Thanks Betty, that was sweet. I was receently shelling in Mexico. I discovered several hours later that I had collected a shell that was already occupied by a hermit crab. I had to walk a good mile to find him a decent rocky area to relocate (since I had collected him on a rocky beach only accessible by boat) and had to take some ribbing from friends. But I like to think he is enjoying his new home. Sue in Denver ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Re: Try to make a difference..... Author: Conchologists of America List <[log in to unmask]> at INET Date: 4/10/98 3:26 PM DEAR CONCH-L MEMBERS: A Conch-L member sent me one nicest stories I have ever received, and I would like to share it with you. Sorry it is not about shells, but maybe a starfish is close enough. Thank you, my friend, I will remember it the next time I walk a beach. ******* A friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he noticed another man in the distance. As our friend got closer, he marveled at the way the local native would repeatedly lean down, pick up a starfish that had been washed ashore, and one by one, toss it back into the water. =20 Our friend was puzzled. Approaching the native, he said: "Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing." The native replied: "It's low tide right now, and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the beach. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll surely die up here from lack of oxygen." "I understand," my friend replied, "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them! Moreover, don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches up and down this coast? Can't you see that what you are doing cannot possibly make a difference?" The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, "It made a difference to that one!" * Author Unknown ******* Next time I go shelling I will only take what I really need, and help preserve the rest. If everyone of us did that, it might make a difference. = =20 Betty Jean, The Tall One Betty Jean Piech=A0=A0=A0=A0 Hockessin DE,USA ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~=20 _@/-The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know.-\@_ ---------------------------------------------------------------