Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Pay it backward

Today I helped a woman who was stranded in the middle of a highway off-ramp. I pushed her car up a huge hill and almost passed out from the strain. When I finished, she stopped her car and didn't even look up to thank me. This may sound incredible to you but it didn't surprise me at all. Believe it or not, this is the third stranger's car I have pushed in the last six months. Each time I pushed the car while the person sat in the driver's seat. Each time the person did not thank me. What kind of crazy sense of entitlement does someone have to have to let a complete stranger push their car and not even have the decency to say “thank you”?! This got me thinking about "paying it backwards."

Remember that corny-ass movie with Haley Joel Osment called Pay It Forward? For those that haven't seen it, the main character (Osment) comes up with a plan to "pay it forward" by doing a good deed for three people who must in turn each do good deeds for three other people, and on and on until the end of eternity. SPOILER ALERT: At the end of the movie Osment gets shanked in the stomach and dies a painful death. I guess that's what you get for being a good person.

So if I responded to that thankless beyotch by doing a bad deed (like pushing her car into a ditch) would that mean I am "paying it backwards" or would that mean I am "paying forward" a bad deed? I guess "paying it backwards" would involve responding to a good deed by performing a bad one, or responding to a bad deed by performing a good one, so technically I would be "paying it forward" in a bad way. Wait. What?

I think I need more sleep. . . .

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hold on, I'll post my comment in a minute. I have to go back to the main page and study that complex bubble chart Haley's got going on the chalkboard. I think he might be trying to explain how babies are made to Kevin Spacey.

Anonymous said...

Well, if "paying it backward" means responding to a bad deed by doing a good one, then you're already doing it by making this awesome blog post as a response to that prima donna's rude behavior.

By the way, on behalf of all people with perpetual car trouble, thanks for stopping to help. You're a prince.

Colonel Gentleman said...

At times like this, I fall back upon a cherished pair of realizations: 1) you're a far better human being than she is, and any reason to fuel the ego is a good reason, right? and 2) if we're to believe our clergy, this woman will languish in purging flames for all eternity. If you're aim's still up to par when you're enjoying paradise, you can pee on her from Heaven. Won't that be cool?

Anonymous said...

ah, ryan, i think you're awesome.

unfortunately, most people SUCK and don't deserve a helping hand, but you shouldn't let that ruin your good character :) you rock!

like deb, i have PERPETUAL car problems and i am always thankful for those kind people who stop and help :)

i really like the colonel's comment... although i know i shouldn't ;)

Ryan Danger Sims said...

Thanks for all the nice notes!

circus family said...

The only "paying" that should have gone on should have been from that bitches wallet to your hand. Respect!

Saying hi to people on the street and having them ignore me is a huge reason I went north. I know not everyones' bad, but there really is a genuine kindness round these parts I never felt in "SoCo".

And if Osment is trying to explain the baby making to Spacey, he may want some actual photos. I'm pretty sure Spacey has never viewed the female body. He don't swing that way.

circus family said...

Oh and Ryan, I really hope you had to look up the name Haley Joel Osment. If not, you are really wasting your valuable memory bank.

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