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Young Young Man’s Man’s

Melody to Melody to thethe

StarfishStarfishhttp://www.slideshare.net/firelight1

Prepared: VaroujAuthor: unknown (edited)Music: Shahin & Sepehr Through Your Eyes

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An Inspiring Story An Inspiring Story About Making a About Making a

DifferenceDifferencein Lifein Life

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STARFISH (SEA STAR)STARFISH (SEA STAR)Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 35 yearsSize: 4.7 to 9.4 in (12 to 24 cm) Weight: Up to 11 lbs (5 kg)

Sea stars have no brains and no blood. Their nervous system is spread through their arms and their “blood” is actually filtered sea water. Their diet is Carnivore.

Marine scientists have undertaken the task of replacing the beloved starfish’s common name with SEA STAR, because the starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

There are some 1,800 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.

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STARFISH (SEA STAR)STARFISH (SEA STAR)

Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body.

Male and female sea stars are not distinguishable from the outside; one needs to see the gonads or be lucky enough to catch them spawning. The gonads are located in each arm, and release gametes through gonoducts located on the central body between the arms.

Sea stars are capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction. Individual sea stars are male or female. Fertilization takes place externally, both male and female releasing their gametes into the environment. Resulting fertilized embryos form part of the zooplankton.

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Once upon a timeOnce upon a time

there was an elder wise manthere was an elder wise man

who used to go by the who used to go by the oceanocean

to do his journal writing.to do his journal writing.

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He had a habit ofHe had a habit of

taking walks on the taking walks on the beach before he began beach before he began

toto

work on his journal.work on his journal.

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One day he wasOne day he was

walking along the shore.walking along the shore.

As he looked down the As he looked down the beach, he saw an image beach, he saw an image of human figure moving of human figure moving

like a dancer. like a dancer.

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He smiled to himselfHe smiled to himself

to think of someone who to think of someone who would dance to the day.would dance to the day.

So he began to walk So he began to walk fasterfaster

to catch up.to catch up.

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As he got closer,As he got closer, he saw that it washe saw that it was a young man buta young man but

the young man wasn't the young man wasn't dancing,dancing,

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but insteadbut instead he was reaching downhe was reaching down to the shore, pickingto the shore, picking

up something and very up something and very gently throwing itgently throwing it

back into the ocean.back into the ocean.

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As he got closer heAs he got closer he called out, called out,

"Good morning! "Good morning! Young manYoung man

What are you doing?"What are you doing?"

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The young man paused, The young man paused, looked up and replied, looked up and replied,

"Throwing starfish"Throwing starfish in the ocean."in the ocean."

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The elder in curiosity The elder in curiosity respondedresponded

I guess I should have I guess I should have asked, asked,

why are youwhy are you throwing the starfishthrowing the starfish

in the ocean?in the ocean?

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The young man replied The young man replied The sun is up, and theThe sun is up, and the

tide is going out.tide is going out. If I don't throw theIf I don't throw the

starfish in the oceanstarfish in the ocean they will die.they will die.

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The wise man respondedThe wise man respondedBut, young man,But, young man,

don't you realize thatdon't you realize that there are miles and miles ofthere are miles and miles of

beach, and starfish all beach, and starfish all along it.along it.

““You can't possibly makeYou can't possibly make a difference!"a difference!"

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The young manThe young man listened politely.listened politely.

Then he bent down,Then he bent down, picked up another starfishpicked up another starfish and threw it into the sea,and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves…past the breaking waves…

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…….. and said,.. and said,

"It made a difference"It made a difference

for that one starfish."for that one starfish."

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The elder ponderedThe elder pondered a moment realizing thea moment realizing the

young man’s point of viewyoung man’s point of view smiled and said smiled and said

““Well done young man to Well done young man to make a difference in life.”make a difference in life.”

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There is somethingThere is something very special invery special in

each and every one of each and every one of us.us.

We have all been gifted We have all been gifted with the ability towith the ability to

make a difference. make a difference.

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And if we can becomeAnd if we can become aware of that gift,aware of that gift,

we gain through the we gain through the strength of our strength of our

visionsvisions the power to shapethe power to shape

the future. the future.

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We must each findWe must each find our starfish.our starfish.

And if we throw our And if we throw our stars wisely and well,stars wisely and well,

the world will be the world will be blessed.blessed.

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Are you in harmonyAre you in harmony to the tune ofto the tune of

your melody toyour melody to dance to your dance to your

stars…?stars…?

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““We mustWe must become the changebecome the change

we want to seewe want to see in the world.”in the world.”

Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi

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““Best thingBest thing about the future isabout the future is that it comes onlythat it comes only one day at a time.”one day at a time.”

Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln

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““Do… Do… what you can,what you can,

with what you have,with what you have, where you are.”where you are.”

Theodore RooseveltTheodore Roosevelt

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““The worstThe worst prison would beprison would be a closed heart.”a closed heart.”

Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II

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““In this lifeIn this life we cannot always dowe cannot always do

great things.great things.But we can do smallBut we can do small things with great things with great

love.”love.”

Mother TeresaMother Teresa

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Nature’s Beauty The Romances