Paying it forward

Over the weekend I ran into a surprising but very pleasant situation.

My wife and I decided to get some coffee at a local drive-through. We placed our order, then drove around the corner to pay and pick it up, and the attendant told us that the person in front of us had paid for our order as well. Now, there was no particular reason why they would have done so, and it was a great feeling to see the random kindness to a stranger. Of course, we decided to pay for the order behind us, without really knowing what they had ordered.

I don't know if the person behind us did the same, but I don't think it really matters. I think the bigger point is that the situation made me want to be the first in a line to do that.

So the week is starting, and I will sit at my computer and produce some code, or design docs, or something of the sort, presumably, that others will consume. I hope that regardless of how the day goes, I can be "the first in line" to give them the best I can produce and make sure that they have a great experience when using my work; clear code, well-articulated design decisions, simple designs. And, who knows, they might even pay it forward.

Enjoy your week!