Made a Difference
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Once upon a time, there was a
wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of
walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along
the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a
dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the
day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that
the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing
at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects,
and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called
out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up,
and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are
you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise
man.
To this, the young man replied,
"The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in,
they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man
commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and
miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly
make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down,
picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the
water, he said,
"It
made a difference for that one.”