WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 11

Any pleasure

There was a man who died and found himself in a beautiful place, surrounded by every conceivable comfort. A white jacketed man came to him and said, “You may have anything you choose-any food- any pleasure- any kind of entertainment.”

The man was delighted, and for days he sampled all the delicacies and experiences of which he had dreamed on earth. But one day he grew bored with it all, and calling the attendant to him, he said, “I am tired of all this. I need something to do. What kind of work can you give me?”

The attendant sadly shook his head and replied, I’m sorry, sir. That’s the one thing we can’t do for you. There is no work here for you.

To which the man answered, “That’s a fine thing. I might as well be in hell.”

The attendant said softly, “Where do you think you are?”

Chomperical

Recently it has come to my attention that robots are a potentially dangerous threat to my well-being. As a result, I’ve been looking into acquiring some materials to build an article of robot armor for my self. Now, ideally, I would like to build an armor out of either grade 5 or 38 titanium of thickness of 3 inches with carbon fibers threaded throughout and external diamond coating. All this will then be built on top of a polyester jacket to allow for casual wearing. My robot armor will be kind of expensive so I am accepting donations from my readers in order to see its completion.

I just exited the house when I was presented by the world with a chainlink fence running in front of my face. Usually these are of good quality, but this one had lots of metal cord ends sticking out. The entire fence had sort of a wavy bendy quality to it. I blame it on poor writing. Well, anyway, I was walking alongside it, and my gaze was attached to it, causing my stride to inadvertently angle towards the fence. I continued to take steps forward, causing my eye to come in contact with one of the metal barbs, getting pierced, then sliced across and scratching the side of my face along to my ear. The whole matter probably inconvenienced me only a fraction of a second though. Arriving at a break in the fencing, I entered and saw a concrete loftcube in a large crater. I realize this was probably someone else’s home, but I think it’s my duty to enter the homes of various people and explore them. All that there was available to eat was some sodypop and clay, which is rather bland for my tastes, so I took out my trusty bottle of cock sauce and had myself one fine chow time. Reminded me of the days when I used to wear the old nosebag.

~...~

Our auto stopped for some reason, unable to continue, probably because it stopped. I deboard and am next to a construction site with a large chainlink fence going alongside it. A dirt path leads through, so I walked through; it’s okay I guess, other people were visiting here too. As I got to the entrance, a group of naked people covered in a cloud of mud comes into my field of vision. They were heading north, but not actually moving, so I decided to head north myself. It got to be dark in the evening, and I notice that in my possession is the framework for a pyramid with a lit up bluish/whitish corepiece. I started to wonder about it, and I notice a guy standing next to me so I bug him about it: “do you think you could see this from 700 meters away, perhaps vertical distance too?” “Uh, I guess so.” That seemed to satisfy my curiosity for the moment and I didn’t think any further on the matter.

5 MINUTES WITH - LINDA MCGRORY

Linda is the founder and editor of InishowenNews.com – a free daily online news service for the people of Inishowen. The website was set up in March 2007 by Linda and her husband, Brendan Deehan, a web designer. The couple are delighted to be celebrating the website’s first anniversary. Year one has seen InishowenNews.com go from strength-to-strength with its daily updated news, obituaries, community notes, sport and photographs. Also, the expanding Business Directory at InishowenNews.com helps people to quickly find local products and services online. From its early days with only a few hundred visitors, the website now has more than 10,000 loyal readers every month and continues to grow rapidly.


What have you been downloading on your iPod?- what music/radio station do you listen to?
I don’t have an iPod but I do have a Nintendo DS (Braintraining) – Does that make me a bit more hip again? I listen to many radio stations, both local and national, and I do most of my channel hopping in the car. I like many types of music but one of my favourite musicians is Bruce Springsteen.


What would you never throw away?
My contacts book – it’s your most important tool as a reporter.


What book are you reading?
‘District and Circle’ by Seamus Heaney.


What was your favourite childhood game?
There were many, but I liked Chinese Ropes – remember that anyone?


Have you been to the cinema recently?
Haven’t been to the cinema recently – too busy. The last DVD I watched was ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Entertaining enough but it would have been useless without Meryl Streep.


What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I always start with the front page and go from there – I’ll root out the Sudoku puzzle at night sometimes to wind down.


