65

Glancing around, you suddenly realize you have a whole party full of opportunity in front of you. There's Eliot, still sitting in front of you, occasionally exchanging friendly words with people who pass by to wish him a happy birthday. Then, over by the mantel, you see Dina introducing Rana to a very smartly dressed woman, with whom she quickly strikes up a conversation.

At the same time, you notice Robin standing very close by them, and although he seems to be listening with interest, he doesn't seem to be saying much. From what you can tell, Robin seems eager to join in the conversation, but he looks extremely anxious when faced with the prospect of raising his voice over the rest of the noise.

And then, standing and talking around you, are all the people you don't know yet—and you realize this could be the perfect opportunity to start spreading the word about saving the forest.

It may seem like a drastic measure to take at a birthday party, but if this morning's article told you anything, it's that there's a difference between wanting to make a change and actually doing it. So far, all you've done is…well, not all that much. You haven't really known what to do. For all the things you've heard about how anyone can make a difference, you're still not quite sure how.

This isn't the first time you've been faced with a room full of people. But this might be the first time it's really occurred to you that, with something as important as this, it's no good just waiting for permission. You'll just have to start talking until someone listens.

Of course, the only downside is that if you're not quite sure how to make a point about saving the forest, it could backfire. Pretty badly. For all you know, you could even end up inadvertently turning people against your cause.

You force yourself to take a slow breath, reminding yourself that you don't have to talk about the forest. You're at a party full of people; there are plenty of other things to do. And, to be honest, it probably wouldn't hurt just to relax for a little while.

With all of that in mind—what do you want to do?