Pay It Forward
A few years ago I watched Pay It Forward, a movie from the year 2000 based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
While the movie probably could have been improved upon in it’s delivery of the theme, the concept of paying it forward is really intriguing.
The basic premise of the movie is as follows:
An 11-year-old schoolboy in Las Vegas, Nevada named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) is given a class project to complete by his social studies teacher, a man with terrible burn scars on his face and neck. His task is to come up with a plan that will change the world through direct action.
On his way home from school later that day, Trevor notices a homeless man, and decides to make a difference in his life. Trevor then comes up with the plan to “pay it forward” by doing a good deed for three people who must in turn each do good deeds for three other people, creating a charitable pyramid scheme. (Wikipedia)
I don’t wish want to be unrealistic about this concept, or find recruits for the “together we can change the world!” foundation, but here’s what I love about paying it forward: it’s all about (more…)
