The Power of One

Last night, my wife and I attended a performance of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra where it played music from Hollywood Epics. As I sat there and listened to John Williams’ emotional score from Schindler’s List, I thought about the story of Oskar Schindler and how it exemplifies how one person can make a difference in the world. At risk to his own life, Oskar Schindler saved hundreds of people from certain death at the hands of one of the most brutal, inhumane, depraved regimes mankind has ever seen. Closer to home, Rosa Parks sat down on a bus and, by that simple act, stood up to the injustice of the Jim Crow laws and became one of the catalysts of the civil rights movement. I am not suggesting that you risk life or limb or face the threat of imprisonment. However, any individual can do something that can have a tremendous impact on someone else’s life, even if the end result is never seen or known. If you have clothes you do not need, give them to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, Disabled American Veterans or any other worthy service organization. If you have an old cell phone, (and who doesn’t), donate it to one of the groups that reprograms them so that women subject to domestic violence can use them in an emergency. Forego a lunch or two drinks at Starbucks, and send a check to a charity. It is impossible not to find one that is doing something you support or believe in. Even a small donation makes a big difference. Doctors Without Borders states that $35 can provide two high-energy meals a day to 200 children. Finally, in this election year, take the time out of your schedule to vote. That precious right has been paid for with the lives of the gallant men and women who have served in our armed forces. And if we have learned any lesson from the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004, it is that one vote can make a difference. Remember, you have the power.