Jack McShane

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting the improve the world."

Anne Frank

Sometimes the problems in the world and even in our local community seem overwhelming, and we feel helpless in our ability to make any difference, let alone scatter joy. But the story of Jack McShane, a 13-year-old from New Orleans, reminds us that one person can make a difference.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as the city struggled to rebuild and regain some of its former glory, many people understandably either gave up and relocated or gave in to accept the broken spirit affecting much of the city. But not Jack. Frustrated by the lack of attention given to New Orleans City Park, where he had played sports for years, Jack commented, "It just bothered me that it didn't look good."

So he decided to take positive action, and just about every Saturday morning, Jack can be found mowing one small part of the park's 1,300 acres. Others have joined him in overcoming the destruction caused by Katrina, and the "Mow-Rons," his grass roots mowing club (www.mow-rons.org), has become officially established as a nonprofit charity. Their original slogan - "The mow-rons are in City Park; the idiots are in City Hall" - has been changed to "Weeding by Example," because the first was, in Jack's words, "a little bit inappropriate." Jack's positive example is just one way that a single person's actions can prompt an entire movement and make a huge difference in the lives of many people!