The Star Thrower

Hola Everybody,
Since I procrastinated so much in sending out evites, I decided it would probably be best to postpone the picnic for another day. I might change it to a "Comedy Club" night instead or something like that...

You have probably seen the following in some email or around the net. I always get positive responses when I post it, and I have used it countless times in my motivational speaking, as well as in my workshops -- when I run into the all-too-common hardened and cynical mindset popular in today's "me, me, me" culture. Still, I often have to wonder how many of us actually practice what we gush over...

The Starfish Story
adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley (1907-1977)

 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."

***

This story has appeared all over the web in various forms, usually with no credit given to Mr. Eiseley. Sometimes it is a little girl throwing the starfish into the ocean, sometimes a young man, there's a version where  it's an elderly Indian. Whatever the version, it is a thought-provoking and beautiful story with a simple yet powerful message. It reminds me somewhat of my mother's "candy wrapper" speech.

Loren C. Eiseley was a anthropologist who wrote extensively. He was the "wise man" in the story, and he was walking along a beach after a storm and encountered the fellow throwing the starfish back. I have not had a chance to read the original book myself but will probably do so. It is said he was the Walt Whitman of the 20th century.

Here is the story with some background as to how it came to be written:

Loren Eisley, while writing his book, The Unexpected Universe, was walking along the ocean in Costabel early one morning. It was shortly after a storm had subsided and as he continued walking, he noticed that thousands of starfish had been washed up on the beach. Ahead of him was a gigantic rainbow of incredible perfection shimmering into existence. At the base of the rainbow stooped a little boy, gazing fixedly at an object in the sand. Eventually, he flung the object beyond the breaking surf.

Eisley went up to him and asked, “Son, what are you doing?” The little boy answered. “I’m throwing starfish back into the sea because if I don’t , they’re going to die.” “But there are thousands of starfish. In the larger scheme of things, you’re not going to make much of a difference to all these starfish..” The little boy looked up at him, stooped down again to pick up another starfish and, gently but quickly, flung it back into the ocean. “it’s going to make a big difference to that one!” he replied.

Eisley was embarrassed, uncomfortable with the contrast of the little boy’s youthful, innocent love for the living with his own hardened, mature indifference to death. He had nothing to say and left, continuing to walk down the beach but unable to get pictures of the little boy out of his mind. It was the moment of truth for Eisley, of deep soul searching and self confrontation. In time, he returned to the star thrower, silently picked up a starfish and spun it far into the waves. “I understand” he said. “Call me another thrower.”  Together, still under the hues of the rainbow, they spent hours throwing starfish back into the ocean. It was a task not assumed lightly, for it was man as well as starfish they sought to save, sensing intuitively that man cannot exist spiritually without life.

***

You make a difference whether you’re conscious of it or not. The issue is: what kind of difference will you make…

Gotta go! Off to prison to throw stars. May you all become star throwers and may you all know true happiness,

Eddie