ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
by Mel Copen August/13/99
© Mel Copen, August, 1999

There are several versions of a heart-warming story currently circulating on the internet. The story tells of a Scottish farmer named Fleming who heard a cry for help and as a result, rescued a young boy from drowning. When the farmer refused to take a reward, the boy’s wealthy father decided to assure that the farmer’s son, Alec, would have an opportunity for a good education. Years later, the boy who had almost drowned, now a prominent public figure, again had a life threatening experience – this time a potentially fatal case of pneumonia. He survived, but only due to the administration of a then-new drug, penicillin. The real story is in the names of the key people in the story. The wealthy father was Sir Randolph Churchill and his son, who nearly drowned and later recovered from pneumonia was, of course, Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of England. The son of the farmer, Alexander Fleming, went on to medical school, knighthood and the sharing of a Nobel Prize for his discovery of the mold that eventually led to the development of penicillin.

Although a great deal of liberty seem to have been taken with the facts, the accuracy of the story is less the point than peoples’ reactions to it. It truly is inspirational and even if it is not wholly accurate, it does present a very positive set of hopes and wishes for most of us. There are several messages contained in this “parable.” One is that good deeds often have a way of resurfacing with unexpected positive effects. Another, and the one that most intrigues me, is that each of us, as individuals, can make a difference – as did the acts of each one of the individuals in the story.

Many of the events taking place in the world around us seem outside of our control. National and international crises have a life of their own, for most of us, far out of our individual spheres of influence. New social trends or even new products and services (or lack thereof) are things for most of us to experience rather than direct. And unless one is in a high public office or position of power, thinking about these issues is often accompanied by a sense of helplessness. What can I, as an individual do to change things that I think need changing? In many cases, dwelling too long on this subject only gives rise to in an increasing sense of frustration, particularly since the tendency is to focus on the things that bother us, rather than how to improve things that are already good.

It is hard to envision the universe. It is so vast. It is hard to experience a raging ocean storm and make the connection with droplets falling on a field of flowers in a gentle rain. In similar fashion, it can be even more difficult to make the translation from our day-to-day contacts with others to the impact of what happens when there is concerted action by many human beings. We see the results, somewhat humorously, in what happens when a trend catches on and people become enamored with simple things like beanie babies and furbies. Pyramids get built and the earth gets reshaped when enough human energy is brought to focus. And societal trends are shaped by those same forces – a composite of the action or non-action taken by all of us. New developments are influenced by many factors, but they often occur without conscious leadership, like the rain droplets flowing together – even though it is unlikely that that each raindrop is driven by a purpose (the equivalent of a life-mission) to build and maintain a mighty ocean.

Years ago I encountered another, perhaps apocryphal, story which came from an ongoing longitudinal study being conducted by sociologists in Pennsylvania. They were reviewing the subsequent lives of students who came from high schools in an economically depressed area. They had already accumulated substantial data over the years, and believed they could accurately predict what they would find. But the data for one group was completely off the scale. The number of people who had gone on to successful careers and life experiences was so much higher than anticipated that they decided to do an in-depth study to find out what was so different about this group. The answer was a dramatic statement about what one person can do – all of these students had been subject to the influence of one particular caring teacher who helped inspire them to achieve and gave them support when they needed it most.

I believe this story is true, although I have been unable to locate the file where I had saved it. But it’s very believable! Why? Because we know that these situations do occur. An individual, doing his or her “thing,” can make a difference. “Happenings” like this make us feel good and tend to renew positive outlooks for the future. Even more so, they verify the fact that we can make a difference and that to some extent, we can control or influence what happens around us. One person can influence others, magnifying the impact. And if enough people get involved, like the drops of rain, we create new oceans and universes of progress.

Last week, one Atlanta TV channel carried a story about a high-school girl who has developed a video tape that makes a powerful statement against juvenile violence. Others are making similar efforts. Think of the impact this type of effort could have if it were to catch on and attain even a fraction of the attention (and resources) that young people devote to nintendo or pokemon. Look around and you will find many many organizations that are working to make a difference. All they need is involvement – ours!

Yesterday my wife and I received an email from a good friend who is heavily involved in local community activities. It asked for our views on the “northern arc” transportation proposal and the alternatives being considered, and encouraged us to attend one of the Community Dialog Sessions that are being held on the topic. We hadn’t really given the issue much attention, but this message triggered a good deal of thinking (mostly constructive, I believe) and the realization that we not only had a stake in what was being discussed, but we had some strong opinions. Sending a response was better than nothing, but we realized that participating in a community dialog session would be much more effective. The key word is “participating.”

The message is simple. Each one of us can make a difference – and together we can make an enormous difference. It may be the rare individual who, with great oratorical skills or with enormous prestige and power single-handedly changes the course of history. But many of us, voicing our views and getting involved in what we believe in can move mountains – and doesn’t matter if these be physical, or more difficult, conceptual in nature. And we sure have enough mountains out there that need, if not moving, a good deal of reshaping.

———
.