PAY IT FORWARD
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Pay It Forward Stories

PAY IT FORWARD
In this day and age it seems as though our society has become one full of people who are out only for themselves. We will do whatever it takes to get ourselves to the top regardless of who we step on along the way. We are happy to see someone else get "voted off the island" or "fired". We will eat unheard of atrocities and risk bodily harm to win money, set aside our morals to satisfy an audience, and spend a week dating multiple people of the opposite sex, whom we have never met before, and think that we will find the perfect mate. All things which can leave the pocketbook full, but the heart empty.

"Pay It Forward" is the theory of doing something nice for a person, and in turn that person, instead of paying it "back", would pay it "forward", and do something nice for someone else. A simple act, when done unselfishly, is contagious. Kindness spreads like wildfire.

Paying it forward can be done by anyone, anytime. It does not matter what physical, emotional or financial state you are in. EVERYONE can do something nice for someone else. And it does not have to cost you a dime. Everyone is blessed with a gift or a talent, and you should share those gifts and talents with other people.

Paying It Forward affects people RIGHT NOW. How can you get involved? Here is how:
Take part in our 4 phase plan, designed to promote a "Pay It Forward" weekend, at least once a quarter. The weekend will be a Fri, Sat, Sun. The goal would be to do at least ONE nice thing for someone else during that weekend. When they thank you, or ask how they can pay you back, you simply ask them to "Pay It Forward". Then in turn will do something nice for someone else, and so on, and so on.

To help keep this movement going we have business cards, that read "Pay It Forward." After you have done something nice for a person, you will hand them the card. It will serve as a reminder to them as long as they have it, that they were the recipient of a good deed, and that it is now their turn to do the same. Those cards will be passed from person to person. The card will ask that once you have completed a good deed, that you e-mail ( PIF@westcoastpageants.com ) or call us (530-888-6082) so that we can track where the good deeds are taking place. We also would like any interesting stories sent, so that we can share them with others.

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To Print the Cards
There are 10 to a Page - Please cut them out yourself

• Here are a few ideas to get you started:
  • Someone who is going through chemotherapy, and may be weak, could benefit from someone coming over and cooking a meal for their family and doing all of their laundry.
  • Someone who has lost their hair to cancer, might enjoy being pampered at a salon, having their nails done, a pedicure, and a facial.
  • A homebound senior citizen could be taken for a day in the park.
  • An overworked housewife could be given the night off to go out with her husband while someone else babysat their children.
  • If you see someone down and depressed, hand them a flower and tell them to "Have a nice day"!
  • Read a story to a child.

The possibilities are endless. And again, it does not matter if you are poor, in a wheelchair, young, old, strong or weak. It is within your capability to offer kindness, and you will feel all the better for it afterward.

Phase 1 of this campaign will take place the last weekend in March. The 25th, 26th, and 27th. Over the Easter weekend. A time of resurrection and new beginnings. What a great time to start a new venture! Won't you join us in this campaign? One task is all we ask!

If you have already completed a good deed please e-mail us at PIF@westcoastpageants.com or call us at (530) 888-6082 so that we can keep track of where the good deeds are taking place.
We also would like any interesting stories sent to (PIF@westcoastpageants.com) us so that we can share them with others.

Important Lessons In Life

1. First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
   During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
2. Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
   One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
3. Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
   In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, was one quarter, two dimes and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4. Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
   In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5. Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
   Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away". Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.