Can One Person Make a Difference?

I’ve been asking myself this question lately: Can one person really make a difference?

The world feels overwhelming right now. We see wars waged with unclear objectives that seem to cause far more destruction than they could ever justify. We see people being taken from their homes, not just the "worst of the worst," but innocent individuals caught in systems motivated by profit, racism, and rage. People are being labeled as criminals for civil offenses as minor as unpaid traffic tickets.

Then, there is the current assault on our environment. Protections for our natural resources are being stripped away in the name of profit, as if we won’t be paying dearly for that "gain" fifty years down the line. Safety nets are being pulled out from under the vulnerable to let the rich get richer. It feels, at times, like those at the top couldn't care less about what happens to those at the bottom.

In the face of all that, I find myself circling back: Does one person matter?

Last week, I saved a millipede. She was dehydrating on a sidewalk, inches from death. It wasn’t my original intention; I was just picking up a specimen to photograph. But when I realized she wasn't quite dead, I did a quick internet search to see how to help. I spent a little time reviving her and eventually released her into my pesticide-free front yard.

This week, I found another millipede on the same walk. This one had already dried out and died. I felt a pang of sadness, more than I probably would have felt a week ago. I picked that one up, too, and added it to my collection. It made me wonder: Is saving just one millipede really doing something?

Then I remembered other "small" things. Rescuing an opossum from drowning in the pool. Fostering a dog or two. And then I remembered the humans.

As a family, we once invited an 18-year-old friend to live with us so he could get on his feet. Twelve years later, he is doing incredibly well, and I am so proud of him. Later, we met a 20-year-old who desperately needed a family, so we adopted her. Ten years later, she is thriving.

When I look back at these moments, both the tiny and the life changing, I have to say yes. One person can make a difference.

Imagine how different our society would be if we all invested in just "one little thing." What if we pooled our resources for the actual good of others? If we help one another, don't we ultimately help ourselves?

I’m not always sure how this philosophy fits into my artwork, but I do know that my work has touched people. I’ve watched people sob in front of a piece because it moved them so deeply. Others have told me that having my art in their home brings them a sense of daily peace and hope.

Right now, things are hard politically, emotionally, and financially. As an artist who creates things that aren't always seen as "essential," I’m not here to ask you to buy anything. Instead, I want to challenge you.

What is one thing you can do for someone else today? It doesn’t have to be monetary. It could be a smile or letting someone go ahead of you in the grocery line. If we stopped looking only to our own interests and started looking out for one another, even in small ways, we could begin to build a kinder, more loving world.

If you decide to take me up on this challenge, I would love to hear from you. It’s always encouraging to see other humans making a positive change in the world.