Playing it forward

I'm sure you have all seen the movie or have heard stories about playing it forward. This forum is excellent proof of it. Life has not been rosey for me in the past, although it is getting better. A few years ago a gentleman helped me out with a lawnmower, it serves me well. Then this week another gentleman offered me an SD card. I went to pick it up and it was the same man. Gebo on here. Thank YOU
Then yesterday I posted about my sons laptop cord I didnt have 1 but 2 of the members here to help me out.
I ask for help or suggestions and someone is always right here to help, I thank you all

Last Christmas I was given money from my parents, I decided to buy a new sofa set, the other was still in fairly good shape so I played it forward to the girls at the womens shelter. Feels good helping others and I am sure who ever received it was grateful.

I try to help out as much as I can by playing it forward. Have you played it forward? or know someone that has?
share your stories

It is my motto to do a good deed every day. Sometimes they are quite small and others bigger. It makes the recipient happy and me even happier!
When I was a single mom (for 12 years), I had neighbours bring over food once in a while, or offer to take one of my sons to a sports event or just sit and listen to me tell my woes. I've never forgotten that.
So, whenever I can, I try to repay those acts of kindness a hundred fold.

I agree - but there is a lot of scumbags and losers out there...here's a couple stories...

1) I answered an ad earlier this year from a woman who volunteers at a cancer clinic. She needed someone with a truck and a 'strong back' to go pick up some furniture for a Simcoe woman with cancer. I answered the ad (I was the only one) and agreed to help.
I drive to Simcoe - pick up the free furniture at another house and drive to the recipients house to drop it off. As I'm walking up to the door with my brother I explicitly said to him, "watch this, I bet this is a crack house and there will be a useless husband sleeping on the couch or something". I kid you not, a little girl opens the door and invites me in and what do I see? A useless dirty POS sleeping on the couch. Let me describe the scene for you - There was one little path thru the house where you could walk - stuff was piled up everywhere. On every shelf or open space on the TV or coffee table, there were glasses and dishes set there. 5 screaming kids and 5 cats. The place reeked of urine. We almost gagged.
I introduce myself and remind them that I called the night before and said I would be there at 9:00am the next morning. They were not ready, to say the least. What does the useless husband do? Goes upstairs to bed. We ended up taking the furniture off our truck and leaving it in the yard. I'm no sucker.
We both had to go home and change our clothes and shower as the smell was just pervasive - it literally clung to you.
Never again. CAS should have been called, the kids should have been taken out of the house and that useless 'man' should have been beat within an inch of his life.

2) I organized a can good drive at my last place of employment. This was 6-7 years ago. We were a small company and I had about 4-5 bags of food and goodies to give away. I went to the Salvation Army in Tillsonburg, walked in and explained what we were doing. I didn't even get a 'hello' - the women working there were like vultures - they quickly snatched the bags from me and went into a back room. I snuck around the corner and watched as they took all the good stuff out and separated it from the no-name stuff. I'm not saying they took it for themselves but that was the vibe I was getting. I left without even a 'Thank you'. I was furious. Never again.

Yes, it's good to help your fellow man - i truly believe that and have the charity receipts to prove it - but when you go thru something like the above it really makes you jaded and skeptical. The few people who prey on the good-hearted really do ruin it for the truly needy.

I am sorry you have experienced this twice. I believe you will still be rewarded for your efforts down the road.
I have helped people in the past who I have felt were ungrateful, but that hasn't stopped me cause its makes me feel better knowing I have helped someone who could not help themselves.
So for the ones who have not been grateful that you have helped, I Thank you!

In very small ways I see it practiced regularly. But I personally don't think I have seen it in the way it was portrayed in the movie ... where what you are paying forward is of significant personal value (as in, not something that you just no longer need). Still ... any act of kindness is a good thing and always appreciated.

Incidentally, it's "PAY it forward" - not "play".