ADVOCACY
--how often do we advocate for people who have mental illness and/or substance abuse?
ADVOCACY
--how often do we advocate for people who have mental illness and/or substance abuse?
An old man was walking along the ocean shore early one morning. He looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He began to walk faster to catch up. Coming closer, he saw a young woman reach down into the sand, pick something up, and gently throw it into the ocean.As he got closer, he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”
The young woman paused, looked up, and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean”.
“Why are you throwing starfish back into the ocean?”
“Because the sun is up, and the tide is going out. And if I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
“But young woman, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach with starfish all along the way? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young woman listened politely, then bent down, picked up another starfish, and gently threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves. She turned to the old man and said quietly, “I made a difference to that one.”
--by anonymous
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