WELCOME HOME JUSTIN WRIGHT! - The Bulletin Magazine

circles: SMALL ACTS by Vicki Pinkerton
In the movie “Pay it Forward” (2000), a young boy decides to make the world a better place in response to a
challenge by his teacher. His project was to commit an act of kindness, or to pay it forward, for 3 people and have
each of them do the same for three more. By the end of the movie, the concept had swept North America.
Everyone was paying it forward. It was an audience favorite, but could it happen in real life? Do we have time
or energy in our busy lives to commit random acts of kindness for no other reason than to give life to kindness
in our communities? I think we all have the heart for it; it’s just that we forget. We get busy and we stomp through
life sometimes too overwhelmed to look left or right.
Let’s not do that anymore. Speaking to people about this
I realize that there is an active kindness culture here.
Anne told me that she was in the library ready to check
out a pile of books when the librarian told her that she
had to clear her card of over-due fines first. She rifled her
purse looking for change and came up empty handed. Oh
sigh. She would have to go home, get change and come
back before she could take them out. Then a hand slipped
across the counter with money in it. A gentleman had
witnessed the incident and pulled the change out of his
pocket. “Just pay it forward,” he grinned.
Lorraine has found her driveway plowed out after every
snow or blow this winter. She doesn't know who is doing
it but her gratitude is immeasurable. It means that she and
her boys aren't out there shoveling the considerable load
of snow that has accumulated lately. She has tried
unsuccessfully to find out who is doing it, but she feels
good knowing that she has a 'snow' angel out there.
Cathy told me that working in retail, especially before
Christmas can be a thankless job. People are rushed,
tempers are frayed and the hours are long. One day just
as she started work, she found a woman frustrated
because she could not find an item that would complete
her Christmas list. She had searched everywhere and
Cathy's store was her last chance. The clerk who was helping her didn't understand the request. Cathy stepped in,
found the item and that was that, or so she thought. Later in the day, the woman arrived back in the store bearing
homemade cookies. She expressed her gratitude and thanked Cathy for being so patient with her. I could tell by
the look on her face that Cathy still remembered the moment fondly as she told me about it. “It changed the day
that I was about to have. I was filled with Christmas spirit.”
Most acts of kindness are small ones. They don't intend to change the world but often put smiles on faces and
help people feel good about themselves. I try to practice kindness in small ways too. I love to write letters of
thanks to stores praising clerks who have gone over and above. It reminds bosses how important their employees
8 The Bulletin | 13TH YEAR www.TheBulletinMagazine.com