For The Person Behind Me

My smile is stretched from ear to ear as I hand the jaded toll lady my dollar fifty. “The toll is only seventy five cents,” she drones as if the fact that she has to speak to me is utter torture. “I know” I reply. “I’d like to pay for the car behind me too please”. A smile begins to crack the woman’s lips as she starts to look slightly less tortured. “Have a nice day” she says and after my reply of “you too” I move on knowing that at least two people will have a slightly more pleasurable day because of me. I believe in paying the toll for the person behind me. It’s only a few cents but it shows the good in life to somebody who may need it. It is an anonymous way to spread good cheer. I don’t like to see the persons reaction or if they pass on the good deed. I would rather just go on unnoticed and know that my day is brighter because of that warm fuzzy feeling I now have.

Pass it on. In the rare event that I come across a tollbooth where some other altruistic person has paid my dues for me I pass it on, and pay the toll just the same, leaving the free ride for the person behind me. I do this because I can. Although I have no reliable source of income, I can spare the few cents, but I don’t know what other John Does are traveling this expansive roadway behind me or what their financial situations may be.

I don’t pay double only to alleviate the financial imposition on another person. I do it for the greater good. I mean it’s clearly not just about seventy-five cents. It’s about humanity and the kindness I that I believe should be spread between perfect strangers. I will never know who has benefited from my courtesy or whether it even had an impact on them but I do know that by expending that extra few cents I have attempted to spread my values to others. I implore you, too, if you can at least every once in a while, pay the toll for the person behind you and spread the kindness until it becomes common practice because the world can always use a little more good cheer.