What is your idea of a good night out?
A nice meal followed by a comedy show or a good concert.


Most embarrassing moment of your life?
Have you got all day?


What is your idea of a great meal?
I love Thai food, Indian and Italian – and it’s hard to beat a bit of fresh fish cooked simply.


Have you a favourite TV programme?
I’m a Countdown addict – I record it and watch it later. I also like the legal drama Damages and Property Ladder.


How do you relax?
I love walking by the sea – either the Moville/Greencastle Shore Walk or along Lough Swilly from Ned’s Point to Stragill – bliss. We’re so lucky to have those natural resources so close to us.


What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I always wanted to be a reporter/writer.


Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Cuba. I would also like Brendan and I to go on a road trip around Montana and Wyoming in America.


Your idea of heaven?
A white sandy beach, warm aqua blue waters and nothing to do but relax.


Your idea of hell?
Being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on a wet, cold night. Thankfully, we don’t have that problem in Inishowen.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
One would be Morgan Freeman – he’s a great actor and has the most mesmerising voice.

Favourite animal?
I like friendly dogs – but haven’t got one yet. I like my neighbour Kathleen Barr’s dog Bobbi. She’s so friendly and stands outside my house when I’m making chowder. My sister Irene has a great cat who plays fetch-the-ball and has the strangest miaow – it sounds like a fire engine siren.

Biggest fear?

Bereavement.

Biggest delight?

Holidays and days off work.

The world’s most irritating invention?

Alarm clock.


Personal philosophy?
Life is short and nobody knows what’s round the corner – try to appreciate what you have.


What is your idea of a good night in?
Nice meal, preferably cooked for me, and a good DVD.


World’s most useful invention?
The lists goes on…internet, the car, microwave porridge…


Any last words?
Hope last words aren’t needed for a while yet!

Hungry! I like eating food!

I’m uneasy about posting right now, because I don’t want to set up a precedent that when readers pester me, I respond with an internote post immediately. But I also have progress about the reprint of my cookbook: there is no new progress.

I gave away all my brownies, so I was sort of feeling depressed. I left the house, and continued in the direction I was heading and soon I reached a three way intersection. There were a bunch of trees on one side of the street, maybe it was a forest preserve or a park. A bunch of people were standing there, so I had to discuss with one of them about how to observe decision processes. And by discuss, I mean we each took turns, one person explains their arguments and the other side takes out headphones and rocks out to some tuneskis, then goms;;u, the side that was able to say the most words without repetition holds correctness. I won of course. The other guy didn’t even utter a word. After this, we headed down east. The sidewalk was all smashed and torn up in disrepair. Some slabs were raised, exposing dirt underneath corners. An occasional tree root was visible. It got to be what must have been a few hours, so we all decided to head back in an auto one of the people happened to bring with.

~“Let’s open our next letter here... oh I get so excited reading these! Hmm... ‘Dear Barley Chef: I was exercising my creativity the other day, and I came up with a brilliant idea! I love to eat soups, but I needed a delicious new noodle to make it extra special. And then it hit me: to make a barley noodle...’”. The television grew silent for a moment, and I watched a grave look come over Barley Chef’s face. “I’m terribly sorry everyone, but the Barley Chef Hour is cancelled forthwith.”~

I felt on top of the world after that swig of milk, but I really had to use the washroom. Some guy was sitting in the corner, facing the wall, and crying while eating something. Next to him I saw a couple brownies sitting on the floor. This scene got me kind of hungry, so I pulled out my plate of brownies and started working on those. I felt it was sort of a special moment the two of us had. Just enjoying some excellent chomps. Neither of us said a word to the other, but we didn’t need to. I think we both understood each other without speaking by means of the brownies.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 10

If Children

If children live with criticism,
They learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility,
They learn to fight.
If children live with ridicule,
They learn to feel shy.
If children live with shame,
They learn to feel guilty.
If children live with tolerance,
They learn to be patient.
If children live with praise,
They learn to appreciate.
If children live with fairness,
They learn justice.
If children live with security,
They learn to have faith.
If children live with approval,
They learn to love themselves.
If children live with acceptance and friendship,
They learn to find love in themselves.

