By Catherine Ballay
Many of us love “The Starfish Story,” a tale traced to an essay by the American anthropologist and science writer Loren Eiseley. It gently reminds us to focus not on the magnitude of the problem, but on the part of it that lies before us.
Here is one telling: An old man walking on the beach encounters a young man picking up starfish stranded on the sand. “Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” he asks.
To the younger man, it’s obvious: “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” “But don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You can’t possibly make a difference.” Reaching down and tossing in another, the young man replies,
“It made a difference for that one.”
On May 12, the Community Health Advisory Board and the Island County Board of Health recognized some of the “starfish tossers” in our midst.
Fifteen individuals and agencies were recognized as Linda Lee Martens Memorial Health Heroes for their extraordinary efforts contributing to the health and well-being of the people of Island County.
From working to meet the needs of homeless people in South Whidbey to the simple act of going out every day to pick up litter on Oak Harbor sidewalks while offering kindness to people on the way, each awardee has found something that needs doing and quietly stepped up to get the job done.
Some jobs, like tossing back starfish, can never be “done,” of course, and individuals — even our heroes — get tired, yet they keep on.
How much more could we accomplish together if we saw how our challenges intersect and our goals affect one another? Right now, our health department and Community Health Advisory Board are embarking on a new community health assessment. We’ve started with help from community experts of wide-ranging backgrounds to be sure we’re asking the right questions.
The conversation will expand over the coming months as the assessment reveals a picture of where we stand and what challenges we face. Then we can set goals for a new three-year community health improvement plan — goals that arise from our community will be aimed at our community and will take work by our community to achieve.
Our collective quality of life is enhanced by these honored Health Heroes, by other individuals, and by programs of agencies and organizations across the county, including the health department. Working together, we won’t leave any “starfish” on our shore.
Coupeville resident Catherine Ballay is chair of the volunteer Community Health Advisory Board, which is appointed by the Board of Health.
