As we learned from the movie, the concept is simple: Do something nice for someone, and have them do something nice for someone else. At the restaurant, I complained that no one had taken our order. Later, when we finished, the server informed us that our meal had been comped. I assumed that the restaurant was making amends, but she informed us that a customer was our benefactor. As I departed, I pointed to a table and informed the manager that I wanted to pay their check. “Pay it forward.” I left with a smile, my faith in humanity restored.
Tom Gumbert and his wife live near Edgington Mound, an Indian burial mound by the Ohio River. He’s honored that previous work is published alongside his literary heroes. Find Tom on Twitter @TomGumbert.