Is One Enough?

You've probably heard this story before, but it's a good one. The original is attributed to Loren C. Eiseley and is called "Star Thrower". The following is my version:

A young boy walks along a beach littered with hundreds of starfish. They've been washed in on the tide and stranded. Exposed to the growing heat of the day they'll soon die.

The boy sees an old man further down the beach. The man is stooping to pick up starfish and then tossing them, one at a time, back into the ocean. When the boy reaches the man he asks him why he is throwing them back.

"They'll die here on the beach", the man answers. "I'm trying to save them".

"But, there are so many", says the boy, "You can't save most of them!".

The man bends over and picks another one up. He tosses it into the waves. "There", he says, "I saved that one".

This story is about making a difference, even a small one. If Clearly Derby reaches just one person and makes them think about how the government belongs to them and how they can have a voice, then that will be my little contribution - and it's enough for me.