Friday, September 21, 2007

Pay it forward

This is the title of a film about a boy who tries to do good things for people and asks them to "pay it forward"
We all say from time to time " How can I ever repay you?". Well, the boy's answer was " Do something good for somebody else".
Needless to say, this being a tearjerker, the boy ends up dead.
But I was reminded of it this morning about the tale of young boy in Greenock, just down the road from Glasgow, who had been murdered - presumably by his contemporaries. By all accounts, he was a " pay it forward" sort of person. This is how far hatred of ourselves and jealousy of one another has taken us.
I don't know that in times past we were necessarily more charitable or helpful, but I'm absolutely sure that as we get older we need to take stock and give back some of what we have had.
I don't just mean money. If everything could be solved with $s or £s, all our problems would long ago have been banished. The inumerable volunteers who keep our charities going give the lie to this.
I am fast approaching the " sans teeth" stage of life and I do my best to be helpful and caring.
So let's all try to make the world a better place.
Phone someone you've been meaning to.
Make a lunch date with someone you really ought to.
Give some of your precious time to a worthwhile cause.
Care for someone.
But above all, whatever it is, do it today.

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