Paying It Forward

About a month ago, I went to San Francisco for a day to clear my head and take copious amounts of sign and architecture pictures. It was a lovely day out, with lots of walking in the sunshine, enjoying San Francisco's unique vibe, and window-shopping.

But what stands out from that day is something that happened as I returned home that evening. Traveling along Interstate 80, I came to the toll booth at the Carquinez Bridge, and pulled a five dollar bill out of my purse to pay the toll. When I reached the toll booth however, the toll collector smiled and informed me that the car ahead of me had paid my toll.

Confused, I tried again to hand him my fiver. He just smiled and said, "No, you're fine," while waving me through.

A total stranger had paid my toll for me!

This random act of kindness brought a smile to my face, and I vowed I would pay it forward. Then, as happens, life got busy and stressful and I put the idea on the back burner...until this weekend.

I went to Oakland on Friday afternoon to see Summer, and attend her Friday night choir concert. I spent the night, but in the back of my mind while I was there was the fact that again, I would find myself on the Carquinez Bridge on Saturday afternoon. I had a ten dollar bill in my purse, and I made the decision that it was the perfect opportunity to pay it forward, finally.

Money has been tight of late, but Friday morning I learned that my unemployment benefits, recently suspended until the EDD could determine what I'd meant by "started training" on my claims form (ahh, bureaucracy...), would be reinstated, so giving up $5 to pay a stranger's toll on a bridge isn't a big deal. And that's just what I did.

I have no idea how the car behind me reacted to being waved through the toll booth without having to pay. I have no idea if it made them smile--I hope it did. All I know is that for several minutes afterwards, I smiled, and felt good that I finally had a chance to pay forward the kindness someone else bestowed on me a month ago.

I'm writing about this here not to toot my own horn or to ask the universe for good karma, but simply to remind anyone who reads this that sometimes, the best thing to do for yourself when life has been stressful and things look kind of impossible, is to give something to someone else. It doesn't have to be a big something. A bridge toll. A smile. A compliment. But just give something--in the end, it doesn't cost you anything, really, but the dividends are huge.