Cumberland Good Samaritans Inc.

The Starfish Thrower

An older man taking a solitary walk along the beach saw a young man from a distance and thought he was dancing. As he grew closer, he realized that the young man was picking up starfish --one at a time -- and throwing them back into the ocean.

As he approached, the older man told the younger one, "You can’t possibly make a difference -- there are miles and miles of beaches and thousands of starfish.

In response, the young man picked up another starfish, moved gracefully to the shoreline, and threw it in... "Made a difference to that one."

The older man moved on and the young one kept on with his self-appointed task.

The rest of the day the older man could not forget what the young one had said. And, the next morning, he went to the beach again and this time joined the young starfish thrower.