Once upon a time a week ago, there was a long sandy stretch of
beach where people used to walk and look at the sea. Now, every
day on this beach the tide would come in and the tide would go out
- and when it went out, it would leave behind millions upon millions
of starfish to dry out in the sun and die. Now one day on this beach
a guy was walking, kinda slowly, just as the sun was reaching its
peak in the sky. His name was Duo, and he was involved in a
bloody, brutal, senseless war, so involved that he couldn't get out if
he tried. And the tide was going out, leaving behind millions of
starfish to dry out in the sun and die.
Duo looked at the starfish, and he was sad. He said to himself,
"They never did anything wrong. They don't deserve to die." So he
began picking up the starfish and holding them flat, scaling them
like frisbees out as far as they would go, each one entering the
brine with a resounding splash. And he was saving their lives, and it
made him feel good inside.
Now, at about this time, another young man came down along the
beach. His name was Heero, and he was involved in a bloody,
brutal, senseless war, so involved that he couldn't get out if he tried.
And he was watching the tide go out, watching the starfish die,
overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of them and wondering why
God - if there was a God - could be so cruel. And he saw Duo,
flinging the starfish out into the sea, and he called out to him.
"Boy!" he cried. "What are you doing?"
Duo grinned at him. "I'm throwing these starfish back into the
ocean, so that they may live another day."
Heero glared at Duo, because it was the only expression his face
remembered how to make. In a tone of voice that would have
quelled anyone's spirits, he said, "Look at them. There are millions.
You'll never, ever make a difference."
Now, Duo looked back at him and smiled a wide, happy, sincere
smile, and he picked up another starfish and he threw it out into the
ocean. "I made a difference," he said, still smiling, "to that one."
beach where people used to walk and look at the sea. Now, every
day on this beach the tide would come in and the tide would go out
- and when it went out, it would leave behind millions upon millions
of starfish to dry out in the sun and die. Now one day on this beach
a guy was walking, kinda slowly, just as the sun was reaching its
peak in the sky. His name was Duo, and he was involved in a
bloody, brutal, senseless war, so involved that he couldn't get out if
he tried. And the tide was going out, leaving behind millions of
starfish to dry out in the sun and die.
Duo looked at the starfish, and he was sad. He said to himself,
"They never did anything wrong. They don't deserve to die." So he
began picking up the starfish and holding them flat, scaling them
like frisbees out as far as they would go, each one entering the
brine with a resounding splash. And he was saving their lives, and it
made him feel good inside.
Now, at about this time, another young man came down along the
beach. His name was Heero, and he was involved in a bloody,
brutal, senseless war, so involved that he couldn't get out if he tried.
And he was watching the tide go out, watching the starfish die,
overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of them and wondering why
God - if there was a God - could be so cruel. And he saw Duo,
flinging the starfish out into the sea, and he called out to him.
"Boy!" he cried. "What are you doing?"
Duo grinned at him. "I'm throwing these starfish back into the
ocean, so that they may live another day."
Heero glared at Duo, because it was the only expression his face
remembered how to make. In a tone of voice that would have
quelled anyone's spirits, he said, "Look at them. There are millions.
You'll never, ever make a difference."
Now, Duo looked back at him and smiled a wide, happy, sincere
smile, and he picked up another starfish and he threw it out into the
ocean. "I made a difference," he said, still smiling, "to that one."