- Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)
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."
Author’s comments:
This is a common story. I know MOE uses it to motivate people to come forward and be a teacher, to make a difference for the young. Then “The Last Breakthrough” also used it in their storyline. And the last time I read this story again, was from A Slice of Life. It really amazes me, almost every article he sent, is an answer to a question I asked the Heaven. Excluding this story though, as this story is more of like a reminder to me.
Anyway this is a back-dated post. I had wanted to blog it last week after watching the last episodes of “The Last Breakthrough”. This show left a big impact on me as it reminded me how fragile life can be and how determine one should be.
I was first fascinated with the Kenya’s scenes and the children. To see how skinny these children are, and how hard they tried to survive, brought tears to me. Towards the last few episodes, I cried terribly, of which I’m thankful because it helped me vent out my own personal pent-up feelings. Haha I am such a cry-baby since young. *Shakes head*
Towards the end, I saw Ah Fen finally convinced his dad about the “Dragon City Clinic’s Spirit”. As children, what we really want most is for our parents to believe in our dreams despite the vast difference between our ideals.
Qing Qing also left an impression on me. (Sidetracked, she is actually a child actress and is VERY VERY beautiful.) I did not know she is an accountant by degree until Yo-yo mentioned and that she said she is going to study Nursing. A career switch! Weirdly I posed that question to a classmate before and he replied that is abit drastic for me. Haha. Somehow I remembered another classmate telling me I am not so “kind” also, (I can’t remember the context of the conversation). But I guessed they must be worried that I will scold the patients bah. My friend had felt that I’m the type who will scold my user too. Oops.
Anyway she also made me kinda realised that we cannot take love for granted. But at least she and Qiao were lucky as the guys do like them ah. It is said that Life Force is a good match-making place. After serious pondering, I think it is logical too as it is preferable for a couple to share the same dream. At least they will understand each other better. See how Qiao understands Ah Fen so well. Quite an envious pair right, haha. Hmm but I don’t ask for much, just for someone who can support my dream.Mr Smiley knows me best.. Right Mr. Smiley!
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