Las Vegas, Ohio, maybe other places, people are walking into Wal-Marts and K-Marts and paying off the balances on Christmas layaways owed by perfect strangers.
The news media is touting it as a form of paying it forward.
What do you think?
I say with the emphasis always on the poorest kids at Christmas many families in the "working poor" get forgotten.
I have been there and I know what it's like not to be able to give your kids what they most want. It hurts. It's embarrassing. But the fact was, I was working as hard as I could. Circumstances beyond my control left me with an entry-level job, a young son and not much money for food or rent much less anything beyond. Loving friends and family made sure my son wasn't forgotten by Santa, for which I still give thanks.
You don't have to be on food stamps and welfare to be poor. The cost of everything beyond the barest of necessities are just beyond your means. Things like health care, dental car, reliable transportation and lots of toys at Christmas are there, just not within the reach of your paycheck.
Not everyone can be a whiz in business or commerce. In fact, most people aren't. Most people have regular jobs, like firefighters, police officers, wait staff, retail clerks, secretaries and middle managers at the local grocery store. These days, a "good job" is one you know will be there tomorrow.
I can't imagine how heartening it must be to working your hardest and falling ever behind because of the economy and then have a stranger hold out a hand to you in the spirit of Christmas.
It sort of restores my faith in people, the everyday people who work at those "good jobs" and have more than just enough and believe in giving their fellow human beings not charity but a small piece of hope, hope for a better day.
But then that's just my personal opinion.
The news media is touting it as a form of paying it forward.
What do you think?
I say with the emphasis always on the poorest kids at Christmas many families in the "working poor" get forgotten.
I have been there and I know what it's like not to be able to give your kids what they most want. It hurts. It's embarrassing. But the fact was, I was working as hard as I could. Circumstances beyond my control left me with an entry-level job, a young son and not much money for food or rent much less anything beyond. Loving friends and family made sure my son wasn't forgotten by Santa, for which I still give thanks.
You don't have to be on food stamps and welfare to be poor. The cost of everything beyond the barest of necessities are just beyond your means. Things like health care, dental car, reliable transportation and lots of toys at Christmas are there, just not within the reach of your paycheck.
Not everyone can be a whiz in business or commerce. In fact, most people aren't. Most people have regular jobs, like firefighters, police officers, wait staff, retail clerks, secretaries and middle managers at the local grocery store. These days, a "good job" is one you know will be there tomorrow.
I can't imagine how heartening it must be to working your hardest and falling ever behind because of the economy and then have a stranger hold out a hand to you in the spirit of Christmas.
It sort of restores my faith in people, the everyday people who work at those "good jobs" and have more than just enough and believe in giving their fellow human beings not charity but a small piece of hope, hope for a better day.
But then that's just my personal opinion.
