Cliches'...."pay it forward"
 

I am so tired of hearing "pay it forward" and "give back". (I did not "take" anything). I understand what they are advocating (volunteering, sharing, etc) but still, there has to be a better way to express it. Is it me?

sandy

Tartan you have the right idea - kindness goes a long way. When I donate it comes from the heart.

These terms don't bother me. To me, they're a way of reminding those of us who feel blessed to be a blessing to someone else, even in the smallest way. (Because what's small and insignificant to one, can be huge to someone else.)

Now there are certain current buzz terms which are quite prevalent right now, especially among campaigning politicians and ivory tower academicians. I won't mention them, because this isn't a board for political debate. However, when I hear those terms, I close my ears, so I certainly understand where you're coming from.

i have a steady income; a sturdy roof over my head; never go hungry; a son i'm so proud of i get all misty when i think about it; good friends; family; a functional car; a fabric stash that will keep me going for a good long time; nice machines; .... the list goes on and on.

did i "take" anything?
no

but i still have lots of "it" to be thankful for and enjoy doing what i can, when i can, for others who might not be as fortunate.

there are also the little random acts of kindness from total strangers.
those always make my day.
so, i try to share that by committing my own little random acts of kindness to strangers when the opportunity presents itself.

"pay it forward" isn't about re-paying anything.
the phrase is meant to encourage us to create or maintain the momentum of kindness for its own sake ... passing it along in the hope it will spread far enough that we are all as kind as we can be without even thinking about it or finding it remarkable.

it's one of the few cliches that doesn't bother me.

Patrice,

I agree. I thank God every day for the "things" I have , my good health and the people in my life. I volunteer, donate time, treasure and talent and I am kind too. Buzz words and cliches get boring after a while, and lose meaning.

Sandy

well said, Patrice. i, too, have so much to be thankful for in my life. i'm not rich in money, but i find every opportunity to give my time and talents... my way of paying the kindness and blessings forward.

Baby bump, I say pregnant. The one that really gets me is "I'm on a fixed income". This usually comes from retirees. I don't work anymore by choice. When I did, if I was going to be over 40 hrs for the week, I had to 'kill' time so there wasn't any OT. My husband is salary. Right now he is putting between 60-70 hrs a week in. He does not get OT-fixed income. Depending on the conversation, some people think they are exclusive because of their 'fixed income'. I just roll my eyes and laugh.

I agree with PatriceJ. When I am trying to get onto a public bus, I appreciate when a young person comes to my aid to help me up the steps with a heavy walker or give up the front seat for me. I then in-turn, try to pass on an act of kindness to another person. Might be the same day or a week later. I am always glad to explain the ins and outs of public transportation to a newbie. In this world, there is a big need for more small acts of kindness.

I don't really care for buzzwords either, but it's a way to remind people to be nice so I try not to let it annoy me. On Facebook every once in a while someone will announce it's "pay it forward" day. But people should be nice to others every day! I don't know if it's because I'm starting to look old or what but young people do kind things for me all the time too...opening doors, letting me go first. I've found that it's older people that aren't particularly nice. I'm getting older and I try to be nice to everyone everyday. But that's the way I was raised.