The Starfish Man made a Difference!

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!"

Adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)

I love this story because it simply reminds me that affecting my generation might not entirely come in the form of saving a million people at once. I  read the story of Queen Esther and how her difference preserved the entire Jewish generation. I  read about a Polish-born scientist, Marie Curie who discovered radiation therapy that could treat cancer but died by the same fate. Although, she died of radiation, she has saved a million lives. Who knew we could travel across the oceans in hours, when the Whittle brothers buried their head trying to make a metal fly in air? I am sure friends called them stupid and everyone wandered who would ride in them, even if they were real for a second.  So don't give up your dreams because it looks little.