America what happened?, page 1

The Starfish Story

One day a man was walking along the seashore. He noticed that during the night many seashells and starfish had washed upon the beach. Thoroughly enjoying the morning sun and cool sea air, the man walked for miles.

As he strolled along, he noticed a small figure dancing in the distance. It made him chuckle to think of someone celebrating life in such an uninhibited way. As he drew closer, however, it became apparent that the figure was not dancing. Instead, she seemed to be repeatedly performing some ritual.

He drew nearer still and noticed that the small figure was a child. She was methodically picking up starfish and tossing them into the surf. He paused for a moment, puzzled, then asked, "Why are you throwing these starfish?"

"It's high tide," she replied, "If I leave them on the beach, the sun will soon dry them and they will die. I am throwing them into the ocean so they can live." The man considered her actions, impressed with the child's thoughtfulness. Then he motioned up and down the miles of the beach. "There must be thousands of starfish along here," he said, "you cannot possibly make a difference."

The young girl stopped. Her face darkened. She chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip, "You're probably right," she said softly. She looked down at the sand. Then she leaned over, carefully picked up another starfish, pulled back and arched it gently into the sea.

With a tone of gentle defiance, she said, "But I made a difference for that one”

reply to post by SLAYER69

I suppose it’s unavoidable that as a people, we get bogged down and disheartened; given the “big picture” it is rather ominous. However, I see good happening everywhere, everyday, in my life and in the lives of those around me. Sometimes, we need to be reminded of the individuals, the few who are working to make a difference; if only in the lives of a few. Sometimes, it’s just one at a time. But that matters…

What happened to “America” the idea?

America “the country” lost its focus, lost its way, forgot the foundations that made it strong and made it that “beacon of light” for immigrants all over the world. Over time, we were faced with the metaphorical “two roads diverged in the woods” in Robert Frost’s poem and we took the “path followed” rather than the “path not followed” and we've been walking it since.

Now, we’re coming to another crossroad and we have to choose again… Which path will it be this time?

[edit on 5-11-2009 by LadySkadi]