to go. I find I can understand disabled people with speech impediments easily. I listen closely and I find it is easy for me to understand their needs. I'm around mentally ill people where I live. I grew up around disabled people. I see other co-workers not understanding them. That is where I come in. I end up getting most of the disabled customers. I enjoy being the one to understand them, and I can get them what they need. I rarely mess up an order, because I listen to what people want. I only have mishaps when people switch their order up or don't tell me they wanted this or that. I'm not a mind reader. Today some guy got rude about me putting ice in his drink. He never told me he didn't want ice. I was nice and remade his drink and was very nice to his rudeness.