News of the Arroyo
Title: | Thanks for inspiration |
Subtitle: | |
Date: | 2004-09-03 |
Summary: | September 3, 2004 - Star News letter-writer Michael Gray salutes Arroyo volunteer Lily Dong. |
Author: | Michael Gray |
Publication: | Pasadena Star News |
Content: | On a recent Monday afternoon in Old Town, I passed two newspapers in a rack. One showed a picture of an Olympic athlete letting out an incredible scream of aggression after having won an international race. The other showed a child leaning on an oak tree in a tiny corner of this land that she has saved for future generations. Guess which paper got my 50 cents? In this age of Olympic-sized hype, planet-sized egos, and the-sky\'s-the-limit sports salaries, the word \"inspirational\" takes on a whole new meaning with the story about this kid. Lily Dong worked for four years to get a small patch of wild land set aside for others to enjoy. She didn\'t do it for her own glory; she did it for everyone. The wonderful people who hand out the Brower Youth Award gave her $3,000. She will use the award to help the Arroyo Field Science Club, her parents and college. She will not hold out for more. Or sue for more. Or pay off a lawyer to keep her out of jail. I sure hope the University of California or some Ivy League alum is reading this because we all need this kid to get a four-year scholarship. Not because she can run faster or jump higher or talk louder, but because she is what I think might just save the planet from our own destruction. Sure, the press prints stories and pictures about people who will save the planet all the time, but I seem to remember most of them being a bit older than 16. Even so, that\'s not the reason I call this story \"inspirational.\" Some of us believe that God created the world, gave it to us, and expects us to do good with what we have. Furthermore, some of us believe that, at time\'s end, God will hold an inventory of how well we did. It will be young people like Lily that will be told \"Well done, good and faithful keeper,\" and that\'s the end of a race that can be truly called \"inspirational.\" I\'m so happy that the Star-News printed it before she even got done with the first lap. Michael Gray Los Angeles |
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