It Makes a Difference to This One

Based on Loren Eisley's story: The Starfish

I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As I moved through the misty dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.

As I approached, I sadly realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up a starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea. I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back to the sea."

As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond my sight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."

The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said, "I made a difference to that one."

I left the boy and went home, deep in thought of what the boy had said. I returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the boy throw starfish in to the sea.

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An estimated number: 200 dogs on pulau selat kering. Some say 300, some say 400...Nobody can rightfully estimate a good estimation, since nobody can make it to the middle of the island. The furtherest one can go is the edge of the island, standing on the mangrove roots. No human can move on ground. The mud is way too soft. In the heat of the day, if one steps onto the mud, he/she will sink knee deep. GPS mapping are in fragments, GoogleMaps is backdated, MPK maps are not detailed. No clear map, no topography map, no... nothing!

Three weeks have passed... less than 30 lives saved.
Tides are unpredictable... even the locals cant predict. You cant see, but there are mangrove trees underwater... trapping your feet as you swim. The currents are strong, and change rapidly.

Worst case scenario: someone gets sucked underwater by the current... person gets pulled under the kelong... and is trapped against the kelong nets, and under the kelong planks...

That's why only the best swimmers are allowed out, only those with experiences swimming in deep sea can go into water. That's why no less than three (3) people, and no more than five (5) can be there...

"what difference does it make?" some demand... "you're mad... chi sin... stupid...gila" others curse...

It makes a difference to GRACE... It makes a difference to HOPE... It makes a difference to GARANG... it makes a difference to SERENE ADRIANNE... It makes a difference to KUNING... It makes a difference to MERCY...It makes a difference to CHANTEK... It makes a difference to the boatmen who ferries us up and down... It makes a difference to the coffeeshop women who serves us breakfast while we wait for the boat... it makes a difference to my family... It makes a difference to my circle of influence... it makes a difference to the children who will learn from us adults... exponential difference...

You "THINK" i'm mad... I think, i'm passionate... and i "think" you're mad, and irresponsible, and cruel, and uncompassionate, and ignorant, and jahil, and in denial, and selfish, and greedy, and shallow, and dense, and short sighted, and I can go on...

If they are saved, it makes a difference to them...
It makes a difference to EACH and EVERY-ONE of THEM...
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE TO THE FUTURE.
What we do NOW... ... yes, now, not later ...
...WILL... MAKE... A... DIFFERENCE...
...TO OUR FUTURE...

compassionate = compassion + passion

Fearless = Fear Less
Not to have no fear at all, but to acknowledge that fear and lessen it. To have courage despite the fear... not in spite of it, mind you...


Zainal Abidin, the singer has it right in his song Hijau (English translation: Hijau=Green):



...Dia dicemar manusia (...She/He is polluted by humans)
Yang JAHIL KETAWA... (who laughs ignorantly...)

...Dewasa kini kita saling merayakan (...Now as adults we celebrate together)
Kejayaan yang akhirnya membinasakan (success which will ultimately destroy)
Apalah gunanya kematangan fikiran? (What's the use of matured thinking?)
Bila dijiwa kita masih lagi muda dan mentah... (When at soul/heart we are still young and raw/green/immature...)

...Korupsi, oppressi, obsessi diri (...Corruption, oppression, self obsession)
Polussi, depressi di bumi kini... (Pollution, depression on our current earth...)

...Pasa Manusio (...Because of humans)
Seghemo bendo bendo di dunio (All things in this world)
Tok leh tehe sapa bilo bilo... (Can't hold up/stand/endure forever...)


Thank you
~Joanne Lee~