PAYING IT forward describes the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than paying it back to the original benefactor. It has also been referred to as serial reciprocity. Historians can trace its origins back to 317 B.C. when the theme of paying it forward appeared in an ancient Greek play.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However old the act of paying it forward may be, its impact is timeless and will forever be felt by those who practice and receive it. Like a ripple of water, it knows no end. Eddie Robertson of Lebanon is an avid practitioner of paying it forward. The act of doing so is at the core of his personal and professional life. As a recipient himself, he understands the radical change that can come from even the smallest act of kindness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
FROM THE GROUND UP <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robertson\u2019s story begins with a turbulent childhood, often filled with uncertainty about food and sometimes shelter. He and his twin brother, Freddie, relied heavily on the generosity of local shelters and churches to provide their family with necessities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy brother and I grew up in the projects in Nashville by the fairgrounds called Vine Hill, which was a rough project when we grew up there,\u201d said Eddie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a troubled teen, he and his brother tried to survive the only way they knew. That was until he met Bert Bailey. Bailey came into Eddie\u2019s life around the fifth grade, and his presence would forever change his life for the better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was a typical \u2018project kid,\u2019\u201d he added. \u201cSchool wasn\u2019t important, and I was fighting every day. Then, I was introduced to Bert through a buddy program, and he changed my life. He helped me get back to where I needed to be in school, along with many other things. He was a lifesaver.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eddie said thanks to people like Bailey and others such as Jim Webb, he and his brother were able to survive and thrive. The two brothers would find jobs working as baggers at a locally owned grocery store, Value Plus Store in Nashville. Making a little over $3 an hour, the two were grateful for the opportunity to work. \u201cWe were \u2018yes, sir\u2019 and \u2018no, sir,\u2019 and we showed up on time or 15 minutes early,\u201d said Eddie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
FROM BAGGERS TO\u00a0STORE OWNERS\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Little did he know, but Eddie\u2019s first job as a bagger at the Value Store Plus foreshadowed what would become a dream job for him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Almost eight years ago, Eddie became co-owner of Moser\u2019s Supermarket in Lebanon. Eddie, Freddie, and Eddie\u2019s friend, Jim Webb, purchased the half-century-old store. The two brothers are the majority owners of the store, now known as Cash Saver Food Outlet or Cash Saver to locals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the best thing that ever happened to me,\u201d said Eddie. \u201cThis is the first store where my brother and I are majority owners. We\u2019ve blown our expectations out of the water here. This store has allowed us to give back to the community as they have given so much to us over the years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, Eddie operates the Cash Saver in Lebanon, and Freddie runs the Piggly Wiggly on Dickerson Road in Nashville. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy brother and I are best friends,\u201d said Eddie. \u201cWe see and talk to each other multiple times a day. We have a 50-acre farm and live right beside each other. Growing up the way we did, it\u2019s nice to have somebody like that always there.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PAYING IT FORWARD <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether an employee, a loyal customer, or a stranger, Eddie is proud to pay it forward in any way he can. He cheers for each of his employees and helps to provide a clear path for a bright future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen I bought the store, it probably had 15 employees, and we have over 50 now,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve never had a problem keeping employees. Every day, [as] I leave the store, [I] tell every employee I appreciate them. And it\u2019s true. I don\u2019t want to say they work for me \u2014 they work \u2018with\u2019 me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continually looks to serve his customers and the community wherever he can \u2014 from helping someone who\u2019s hungry and without the means to buy food, feeding those on the holidays who don\u2019t have a place to go, to also serving meals and providing water for those displaced by major storm events. If there\u2019s a chance to help, you\u2019ll find Eddie and his family pitching in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI love Lebanon. It\u2019s a great place to visit but an even better place to live,\u201d said Eddie. \u201cWhen I bought this store, my motto was that we are a neighborhood store run by neighborhood people. If you\u2019re hungry, we\u2019ll feed you. We\u2019ve done well in everything we\u2019ve ever done. We try to give back. I\u2019m very lucky, and I don\u2019t like to take a lot of credit because I feel like it\u2019s paying it forward. After all, 100% of paying it forward was done for me and my brother. We wouldn\u2019t be where we are today without the generosity of others. So, we will continue to pay it forward as long as we are able.\u201d GN <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PAYING IT forward describes the beneficiary of a good deed repaying the kindness to others rather than paying it back to the original benefactor. It has also been referred to as serial reciprocity. Historians can trace its origins back to 317 B.C. when the theme of paying it forward appeared in an ancient Greek play.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":22171,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lebanon","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n
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