STARFISH File Entry # 1

 For most of my life I've used the legend of  'saving starfish' to be a point of navigation. A way to live, to think, to behave. A standard of choice.

The story tells of a person walking a vast stretch of  beach following an intense sea storm. Discovering the shore to be covered with hundreds and hundreds of starfish the walker begins gathering handful upon handful  and returning them to the sea.

A fellow beachcomber passing by called out "nice idea but most of them have been on the beach too long to survive. Besides you won't be able to save them all. So all things considered it's a wasted effort.

With hands overflowing with starfish the reply back was heard to be:

"You're right, I can't help every starfish even doing all I can. I also don't know which will struggle and survive and which will struggle and die. It isn't about that. What it's about is doing what I can. And whatever hope or change may come from my effort will be good for some starfish. 

And doing what I can is good for me".

There is (as we all know) no lack of terror, horror, sadness, and most frighteningly to me, selfishness to be found in the world. It fills the news, the net, the apps. I've been thinking for some time of dedicating a corner of these pages to the good, the kind, the giving, the happy, the hopeful acts of humanity. To give praise to acts of caring, of kindness..

Hence the starfish file

I'll create a folder in the near future dedicated to these posts ~ easy to locate if you need something(s) to read showing humanity and cheer. You can also find them by the tag starfish file.

And I'd be so thankful if you'd send me stories you find or stories that tell efforts of your own! to post here (with your permission). No act of kindness found online (or of yours) is too small! There's no such thing as an insignificant act of kindness or caring. I'd be so pleased and appreciative to hear from you. Join me in showing the naysayers that good is still out there (and give the rest of us 'happy reading") :-)

The Starfish Files

Entry #1

A story of two men who had nothing in common 

but both chose to improve this world.

~~~~

Leo Grand And Patrick McConlogue

You can read about The plan Patrick acted upon The choice Leo made and The outcome by clicking on each highlighted text, linked to each part of the story.