5 MINUTES WITH - GERALDINE GRAHAM

Geraldine lives in Muff and runs the Lenamore Stables and Training Centre. The stable is a Centre of Excellence and it one of the only few places in the North west where people can train to become a qualified instructor in the profession. Geraldine has been in the equine industry for nearly thirty years. The stables not only instruct on horse riding, they stable horses and breed sport horses as well. The young sport horses are also trained at the centre and go through a four-year programme to get them ready for the discipline. Lenamore stables are preparing for a busy season starting this Easter. There will be a trek to Grianan, pony club games and treasure hunts. There will also be the ever popular –Own Your Own Pony For a Week Course! Here you can learn everything there is to know about what it entails to keep a pony of your own. Registered show jumping also starts on Easter Monday and will run every consecutive Sunday for four weeks, so it’s all go at Lenamore! For further details about booking riding lessons or any of the forthcoming events phone 9384022 or check out the website on http://www.lenamorestables.com/


What music are you listening to at the moment?
I am enjoying the Westlife CD ‘Home’


What would you never throw away?
Horse rugs. My mother at the age of 89 still mends them for us at the centre.

What book are you reading?
I have a book by the side of my bed and I wouldn’t be without it. Daily Reflections for Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey. All I do is open it at a page and read.

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
The Bucket List with, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The plot is about two terminally ill men who escape from a cancer ward and head off on a road trip with a wish list of to-dos before they die.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I always go to the stars section. I enjoy the horoscopes!

What is your idea of a good night out?
Give me champagne and smoked salmon…with a bit on the side!

What is your idea of a great meal?
I love Swiss cuisine especially a variation of Rösti, a potato dish. I make mine with chicken although the original recipe has veal in it.

How do you relax?
I enjoy being pampered in a spa. I go down to the Ballyliffen Lodge sometimes to treat myself.


What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I always wanted to work with horses. I got my first pony when I was nine years old and never dreamt of doing anything else.

Did you go anywhere nice for your holidays?
I had the most fantastic time in Dubai this year. I received an invitation to go to the Jameriah Beach Hotel, which is the only seven star hotel in the world! You couldn’t wish for a better present!

Your idea of heaven?
I have been over to St Lucia in the Caribbean a couple of times. It is so relaxing.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Jos Lasick. He is the World Show jumping Champion. I am sure we would have a lot to talk about and he could teach my son some riding techniques.

Favourite animal?
Anyone who comes to the stables will see Ralph, my dog. He is nearly seven and he is adorable.

Biggest fear?
Senile dementia in old age.

Biggest thrill?
Swimming on horseback in the Caribbean. Fantastic!

The world’s most irritating invention?
It will have to be like most peoples, the mobile phone. I do have one but I wish I didn’t.

Personal philosophy?
Anything can be done if you put your mind to it.

What is your idea of a good night in?
Sleep!

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
I am very happy with the present day, thank you very much.

World’s most useful invention?
A handy man!

Any last words?
C’est la vie.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD WEEK 8 - THE ILLUSION OF FEAR

One evening, a man in India walked into a small darkly lit room and saw a snake coiled in the corner. He was instantly frozen to the spot with fear. If he moved the snake would bite him. It looked like a big snake, a poisonous snake, and one whose bite would be fatal. What could he do? He stood there, not daring to move, images of his wife becoming a widow and his children fatherless. Full of regrets for all that he did not do and desperate plots and plans to either kill the snake or get away filled his mind. For hours he stood there, praying for help.

As the sun rose and the room became filled with it’s rays, he saw that the snake was in fact, just a rope.

How often does our perception play tricks on us and we see what is not the truth but an illusion. Our fears are often not based in reality, but we act as if they are and these can affect our relationships, our thoughts and our actions. Can we wake up to what is real and see our illusions for what they are?

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY IN BUNCRANA

Lorna and Joleen from the Henry Girls provided the entertainment.

Fire Fly.

Several of my readers have issued complaints about my recipe collection severely underestimating the intelligence of the reader. In response, I have begun work on a second first edition printing which will both include corrections for and introduce a few typographical errors, eliminate large portions of cooking instructions, and contain an additional section of photographs of food.

