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I am taking a break from the music related blogs to write about something I have been thinking a lot about lately.

Paying It Forward.

You hear that phrase a lot. I hope it doesn’t sound trite or overused. I do feel it is important.

I try and start out every day doing something nice for someone. It could be letting them in in traffic, holding a door open, giving someone short change at the register some money so they can complete their purchase or just helping anywhere I can. It makes me feel my day is starting off on the right foot. Many days the person that started the day bears no resemblence to the person arriving home later on. Such is the world we live in.

A few stories. Those who know me know I scour record shops and thrift stores looking for things to re-sell. I love spreading my luck to friends. Living in Detroit there are a lot of thrift stores and if you happen to walk in at the right time, before any other dealers or collectors get there, it is an amazing feeling. Like, Eureka! I have a lot of friends in the UK and here in the US looking for certain records that are either really difficult to track down or way too expensive. I enjoy spreading the luck or love or whatever you want to call it.

I have sent an original Neil Young- Tonight’s The Night LP, an original Miles Davis- On The Corner LP, a few Rolling Stones- Exile On Main St(original US flap sleeve w/postcards), a few Link Wray- S/T 1971(there is a DER blog about that LP here), Big Star LP, the first two Band LPs, Durutti Column flyers, several Spiritalized items to people all over. Maybe what I get back is “record karma”.

That explains yesterday’s haul. A short day hitting three record shops and two thrift shops. What I dug out of the thrift shops is probably worth 30 times what I paid. Then I get to give back in my own way.

Take this record, Paul Jackson- Black Octopus. Ultra rare Japanese only pressing. Also cut Direct To Disc. The cover is fantastic. The name is even better. Record is mint except for the promo sticker removal on cover. Turns out this is a $100 record. A Jazz Funk classic. Also rescued from a box of 45’s hidden under a table at a thrift store were about forty 60’s promo singles that look unplayed for the most part. This includes a few psych gems. Since I was never a Jazz/Funk/Fusion fan I will sell or trade these records and pay it forward in some way by gifting a record to an unsuspecting friend. Same with the 45’s.

Here is another story so crazy and touching I need to re-tell it. Apologies to FB friends who have heard this already.

There is a thrift store chain locally called Value World. A couple of times a year they run coupons for 50% off your entire purchase. They are available in the local free paper here and come in your junk mail. I was standing in line at one and there were two women in front of me. They were buying mens clothes. An entire outfit. I simply asked if they had a coupon. They said no. What coupon? I said here take mine. They started crying. I thought to myself it is just a coupon and I had under $5 worth of items. They had like $25 worth. Not a lot but in a thrift store it is. Not the reaction I expected. One of the women grabbed my arm and said “Thank you so much. I want to tell you something. We are buying these clothes to bury our father in. He lost so much weight while he was sick none of his clothes fit. Neither of us work and we have very little money which is why we are shopping here. That coupon means so much to us”.

This is a true story. The cashier started crying too. Then other people in line started talking to me and thanking me. The moral of the story is you never know how doing a nice thing for someone affects them. In this case it was instant.

Life is complicated enough. It can grind you right into the ground. Somehow or other to be able to come out the other side and do something nice just makes the world a better place.

Bottom line- Pay It Forward.

We would love other stories. Comment below.