World Smile Day

The first Friday in October is WORLD SMILE DAY. Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile!

Back in the summer of '81 I had my first brush with Pay It Forward. 

(The movie of the same name came out in 2000.)  

Echo and I would get into the truck and spend our summers off from teaching Special Ed recharging our batteries by traveling from one hot springs to another, usually on back roads (you know, the tiny squiggles on the map that meander through the green.)  The day before, we had gotten to a 'line' on the map, only to find a sign that read "Four Wheel Drive Only - No Services Next 60 miles."  

I was driving a 4X4, and have to admit I was tempted (the road looked perfectly navigable at that point) but a little voice in the back of my head whispered, "What if the road gets really bad - say 30 miles in!"  Discretion being the better part of valor (that voice in my head might have been Dad...), I bypassed that scenic route.  Good thing.  (IF you're surprised at this point, you really don't know me.) 

I stopped for the night at a rest stop - and in the morning my truck wouldn't start (at which point I was really glad I hadn't taken that other road!) Luckily it was no real problem, since there were other vehicles there.  I just got out my trusty jumper cables, zapped my battery, and off we went.  

Before arriving at the small town of Tijeras, NM I stopped at a wide spot in the road, by a bar that had a pay phone outside, to call an 800 service and pick up my messages.  

(Remember those days on the road before cell phones?)  

But (are you surprised yet?) when I went to start the truck I experienced the same problem.  Hmmm.   

Maybe I had an issue I needed to deal with?  

I went inside the bar and asked the bartender if he knew of any mechanics in town (which I hadn't seen yet, but knew was not a large metropolis.)  He pointed to a guy at the end of the bar.  To make a long story short (too late?) the guy found the problem (I think it was the alternator), drove into town. picked up the necessary parts, and fixed my truck.  Not only wouldn't he let me pay him for his time and trouble - he wouldn't even let me buy him a beer.  

He merely asked that I "Pay It Forward".  I'd always thought of myself as willing to help out - but from that day on, I've tried to do it as much as possible.

PS - He told me that Tijeras means 'scissors', and that I'd always remember that.  He was right.