He handed him a $100 bill. The boy said, “Are you serious? Is this counterfeit? Is this a bribe or a joke?” The man said nothing. He looked at him for a while, then walked away. The boy remained puzzled and astonished. But on the back of the bill there was a note. The note had one sentence and one sentence only: “Those who are willing will continue”. The boy had thought nothing of it and discarded the note. The first thing the boy did was to hold it up to the sun to see any sign of a fake bill. To his surprise ,it seemed legitimate. Thoughts raged throughout his head about one thing only; “What do I buy? I could get two hundred 50-cent pieces of gum, video games or give it to my sister.” Then he had the most beautiful idea since the Mona Lisa, he could spend it on chocolate. Why? Why not? But besides the delicious treat , there were so many more opportunities. There was charity, new school supplies, new shoes that he desperately needed, or a new skateboard. He had thought about this day and night, until he remembered what it said, “Those who are willing will continue”. What could it mean? Is it a very general message like one in a fortune cookie, or could it mean something specific?

The next morning the boy had a terrible day. He spilled grape juice on a white shirt, tripped and cut his knee, and his hat blew off of his head into a muddy puddle. He didn’t think things could get any worse until he got to school. All went well until at recess, a boy accidentally bumped him into a pile of mud. He was furious. Now, he was normally one of the nicest people you would meet, but he got up, marched right up to the boy, ready to let out his anger, when it hit him. The note, ‘Those who are willing will continue’. Then he said, “I finally get it now.” None of the boys around him that were originally going to witness the fight understood what he was talking about. “All who are willing to be kind enough will continue the cycle.” The next day he went up to the boy who had pushed him and gave him his unspent $100 bill, with no word said, but with the same note.