Its in the details that we pay it forward.

Driving home the other day, stopped at a red light I noticed a young boy walking on the sidewalk near my passenger side door. He came at me differently, his face was dark from the sun and his walk appeared drained from a long day. He sat down on the bus stop bench nearly melting into it's concrete. For a moment he closed his eyes disappearing from the sun. Something about this boy was endearing, like an old friend missing in my memory. Not a moment later another boy walking by him flung his half full water bottle on the ground near the first boy. Almost without a second thought the boy picked up this litter cracked the bottle open and drank. Realizing this poor boy was so thirsty  he was drinking a stranger's leftover, I pulled over. I tossed a brand new bottle of water I had left from lunch while asking him to toss the water he had been drinking in the grass. He picked up my water smiled with a relaxed "thank you."

In the middle of Los Angeles, California a young boy was thristy enough to drink a stranger's water. This thought bothers me as I think it should for most urban dwellers. Los Angeles a city where resources are typically adequate for the growing amount of inhabitants within it's limits. Did this child not understand how to work his surrounding to help feed his needs? With a Del Taco and gas station not more than a block away to ask for a cup of water, he choose rather to drink a stranger's littered water? This can't be right, there is a piece of information I am obviously missing.I took a moment and stopped at both the gas station and Del Taco eatery to ask about their water policy. Actually I just asked for a cup of water."I'm sorry we only serve water to customers." They only give out water to paying customers!! WHAT? Did I miss the drought? I was blown away by this. I've never heard of Restaurants with such ridiculous policies. I understand the restroom policy but not handing what is basically free water? I proceeded to send an email to both corporate offices.

There wasn’t much more I could do. I acknowledge there are injustices every day, the majority on larger scales. This is a reminder; the smallest of acts can proceed to make the largest contributions to society. The concept of paying it forward and noticing even the slightest detail may mean the world to those one the receiving end. In this world we’ll all one day share the receiving end. I’m glad I caught this boy from the corner of my eye.

-Katherine with Kidscamps.com