[Oe List ...] Fwd: Why Bother?

[Doris Hahn via OE]

Dear colleagues,
Here is an interesting email from Pat Moriarty. I thought you would
appreciate reading it too.
Peace,
Doris Hahn


Begin forwarded message:

*From:* Just a Thought <pat at justathoughtbypat.com>
*Date:* February 19, 2017 at 6:00:54 AM CST
*To:* Patrick <pmoriarty at collegiateservices.org>
*Subject:* *Why Bother?*
*Reply-To:* Just a Thought <pat at justathoughtbypat.com>


Why Bother?
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Some time ago, I attended the funeral of Verdell Trice. Verdell was
nicknamed the “Mayor of the West Side” because for more than 50 years he
worked to make this desperately poor community in Chicago a better place to
live.

During the 1970’s I had the honor of working with Verdell on economic and
social development programs aimed at improving the living conditions on the
West Side. I was just one of hundreds of people that joined with West Side
residents in working toward a better future. It was challenging work, and
it was easy to feel discouraged at times. Verdell was always positive,
though. He had the calm, wise spirit forged from a life of persevering in
the midst of hardship. He lived 93 years, and I daresay not one of those
days was lived without the belief that better days were ahead.

After the funeral I took a drive through the West Side community in which
so many of us labored. I hadn’t been there for some time and didn’t know
what to expect. What I saw was so many vacant lots, abandoned and boarded
up buildings, all things common to an urban ghetto. This community in which
50 years ago I and so many others toiled had become a virtual urban desert.

Or was it?

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There, standing in the midst of all this urban decay was a sign that told
an entirely different story, a story in which Verdell and so many others
had played a critical role. The story of the 50-year history of the 5th
City Preschool, an oasis of learning in the midst of this urban desert.
Just as Verdell Trice had stood through the onslaught of unrelenting hard
times on the West Side, so had the Fifth City Preschool. This little place
of learning has nurtured generation after generation of young people in a
bold, bright, positive, and caring environment.

As I left for my home on the North Side of Chicago I was feeling blessed by
my time on the West Side,

   - Blessed for having known Verdell Tice
   - Blessed for having worked with the 5th City Preschool
   - Blessed for having lived in this wonderful community

It was an answer to an ongoing, bedeviling question. In the midst of
hopelessness, where some things seem to never get better, where the rich
get richer, the poor get poorer, and the rest get drunk – WHY BOTHER?

My visit to the West Side called to mind this story:

*Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do
his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his
work.*

*One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and
saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the
thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to
catch up.*

*As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and
that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching
down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the
ocean.*

*He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is
that you are doing?”*

*The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the
ocean.”*

*“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked
the somewhat startled wise man.*

*To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out.
If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”*

*Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not
realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all
along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”*

*At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and
threw it into the ocean. *

*As it met the water, he said, **“It made a difference for that one.”*

*— Loren Eiseley*

WHY BOTHER?

Aren’t we nothing more than lucky starfish?

Just a Thought…

Pat

*If you would like to submit a post to *Just A Thought,* please contact
Marsha at mhahn013 at sbcglobal.net <mhahn013 at sbcglobal.net>.*

Copyright © 2017 Patrick J. Moriarty. All Rights Reserved.

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