I found myself in darkness. It didn’t occur to me at the time, but it must have been the middle of the night. I raised the upper half of my body and look around, seeing only empty space, so I swung my legs around the edges of my resting place, searching for some sort of ledging to lower myself to ground level. It was a success and I began my descent, but about halfway down, a window caught my attention and I halted progress to take in my surroundings. The window was part of an undeterminable-colored house. So naturally, I climbed right in. I smelled some chomps, so I headed through a door to a room with a stairwell going down on one side and the other with a typical bedroom setup: dresser with mirror, desk, shelving unit with books and movies, bed with single shoe placed in center. I was drawn to the shelves, where I picked up a huge piece of strudel that must have been placed to cool and forgotten. I took a bite. Lovely berries flavor. So good. I have it preferred to forest apples. Some brownies on a plate were on the desk and I snagged those too for eating later. Next, I was getting thirsty, so I headed down the stairs and grabbed a half-gallon container of 2% milk sitting out on a table. I broke the seal with a butter knife, drank some of it, but couldn’t finish, so I fumbled around in my pockets for some silica gel but couldn’t find any. Seeing a cabinet door to my left, I open it up and find a tub of rice. I drop a handful of grains into the milk carton and leave it where I found it.

~I missed the Barley Chef today. Even though he’s my favorite, I’ve only seen a few episodes of his show. I have a fear that if I learn the secrets of barley this way, I may ultimately not have as great an overall appreciation for it as I might if I were to try on my own. But if I try to teach myself barley cooking, I won’t ever come close to the amount of barley-related knowledge as modern barley cooks.~

As I walked forward, the thought of the sandwich I ate occupied my mind. I don’t know how much time passed, but it was now night and I could make out something that left an impression to me as being an concrete loft cube at a dig site. I didn’t stop at it, and continued on, reaching a home. I really had to take a piss, so I headed inside, but there was a huge line for the washroom. After getting in, it was completely empty. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I had to use the water to fix up my hair a bit, but I was soon lost in thought. What am I doing here, and why did I get here? What does it look like when someone has a fire burning in their eyes? My eyes look black in the middle. Maybe robots have lights in their eyes. If my face were slightly more robotic, I might be a robot. Everyone kind of is a robot. After all, they pray to Robotsk—someone entered the door. This person had a sad look in the eyes, but I knew how to offer a cheering up. I reached into my cargo pocket and grabbed a handful of brownie. “Hey there, what’s wrong? Don’t worry.. sshhh.. sshhhh... just look at me, everything’s gonna be all right. Here, I brought you some of mother’s brownies.”

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 8

OUR HISTORY

If we imagine that our 15 billion year history was compressed into a single year:

The Milky Way galaxy self-organised in late February;
Our solar system emerged from the elemental stardust of an exploded super-nova in early September;
The planetary oceans formed in mid September
Earth awakened into Life in late September;
Sex was invented in late November;
The dinosaurs lived for a few days in early December;
Flowering plants burst upon the scene with a dazzling array of colour in mid December;
The Universe began reflecting consciously in and through the human, with choice and free will, less than ten minutes before midnight on December 31st
On this scale of 12 months, Jesus would have been born on December 31st at 11:59:45 pm.
The major scientific discoveries of this century would be in the final second before the end of the year.

In the contemporary scientific worldview we are latecomers to this planet. Not only are we latecomers, we are totally dependent on an ecological system that nurtured us very slowly into existence through a long process of adaptation, changes and upheavals in the development of life on this planet.

Internotable Potables

I was getting pretty excited. Mouth salivating, about to take a bite of a delicious bacon-flavored marshmallow. This must be the first time such a wonderful product has been made widely available. Images raced through my mind, wondering about a new world. I would burst into random houses and rifle through kitchen cabinets, searching, and there would be one item that is a sure find every time: the bacon marshmallows. As I placed the marshmallow into my mouth, I almost didn’t realize the truth of the situation because of my preconceived flavor ideas. This was in fact just a normal strawberry marshmallow.

Seeing there was no longer a wall in front of me, I got out of my cross-legged sitting position, one of my favorites from childhood. Today’s children have much more uncomfortable sitting styles. For example, I believe the current procedure for proper sitting instilled upon youth is to have the right leg stretched out fully, middle finger of right hand wrapped around the right index toe, left leg bent at the knee with left foot resting on ground beneath right leg, left elbow resting on left knee, and back of left hand placed over the mouth and schnoz. All this got me thinking about when I used to watch the Barley Chef on television...

