Over the past few years that I have been a member here I have witnessed not only the verbal and emotional support of friends and strangers who gather on this forum, but also the frequent considerate material generosity of members toward one another. Here's is your chance, not to crow, but to tell us your story, either as a giver or recipient, of a gift of something highland or kilt related. Let us chronicle the good things we do for one another, gather them together, and rejoice in our community spirit and generosity.

A few months ago I recieved a PM from Riverkilt (Ron) as part of a different topic stream we had been exchanging infrequently (Ron and I have never met in person or talked on the phone despite my having lived in Arizona and frequented his part of the world several times). Ron simply said he had been cleaning out his "man-cave" recently and found something he thought I might like in relation to a long running and popular series of threads from last summer, so he asked for my address to send them to me. Out of the blue a week or two later I find a package containing 4 lovely soapstone coasters with printings of "men of substance" playing golf kilted in various poses and situations (I will post pictures when I can), a clear reference to his support of my "Kilt Denied at Royal Troon..." threads. About the same time I attended a local arts festival and came across a couple small pins I though would be perfect for Ron, possibly for use as kilt pins, so I bought them. Ron has a large tattoo covering his whole back of what I believe is a giant sea turtle, and the pins were both of similar styled turtles in different motifs and art media. So I bought them and sent them off to him, at least in part in thanks for his generosity of the coasters, which now reside in our spare guest bedroom known as the kilt room, as it also houses all my kilt gear, golf memorabilia, and all things scottish in the house.

Then a month or two ago Mark's Mom joined our enclave in preparation for sending Mark her teenage (mildly autisitic if I remember) son to his senior prom kilted, his wish, with her plans on sewing the kilt and PC set from scratch, quite ambitious. As she was obviously on a budget (otherwise why not just order a kilt and PC) she inquired as to whether someone here might have a lightly used pair of ghillie brogues they were willing to sell for a reaonable price. I happened to have purchased just such a pair from Rocky that his brother used in his wedding (worn just once) that were a marginal fit for me and not likely to see the light of day if they remained in my stable. Rather than sell them (probably only worth about $50 at best in reality anyway) I decided to donate them to Mark's Mom and Mark's cause, knowing just how much else they were going to have to buy or otherwise put together for him to be fully decked out for the prom this spring. I enjoyed the quiet warmth of knowing I had done something good, which was only stoked again by the very considerate thank you note I recieved by mail from Mark himself, and Mark's Mom.

Unlike the movie "Pay It Forward" there are no love affairs, no need for three selfless deeds, and no one is going to die as a result of this thread. But we have all at varous times in our lives had that guardian angel appear on our shoulder unexpectedly to aid us along, often at times when we thought we might not be able to take the next step, and were able to forge onward with that kindnes and support. So think about it----what have you done to "Pay it forward"? Let's here some stories, from the givers and the recievers. I like to read happy stories. Bring them on.

jeff