One day countless starfish are washed up on the shore. At dawn an old man hobbles down the beach, picking up one starfish at a time and throwing them back into the sea. A little boy comes along and asks him why he's doing this. There are still so many to be saved and the sun will soon be up. They will die if they dry out on the sand. How could he save enough of them to make a difference? "It makes a difference to this one," the old man replies, throwing another starfish back into the sea.

I walk along the shore in Bolinas, California. I see a starfish on the beach, struggling to survive. I pick it up and throw it with all of my strength back into the water. Determined to save it, to save myself.