Unless.

Unless.

Someone like you.

Cares an awful lot.

Nothing will get better.

Yes.  The kids and I watched the Lorax this morning.  Such a meaningful movie.  It has everything to do with the trees, but nothing to do with the trees at the same time. 

Yesterday I wrote about our educational system and some of its failures, but also that it works pretty good.  I made some suggestions but really I am not in a place right now to implement that change.  Or maybe I'm not supposed to be the one.  Maybe I'm just one to start the conversation.  

Today I watched a video about a group of Isreali kids that need to be escorted to school by the Isreali army.  How easy would it be to just not go for them.  But for them to not go to school may be worse than the dangerous journey to school.  We have it pretty good here.  

But what can we do about those kids? What can we do about education for all the kids across the world.  Like Malala. And so many others that education means life or death.  

I don't have the answers.  Sometimes I don't know what to do. Or I feel like what I am doing already isn't enough.  Maybe there are so many needs we don't even know which one to give our time or money to.  

What if I told you within a few clicks you could probably find an organization or a cause that you could get behind.  

I'm going to get cliché here, with an alternate ending.  There was a young man on a beach surrounded by starfish.  They would die there.  And this young man was picking them up, one by one, and throwing them back in the water.  An older fellow walked by and questioned the boy.  "What are you doing? You know you can't save them all, don't you? Even if you get them back in the water, they may end up back on shore!"

The boy, while throwing another starfish back into the water replied, " This is how I know how to help them.  They may come back into shore, but that's a risk I'm willing to take.  That one there, he just got a chance.  It's all I can do until someone else show's me a better way. "

The old man left quietly, perplexed.  About half an hour later he came back with several empty 5 gallon buckets.  He filled them up with some water and began putting in starfish.  The boy walked over quietly, perplexed.  The old man said to the boy, "No use throwing them back one by one.  Lets put as many of these starfish into these buckets."

"And then what?" the boy asked. 

"I got a boat over in the harbor, lets take them out to sea.  As long as it's ok with your parents."

In the meantime, many other people began throwing the starfish back into the ocean.  All because of one person cared enough.  

You see what happened here.  Not only were they able to save some starfish, a young man was able to help that old man a develop a sense of accomplishment and purpose again.  You'd be surprised what young children can teach you.  

I have no links to give you.  I remember a quote.  I'm going to modify it because nothing is original anyway.  Don't just look for what the world needs.  There are needs even inside the walls of your house.  Look for what makes you come alive.  Do that.  That thing that you can lose yourself in.  The world needs people who come alive.  And when you find that, you'll discover the needs in others that you can help with.   Don't be afraid if others might look funny at you for what makes you alive.  Remember the story...you may ignite a fire in them without even knowing it.  

Go live.