PAY IT FORWARD

PAY IT FORWARD 😃 That’s all that was written in the large black notebook. As I fanned through the pages, I saw that it was written on every page in black marker with thick bold capital letters. PAY IT FORWARD - followed by a smiley face sticker 😀. An imperative that was puzzling when I first picked up the notebook and opened the cover. It became a bit clearer when I found the manila envelope taped to the inside of the back cover of the notebook. I peeled off the tape, lifted the flap, reached in and pulled out 2 stacks of cash. A paper band wrapped the center of each stack with the notation $10,000 handwritten on each. One hundred $100 bills in each pile - $20,000!

So, a black notebook I found on the floor of the Reading Terminal Market in downtown Philly has a s**tload of money in it. And it seems to be telling me to pass the windfall on to others. I can heed the advice or I can keep the cash and pay off some bills and have a little fun. Maybe go to Sugarhouse Casino and see if I can increase the stash. Seems like a no-brainer - keep the cash and reap the benefits.

But there was a little tickle in my brain that said ‘Give it away’. Made me think of a character in a cartoon with a haloed figure on one shoulder and an imp on the other. Both whispering advice, trying to influence the decision. “Keep it!” “Give it away!” “Keep it!” “Give it away!”

I decided to think about it over lunch. I made my way through the crowd and was lucky to find a seat at the counter of the Little Thai Market restaurant. I ordered a bowl of shrimp pad thai and a Thai iced tea. I mulled over my dilemma while I enjoyed my meal, still undecided. But as I went to pay my check, a thought struck me and I took a bill from the notebook’s envelope, put it on the counter with my check and left. As I walked away, I turned around to see the waitress’s reaction as she picked up the bill and realized she just got a $91 tip. The initial shock and then subsequent smile were awesome to see and gave me a rush. You know what? This could be fun!

So, now I was on a mission. How many different ways could I find to give away this money? As I made my way back to the parking garage, I figured I would just play it by ear and stay alert to opportunities to spread the cash around to folks who could use it.

As I walked north on 12th St. I saw a girl in a Scout uniform selling cookies outside the Panera restaurant. I stopped and picked up 2 boxes of Thin Mints and gave her a $100 bill. She hesitated a second and then said, “I don’t have enough change for this. Do you have a smaller bill?” I smiled and said, “No problem. Just keep the change.” And there again was that look of surprise and gratitude that I found so satisfying.

On the corner of 12th and Arch, I noticed one of Philly’s ubiquitous homeless people looking for a handout. A scruffy man with a dirty orange backpack at his feet, rattling some loose change in a coffee can; hunched over and staring blankly into the distance. I took 2 bills this time and dropped them into the can. The man stood up a little straighter and I heard a raspy voice say, “Thank you kind sir! Much appreciated.” I walked on, smiling as I pictured his surprise when he took a closer look at the can’s contents.

A few minutes later, I was driving down Race St. heading home to Bala Cynwyd. As I idled at a red light, I saw another panhandler weaving his way through the line of stopped cars holding out a small cardboard box looking for donations. He shuffled up to my car as I lowered my window, reached into the notebook’s envelope, took out 2 more bills and dropped them into his box. The man mumbled a thanks and scurried off to the side of the road as the light turned green.

As I merged onto the Schuylkill Expressway, I recalled a TV show I used to watch as a kid back in the early ‘60s. It was called “The Millionaire” and was about a mysterious benefactor who would give random people a check for $1,000,000 each week resulting in a variety of consequences. My smaller contributions paled in comparison, but I felt like a tycoon.

The next couple of weeks were a whirlwind of charitable activities: a $100 bill in a few tip jars at local Dunkin Donuts; a couple thousand $$ to WHYY, the area’s NPR station; $5000 to Philabundance, the city’s largest food bank; $500 to my neighborhood fundraiser to build a playground; cash to a couple of GoFundMe campaigns to help some cancer patients; a donation to the Red Cross to support hurricane victims in Louisiana; and finally a contribution to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Sitting at my kitchen table, I pulled out the last $100 bill from the envelope. I decided to head into Philly and treat myself to a nice dinner at Giorgio On Pine, my favorite Italian restaurant. Later that evening as I was leaving the parking garage, thinking about my upcoming meal, I saw a figure asleep in a dark corner surrounded by his meager belongings. I hesitated for a second and then made up my mind. I went over to the man and quietly put the folded $100 bill into his shirt pocket. He stirred some, but did not awaken. I stole away back to my car and drove home, stopping at a Burger King along the way.

On my way up to my apartment I stopped to pick up my mail. I tossed the majority in the trash, it being the ever continuous junk mail. I was left with my electric bill and a white envelope with just my name written on it. No return address, no postmark. Curious, I opened it in the elevator and pulled out a note and a cashier’s check for $100,000. At first I thought it was just a fake check, part of a gimmick to advertise a loan offer. But I read the handwritten note:

Thanks for Paying It Forward.

The enclosed check is to show an

appreciation for your generous

spirit. It is yours to do with as

you see fit. Best of success to you 😃

I slumped against the elevator wall in total shock. Now it was my turn to have the look of surprise and gratitude on my face. $100,000!!! Immediately I could hear the whispers in my ears: “Keep it!” “Give it away!” “Keep it!” “Give it away!”