On Changing the World

One day when my son was nine or ten, as we sat on the steps enjoying a summer evening, I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He told me he wanted to be an environmentalist.

At that age, Daniel was often content with one-word answers (accompanied by a knowing smile), but of course I wanted more. I asked him why he was drawn to that kind of work. He gave me one of his indulgent looks and began to explain.

"You see this little stone here?" he said, pointing to a small pebble in the grass. "Imagine that an ant is crawling along and reaches that stone. He might decide to go around it to the left. When he goes to the left, he will get eaten by a larger insect, which will change what that insect does, which will then get eaten by a bird, which will change what that bird does, and so on."

He looked at me to see if I was following, then continued.

"If I move this stone, " he said, picking up the pebble and moving it a few inches away from us, "that ant won't need to go left, so it won't feed the same insect, which won't feed the same bird, and on and on.

"So," he concluded in a reverent tone, looking intently at me, "by moving this stone, I can change the world."


We all have the power to move pebbles and change the world. Commit yourself to moving some pebbles today.