Thanks everyone. Excuse my ignorance but does ‘pay it forward’ mean something like the ‘golden rule’ of doing to others what we like to have done to us? Or is it some kind of literal payment?
Sorry for the confusion Bridget, I assume too much.
Its a term first used in a novel by Catherine Hyde, but popularized in a movie by the same name. To "Pay it Forward" is to repay someone's act of kindness to you, by performing a random act of kindness for some unrelated third party. Instead of "Paying Back" the person who was good to you but doesn't need your help, you "Pay Forward" to someone who can really use your help. Its just a play on words.
No money involved here, its more of a golden rule thing. The veterans on this forum who shared their wisdom and helped you prepare for your Camino, don't need your help. The people who read this forum for the first time today, and are confused, puzzled, or frightened, are the ones that need your act of kindness. Repay your debt to those who helped you, by helping those who need it.
All that said (and it sounds so serious when written down!), you don't owe anyone anything. Its just a suggestion.