Still a Kinder, Gentler World? Some say "yes"

Back in the day, "paying it forward" was a way of life. Today, however, we're all very conditioned to be skeptical of helping others, especially those we don't know. We live in a fast-paced world, where the demands of daily life have a tendency to force us inward. We tend to guard against those who need help, be they beggars on the street, random passersby, or whatever. That makes any act of kindness seemingly random just because it's not programmed into our lives to naturally pay it forward.

Fortunately, however, there still are some people out there who demonstrate that paying it forward isn't just a nice gesture. Rather, it's second nature. Helping other people is in their DNA, and they's shocked to find out when people make a big fuss about their selfless contributions. These are the people who have the power to bring about real positive change in the world and often do. For them, the impetus for doing a good deed is not the possible pat on the back they'll get for doing so. It's from an honest intention to help out others and nothing more.

I recently read about one of these individuals. He's a 35-year-old bass fisherman who, in his own words, "has watched the world change tremendously in the last 20 years. If you only watched the news, you'd think the whole word has gone to hell in a handbasket," he said.

"About 45 miles southeast from where I currently live and much closer to where I grew up," he continued, "there was a mass shooting. When you reflect on these kinds of things, the world seems like a really scary place, full of bad people."

This angler then explained that he recently had purchased a nice reel from a total stranger. He said their communication was great, and they even had engaged in some casual conversation.

"When I received the reel, I immediately noticed the heaviness of the box," said the angler. He was expecting something much lighter, because the reel he had purchased is one of the lightest on the market. As he opened the box, he quickly saw why it was so heavy. It was jam-packed with soft plastics, jigs, jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits, and more.

"This gentleman had no reason to send me all this stuff, but he did it out of the kindness of his heart," explained the fisherman. "Gestures like these keep my faith in humanity strong; they take away the negativity. It may be a relatively small gesture in the grand scheme of things, but if more people would make similar efforts, the world would be a better place."

The stranger who sent this stuff happened to see the fisherman's preceding comments on a forum and responded with, "You're very welcome. Like I said, I was out of packing peanuts and couldn't let that nice reel just bounce all around in the box. The extra stuff I sent no longer suit my type of fishing (I prefer finesse fishing now).

"I've had many random acts of kindness gifted upon me over the years, and I try to pay that forward as often as possible. I do so because I'm able and, too, because I have a 2-year-old boy, whom I'm trying to lead by example. He's still a little young to catch on, but I'm trying to stay in good practice. Hope you enjoy the reel and the baits."