~”Now, our next recipe comes from a Lars Cooldude of Sandwich. Let’s see, first we boil a pot full of barley. We’re off to a good start here! I don’t think anything can go wrong, we have a recipe for success! Alright, drain the water, and stir in some mustard mustard to taste. I’m feeling a little adventurous here, so I’m going to add chopped onions and garlic cloves to mine. Some of you out there might not be able to handle this, I can understand. We’re about done here, so I’m going to pour this into plastic baggies for snacking on the go. Wonderful idea, Lars! We also had a recipe from a ‘Zeefer’, but sadly we do not accept submissions from large organizations, no matter how great the recipe is.” I watch the screen fade through watery eyes and some commercial appears for an upcoming movie everyone has been talking about lately.~

The emergency food station was just ahead. Excellent timing on the food station’s part since I was starved. I headed down the stairs and examined my surroundings. Operating in this environment is first nature to me. I was about to get to work, when I saw that someone must have been here already, since there was a completed sandwich with nondescript soy drink waiting for me. It was really something else: meatballs with a certain special sauce drizzled all over them. So good. Glancing around some more, I found a package that claimed to contain ingredients for a drink that fixes love problems. Even though I didn’t want to risk bringing an end to my relationship with sandwiches, I couldn’t help but imagine the end product. Terrible. I’m ashamed to admit that I thought of it. I’m sorry. On the way out, I saw a tableau that reminded me of someplace I might have been before, but I couldn’t quite place it. I closed my eyes and shook my head, then moved on.

INDIAN CHARITY GETS A BOOST

CARNDONAGH CHARITY SHOP RAISES MONEY FOR INDIAN CHARITIES


Last Friday, the Action With Effect charity shop in Carndonagh, closed after successfully raising over €8700 for Indian charities. The Independent spoke to Catherine White about her efforts to raise money for the organisation, which provides humanitarian aid to lepers, orphans and destitute children.

“I became involved with the charity after taking part in a historical fundraising walk around Carndonagh,” Catherine explains. “I had been talking to Anthony Conaghan from Carndonagh on the walk, who is involved in Action With Effect. Later I met Eamon Melaugh from Derry, who invited me to visit India in September 2006 to volunteer with the work that is being supported over there,” she tells us. “The project works in three areas north of Delhi; Derhadun, Hardwar and Rishakesh, where there is great work being done and of course, loads more to do,” she continues.

Action With Effect works with the very poorest and most destitute people, including lepers and children. Lepers are considered untouchable and are outcasts. They are physically unable to work and even if they could no one would employ them. Their only means of support is begging and they live in degrading misery in conditions of abject squalor where they face a bleak future of shame and humiliation. Millions of destitute children never go to school and face a distressing future of stunted social and economic deprivation.

BUILDING HOUSES

Action With Effect has so far build over 50 houses for lepers, as well as 12 schools for impoverished kids. So far they are putting 2000 children through education, which is the way for a child to break out of the poverty cycle. An orphanage has been built as well as a hospice to provide more humane conditions for lepers.

Having seen the conditions that people are living in first hand, Catherine is only too happy to put in a bit of graft to raise money for the charity. “The children have such terrible lives,” she tells us passionately. “Some of them are no better than slaves and have been sold into bonded labour and expected to work 15/16 hours a day in exhausting physical work such as breaking rocks. The charity rescues as many children as possible, but of course they need money. They are completely reliant on the generosity of people here in Inishowen and Derry. They receive no other funding from anywhere and every penny raised goes straight to those that need it,” she continues.


MOTIVATION
So what made her decide to run a shop? “Well, I got the idea of running a charity shop from Mary McCallion from the IRDL who had successfully raised money for breast cancer before Christmas.” Catherine informs me. “I was able to take the shop over with all the fittings intact which was great. It has been very successful and I have been overwhelmed by the level of support I have had. Inishowen people are so generous, visiting the shop often and making donations. It was also great fun, meeting people and having the craic,” she smiles. “I am absolutely delighted to have raised this money to send out to India. I know it makes such a difference” she concludes.

