海角大神

Holiday cheer prompts hundreds to 'pay it forward' at Fla. McDonalds

A 'pay-it-forward' chain of 250 cars at a Lakeview, Fla., McDonalds is yet another example of how kindness can beget kindness.

Kindness is so contagious and gratitude feels so good that those taking part in "pay-it-forward" chains at McDonald鈥檚 and other drive-thrus across the nation are demonstrating that goodness had a much greater potential for going viral than Grinchiness does.

Florida is the latest epicenter of spontaneous giving chains, harkening back to the book and film 鈥淧ay it Forward,鈥� but the phenomenon persists nationwide, spanning from drive through lines to supermarket checkouts to other random acts of kindness.

A Lakeland, Fla., woman decided to pay for her meal and that of the car behind her at her local McDonalds drive-thru last Wednesday morning, sparking , according to an ABC News report.

鈥淭he thing I find most surprising about this 鈥榤ovement鈥� is that it鈥檚 stronger now than it鈥檚 ever been,鈥� writes Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the book 鈥淧ay it Forward鈥� and 30 other novels, in an email to 海角大神. 鈥淭he movie is more than 15 years old, the book is about to hit its 16th anniversary. When people began to Pay It Forward in real life, I assumed the publicity (book and movie) was driving it. But what鈥檚 driving it now? It seems to have planted its own roots.鈥�

Ms. Hyde writes, 鈥淎s far as why people do it, apparently it鈥檚 in our nature.鈥�

鈥淭his was my theory all along, but now it鈥檚 been confirmed by scientific studies," she writes. "When people give to us, it makes us more giving,鈥� she posits. 鈥淚 think when this style of kindness among strangers touches people, it reminds us of something we knew but long ago forgot. I think we are born loving and generous. I used to think we lost that over time, but now I think we just tuck it away out of sight. It鈥檚 not all that hard to wake it up in people.鈥�

The author adds, 鈥淢y message to the people performing kind acts is not too get too wrapped up in the outcome of any given act. Not every seed grows, but if it鈥檚 growth you want, planting a lot of seeds is always a good plan.鈥�

Some of those seeds that have grown include customers 聽at a聽Connecticut Starbucks, 聽at a Starbucks in Nevada,聽and most poignantly, Matthew Jackson, who died the one day after paying a stranger's grocery bill, inspired a聽聽Movement in Carlsbad, Calif.

This week,聽YouTubers聽Andrew Scites and Justin Stuart, creators of the 2013 viral video聽聽are out in Breckinridge, Colo., playing random Santa to kids they meet on the street with toys donated for the project by聽.

鈥淲e have always just wanted to show people that there are different ways to give back,鈥� Mr. Scites says. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to have a million dollars to be kind and make someone鈥檚 day. You can just buy their food in a drive-thru.鈥澛�

According to David Goodwin, executive director of the聽,聽established in 2000, by Hyde, in 2015 the organization provided more than 3,400 books to communities all across the US, including schools in Florida and more than 35 schools across the country.

鈥淚 am always struck at when and where these pay it forward chains happen,鈥� says Mr. Goodwin, a Jacksonville, Florida native, in an email response. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think people pay for a strangers meal with the realistic hope that it will go one for 5, 6, 7 hours. The kindness chain at McDonalds in Lakeland last week is really exciting. It鈥檚 the holidays so some people are more inclined to show kindness like this. There is a certain social phenomenon to it, and many people like the idea of being part of something like this. These is also that element of peer pressure, 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to break the string鈥� and that鈥檚 ok. Whatever makes you show kindness, we will take it.鈥澛