The Starfish
Paraphrased From: The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley
Once upon a time there was a wise man
that used to go to the ocean to do his writing.
One day he was walking along the shore.
As he looked down the beach, he saw a
human figure moving like a dancer.
He smiled to himself to think of someone
who would dance to the day.
So he began to walk faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw that it
was a young man and the young man
wasn't dancing, but instead he was
reaching down to the shore, picking
up something and very gently throwing
it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out,
"Good morning! What are you doing?"
The young man paused,
looked up and replied,
"Throwing starfish in the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked,
why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"
"The sun is up and the tide is going out.
And if I don't throw them in they'll die."
"But, young man, don't you realize
that there are miles and miles of
beach and starfish all along it.
You can't possibly make a difference!"
The young man listened politely.
Then bent down, picked another
starfish and threw it into the sea,
past the breaking waves and said,
"It made a difference for that one."
There is something very special
in each and every one of us,
and we must each find our own starfish.
You have been gifted with the
ability to make a difference in this
world and if you follow your heart
-- the world will indeed be blessed!