For more information about the work of Action With Effect or to make a donation call 048 71364029 or e-mail action with effect

SPRING INTO THE GARDEN

The sight of daffodils and crocuses dancing in the wind is the sign that spring is upon us. This glorious season brings with it the beauty and promise of new beginnings and longer days. And of course, spring is the time to kick start the gardening year. So what are your plans for your garden this year? Whether you are re-vamping your established plot or starting from scratch, it is worth taking a bit of time to plan. What are your requirements for your garden this year? Perhaps you might expanding your vegetable plot, planting a few fruit trees or reshape a bed? What about adding a new feature; maybe a patio or even a pond? And when you get out in the fresh air to prepare for the season, remember, Inishowen has everything you need to build, maintain and plant our prized plots.

GARDEN DESIGN
If you are thinking of a total design package for your garden then Gareth from the Lifestyle Garden Centre in Newtowncunningham has a complete garden design and build service. With a team of professional, experienced landscapers behind him, Gareth says that there is no time like the present to bring your garden up to it’s potential “Now is the perfect time to get your garden sorted for the year to come” Gareth advises. “Don’t put it off until the summer! Thorough planning and designing now will pay dividends as your site matures.”

BRINGING IN THE HEAVIES
If you are the type of gardener who just likes to do a little sowing, weeding and pruning, but you aren’t keen on the heavier jobs then A&M Landscaping from Moville provides a great service. They are happy to do the jobs you hate, from groundworks, fencing, drainage, lawns and garden maintenance, as well as building and stonework. The company also have a digger and dump trailer hire available.

VERSATILE WALL BUILDING
If you are thinking of building a new boundary or feature and the price of a wall scares you, think again. You could use moulded stone. “The cost of building a wall can be kept to a minimum with the moulded stone,” Brendan McKinley from Templemoyle Concrete Products tells us. Brendan produces the versatile moulded stone and concrete slabs from his company in Culdaff. “There is no limit to the size of wall you can build and they age beautifully”, he tells me “They are great for retaining the sides of steps too and will finish off the edges of a patio perfectly”.


FENCING AND DECKING
Grianan Precast Concrete, who are based in Burt, supply a comprehensive range of concrete products for the garden and they also supply fencing and decking. Eddie McBride from the company realises the importance of good quality products which can cope with our climate. “We supply a wide range of quality products from kerb edging to fencing, decking and patio slabs, which make up the structure of any garden” said Eddie. “Spring is the perfect time to be building new features in the garden.”


NEW PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN
Garden centres are stocking up with spring plants and flowers. Jacqueline from Willowhill Nursery in Fahan loves the riot of spring colour that these bring. “Daffodils, primroses and pansies are perfect for brightening up any rainy day and they cope with our climate so well!” she tells us with great enthusiasm. Besides the spring flowers, Jacqueline is also receiving new plant stock in daily. “We have a fine selection of trees, alpines, roses, heathers and climbers for our customers to enjoy” she says. If you are in any doubt about what to plant, Jacqueline, with her vast horticultural knowledge will be more than happy to let you know the best plant for your site.


REGULAR LAWN CARE
As the ground is drying out we can start repairing any damage the winter has done to the lawns. Regular maintenance of your green space is important and if you need a contractor to take the effort of lawn maintenance, Stephen Proctor from SP Landscapes is here to help. Stephen from Buncrana stresses the importance of booking early to get the lawn maintained. “ The lawn is growing all of the time and regular cutting is very important to keep it looking good,” he advises. “It’s never too early to think about the lawn and I am taking bookings now for the coming season. I am also very busy doing the last cuts of hedging” And as Stephen says, the growing never really stops.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 7 - STARFISH

A man and his grandson went for a walk down to the beach. It had been a rough day and the tide had been high. When they arrived they found that hundreds of thousands of starfish and been thrown onto the beach by the storm and they were all dying. Immediately the man started to pick the starfish up and throw them back into the sea. The boy, copying his grandfather’s example, started to do likewise. After about half an hour the boy was getting tired. He straightened up and looked around him. He was struck by the amount of starfish still on the beach. He turned to the old man. “Grandfather, what is the point of this,” he said. “Look at all those starfish dying. What difference can we possibly make?” His grandfather, who was picking up a starfish, turned and looked at the boy right in the eye. “It makes a difference to this one,” he said as turned and threw it into the ocean.

Sometimes, when we look at all the sorrow and suffering in the world, we can feel overwhelmed. Whatever we do to bring a bit of joy into another’s life, we can never erase all the troubles of the world. Instead of getting caught up in the misery, just remember, when we do what we can do, we do make a differen