Does everyone remember that movie? This is one I actually saw. Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey and a great moral. The theme of the movie, without giving too much away, was that when someone does something nice for you, instead of returning the favor, you pay it forward. In other words, do something nice for the next person.

This scenario, on a lesser scale than the movie, happened to me last week in New York on the corner of 53rd and Park Avenue. I had just had a phenomenal dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant and started to walk home when I decided to take a cab. I realized I didn’t have any cash, but would wait until a taxi came along who took credit cards, as all of them are now supposed to. However, the first 3 I flagged down were only taking cash. Not terribly desperate, and not even annoyed, I shut the door of the third taxi and waited for the fourth. As I shut the door and the cab drove away, I heard a voice say, “Are you going far?” I answered no, that I was just waiting for a cab with a credit card machine. The guy, dressed in jeans, was with a friend, started to reach into his wallet. I couldn’t quite believe my eyes as I realized he was going to give me cab fare. I was taken aback at first and refused the outreached $10 bill three times. By the third time, the friend, looking cold, said “Just take it!”

I took it, not knowing what to expect and hopped into the next taxi that pulled up right away. Of course, this one did take credit cards, but the mystery Joes had already walked away. They turned and saw that I got into the taxi and instead of trying to wrap my head around what happened, I just accepted this NYC moment and know I will take the next $10 bill I have in my hand and pay it forward to the next person in need!

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher