Paying it Forward...Attempt #1

The San Diego fires provided many different opportunities to pay it forward. I found myself living in a safe place and because of that, I was able to help those who were less fortunate. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be to volunteer, though. Ms. Randall and I were turned away from a series of different places. It was not until we rode the trolley into Qualcomm that we were able to volunteer succesfully. Those opportunities to pay it forward to people I had never met before was a wonderful opportunity that I will not soon forget.

When we first got there, I became a clowns assistant. She was in full clown attire, while I was in my street clothes. Luckily, I was ready with long balloons and a pump, so as she painted faced, I blew up, twisted and delivered balloon animals to kids waking up that morning at Qualcomm. I got to fulfill my dream of partially becoming a clown (juggling while unicycling is still left to be accomplished). I hope I was able to make a positive difference in some of the kids' days as well.

Ms. Randall and I were also able to set up a card-making station in the fun zone where kids could write notes to friends and fire-fighters letting them know they were safe or to say thank you. Many kids took a moment to make their own cards.



Being there made me realize that paying it forward isn't necessarily about being revolutionary or starting something new. Sometimes, it's just about joining in with others who are already doing good. And sometimes, it is just helping people see the beauty in themselves and what they are doing. For example, in the picture to the left, Ms. Randall is helping Hana hang up her artwork with pride.


I enjoyed my first attempt at paying it forward. I didn't pass on the message to pay it forward to those I was trying to help. I didn't feel it was the time or place. There were too many of us there, ready to help and pay it forward. I felt the atmosphere itself spoke louder than any of my words could. I look forward to future attempts at paying it forward, and I'm going to challenge myself to talk about the pay it forward movement during one of my attempts. For now, I'm off to brainstorm my next attempt at paying it forward...