THE STARFISH   

Once upon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the ocean
to  do his writing.   He had a habit of walking along the shore. 

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 girl and she was not dancing, 
but instead 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 girl paused, looked up and replied, 
"Throwing starfish into the ocean." 

"I guess I should have asked, why are you 
throwing starfish into the ocean?" 

"The sun is up, and the tide is going out. 
If I don't throw them in, they'll die." 

"But, young lady, 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 girl listened politely. 
Then bent down, picked up another starfish  and threw it into the sea,
past the breaking waves and said, 
"It made a difference for that one."

- author unknown

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