After being pescetarian for four months now, I have been faced many times with people asking me "Why do you do it?" As a response to this question I would mention some of the reasons behind my choice, including how meat production mistreats animals, uses growth hormones, and contributes to climate change. Then they would argue; "But you're barely making a difference! Even if you do it, the impact will be so small that you're not making any significant change." At that point my response used to be simply shrugging my shoulders and smiling. Yet, my answer to this question started becoming more and more elaborate and I noticed something that I always kept repeating: "Not every change has to be a major world-changing phenomena to be worth doing. I'm doing my part." One day, I remember talking to one of my friends during dance class. We were having an interesting discussion and he kept stating how he thought that only people with a great amount of money or power in the government were the ones who could bring along some type of change in the world and actually make it count. It was at this moment when I decided to share with him one of my favorite stories: The Boy and the Starfish. The story goes something like this: Once upon a time, there was a man who was walking along the beach and happened to run into this boy. The boy appeared to be picking something up and then throwing it into the ocean. He did this over and over again. As the man got closer, he stopped next to him and asked what he was doing. The boy replied, "I’m throwing all these starfish back into the ocean. They were washed up by the tide last night and if I don’t, they'll die!" The man replied: “But there are hundreds and hundreds of starfish along this beach. You couldn’t possibly make a difference!" The boy leaned down, picked up another starfish and as he threw it into the ocean he said: "I made difference for that one." After listening to this, my friend laughed and admitted I had got him and had nothing to say after that. This short story tells us that even though the change we make is small in comparison to the rest of the world, you never know how big that change is in someone else's life and how much of an impact your actions may have on somebody. You might not be a powerful politician, or make a world-changing movement, but there are several small things that people do that have as much value. Take TECHO as an example. No; by building an emergency home we aren't annihilating poverty altogether; but never will I forget the smiles on the family's faces when we introduced them to their new home. The experience of playing with Felipe, the little boy who we were building the house for, how Felipe's mother and I both cried with happiness as we hugged each other under the ceiling of her new house. This simple act that may be "so small" in comparison everything else, is something so meaningful to a family like Felipe's, and definitely something they will always be thankful for. Amongst many other amazing memories I will always treasure the Saturdays I currently spend at Wish Factory. I have met so many brave and wonderful children who are in a constant battle against cancer. Being able to make them happy when drawing, letting them play the ukulele, or simply engaging in a nice conversation with them is one of the best feelings ever. Knowing that you can spend a few hours completely devoted towards making someone's day better and allowing them to feel happier can't be compared to anything else I've ever experienced. I could go on recalling countless moments such as when Evelin, a little girl at an orphanage in Cusco, opened her bag of gifts and was overwhelmed with joy when seeing two of my stuffed animals that Nadine and I had packed inside for her. Or the times I would walk into La Alegria en el Señor, (a school for children with special needs) and the children in the class would squeal and run to give me hugs as soon as I went through the door. If we constantly are comparing every small action with the overall picture what would be the point of all this? Are we simply going to not help others because it's "nothing" compared to how big the problem is? If we say that it's helpless and we sit back without arms crossed nothing will ever happen! No matter what you're doing to help improve the world we live in, the effort you put in won't go to waste. Everything you put in will come back to you either by the personal satisfaction and joy you feel when doing something good, or with the realization that you are doing your part. Imagine if only everyone did! Imagine if everyone added their own little grain of sand into the pile. Change is contagious and something that is often overlooked when we perform it at a small-scale in our daily lives. But if everyone did this, things would change! People have to stop thinking that only people with power have the ability to change the world. We won't go anywhere with such mindset. It's US who have the power! It's the people. If everyone stopped eating meat, the production of meat would decrease since we are the ones who control the demand. If every person with a middle/upper class economic situation donated towards one emergency home, imagine how many lives would be improved! I'm lucky enough to say I'm doing my part. Are you doing yours?
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