“No matter who you are, or what your circumstances may be, you are special, and you still have something unique to offer. Your life, because of who you are, has meaning.” -Barbara de Angelis.
The other day, a friend invited me to speak about my favourite children’s book at a charity event. After giving it some thought, “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B White was my obvious choice. Not just because I loved it so much, but also because I learnt some valuable life lessons from it; even though I didn’t realise it then.
Charlotte’s web is about the unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider. Wilbur the pig was born a runt, the smallest of his litter. To the farmer who owned him, he was worth close to nothing and he therefore saw it fit to put him to “sleep”. By a stroke of luck, the farmer’s daughter came across this information and begged her father to let the piglet live. Eventually Wilbur ended up living on her uncle’s farm in a barn with several animals, one of whom was Charlotte the spider.
His new owner plans to have Wilbur for Christmas dinner; and he shares this concern with his new friend Charlotte, who promises to find a way of saving his life. Wilbur is surprised by this, for he cannot comprehend why anyone would want to save a worthless runt. He is amazed by this wonderful creature and says to her, “Charlotte, you are beautiful”. To which she replies, (my favourite quote :-)) “No, I am not beautiful; I am nothing, but I will have to do.” This line has stayed with me for years and years; and recent events have brought it back to me again.
I like to think it was no coincidence that the author chose a brown spider, pretty small and harmless by human standards to play lead role. During the doctors’ strike, everyone kept asking why all the doctors they saw looked so young. It was mostly because the few doctors remaining in public service are those who have recently qualified. But that to me is besides the point. I believe the youth are the future, and it is commendable that these youth chose to do something about the status quo.
We always complain about things we think are wrong, and claim not to have the means to do something about it. But I believe if we put our minds to it, we can and we will. Let’s borrow a leaf from this little brown spider.
“I am nothing; I may be young, I may not be rich, I may not be powerful, but I can do something.”
Happy holidays!
daktariwakenya 
nice, its not about the size of the dog, rather the size of the fight in the dog!
*the size of the fight*.. cosign!
“I am nothing; I may be young, I may not be rich, I may not be powerful, but I can do something.”
Yes, I can do something!
Daktari wa Kenya, indeed I love that book and the unlikely characters of a spider and a pig. We can achieve something no matter who you are, where you’re from and what you do. To humming birds, little brown spiders & doctors in Kenya.
I’ll drink to that!
Yes, it is the little individual contributions that add up to move mountains.
Hi bros