Odds, Sods and Nods: The Power of One

Welcome to my column of Odds, Sods & Nods. Now before I get to today’s topic, The Power of One, I would like to give you a brief explanation (sixty-two words, you counted and came back didn’t you) of what I mean. As you follow this column over the next few weeks/months/etc., there will be odd items that I will and want to address from your everyday life; a mishmash, or hodgepodge, if you will, of events you might otherwise not either think about or read about. The nods will be for those, who have, as individuals or groups, made a difference with someone, somewhere.

The Power of One. Big words. Not the number but the person. Gandhi said “The essence of all religions is one. Only their approaches are different.” He said many wise things and I am not here to preach to you but to talk about what things one person can do. Neil Armstrong, on July 20, 1969, said “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” when he first set foot upon the moon. He didn’t do it alone, but he represented the thousands who worked on the Apollo 11 flight and the hundreds who worked behind the scenes to enable Neil to make that famous statement. An old Chinese proverb says “The Longest Journey begins with the first step.” Anyone who has begun a new job, proposed marriage, raised a child, celebrated a milestone birthday or anniversary, lost a loved one, been told that they have terminal cancer, or lost a beloved family pet have taken that step.

How they or you handle it determines how you will get along or survive in life. But sometimes the Power of One is not what it should be. Ask companies who have been sued for a hot cup of coffee spilling on a lap (who knew hot coffee might burn you) or have had to put warning labels on their goods (Do Not Use Iron to Iron Clothes While Wearing) or perhaps one of the more recent “Power Of One,” a radio station in Nova Scotia had a complaint from a listener about a song that the listener felt was derogatory to gay people. The CRTC (Canadian Radio and Television Commission) who is the public watchdog over decency on the airwaves ruled that “radio stations shall not play the song in question unless it has been edited for airplay or censored before airplay”. The song in question had been on the air for almost twenty-five, yes that is 25 years, one-quarter of a century before this point. The song in question? Dire Straits’ “Money For Nothing.”

So, with that being said, yes, one person can make a difference. Whether it’s helping your neighbour, being part of a fundraising campaign, being an ambassador to your community, voting at election time, supporting a local business by shopping locally or, on the other side of the coin, complaining about something that bothers you or protesting something you find unjust by writing a letter to the editor.

You can make a difference. You can make a statement, have an impact. You can see the result. Even if just one more person listens and says, “Thank you for speaking up.” Because, believe me, if you feel it, I can pretty well guarantee someone else is too. So with that in mind, if you ever say to yourself “Can I make a difference?”, the answer is… Yes, you can! Just remember The Power of One.