down a deserted beach just before dawn.

In the distance he saw

a frail old man. As he approached the

old man, he saw him picking up

stranded starfish and throwing them

back into the sea. The young man

gazed in wonder as the old man again

and again threw the small starfish

from the sand to the water. He asked,

"Old man, why do you spend so much

energy doing what seems to be a waste

of time?"

The old man explained that the

stranded starfish would die if left in

the morning sun.

"But there must be thousands of

beaches and millions of starfish!"

exclaimed the young man. "How can

you make any difference?"

The old man looked down at the small

starfish in his hand and as he threw

it to the safety of the sea, he said,

"I make a difference to this one."

I. Furman, May 1989