Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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8 R" P# A* z' c6 H) G* _( `# [4 \> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
& x$ s: j% d6 A' b> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
$ ^, ]  B6 H$ [/ P> same choice?
>
. l' g) l3 @2 k- S) E) h> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
> the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be
7 A, m- i4 C4 n) s8 F> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
* ]- s7 j* O7 e) V' Y# p> staff, he offered a question:
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> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
+ B2 J- _8 w6 N+ s1 w! G/ q/ s1 Y> natural order of things in my son?'
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> The audience was stilled by the query.
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# X" A! g% a# v- ]  e0 G& l> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
5 D+ p2 d$ p/ K- U( }> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
>
- r4 H; {4 J1 q6 X> Then he told the following story:
>
> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
: S, J3 f2 ^1 c: H0 m% w4 g  S> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
( m# Q+ Q3 J! k> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
2 O# f" M  h- }) j9 u> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
0 s" m' E) ]5 D2 Z> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
0 _- X6 C: f* t& u> inning.'
>
5 s8 L8 V0 y, s# Z: Z> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
5 |" l' O3 c0 b4 b> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
% f# {% v  \0 @9 \# @! R+ u> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> next at bat.
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  [3 ?4 }/ T8 s  P' y5 @> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
$ R  O; ^: U6 X8 w) L> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
/ x; ^) W2 \9 O9 x* @9 K3 z> much less connect with the ball.
( W/ X- C6 k6 O7 A7 p> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
8 N7 Z* _: t+ o4 @6 d/ G> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
> contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
" G( D3 V) v6 n6 e% F  F7 n> right back to the pitcher.
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> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
% W! \; m6 r+ {" k$ F* z- P, f> out and that would have been the end of the game.
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& H; t, F! `+ D& f5 {, O- O> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
4 Y, w) P8 V! u1 F> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
3 v$ F% i2 P% P4 \6 q$ x( ?9 [* w> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
3 ^- X6 w6 @8 [2 V$ O* J0 K> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
+ D- K, U4 S7 c# c# G# l> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
/ l$ E% j1 R2 l> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
* g4 p6 n8 c* p: S7 i! o/ z# K> circled the bases toward home.
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> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
" _. z5 v( U$ @! o6 b> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
8 H6 c  V+ w- m) H" g> Shay, run to third!'
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> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
: R2 Z$ x9 j$ L3 g& I( [$ G- q( X9 t> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
7 {7 z4 }; }7 M5 Q8 Z- L> game for his team.
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> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
8 s# W. V/ J6 j# [, e- \6 c/ X1 J> into this world'.
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4 ^, D! j9 r' d, C> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
" A4 e5 Q  `7 u; U; a+ [> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
/ {) }9 a/ f7 {6 L; w! M0 d' Y> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
$ y. Z0 [$ A" D- R0 M> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
; }. o7 x7 \) f+ {5 r2 ]' e> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
3 l% E. D0 x3 F+ R4 H> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
# w1 o* @  g' d+ F" V/ i/ A% w9 w> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
) W5 t! I5 y) T* U# O> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
4 U0 O" c1 I' U: N2 b7 Q* k> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
2 @& L* }$ f. M! ?, B* |> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
1 `/ c5 Q- X2 @! Z9 J> bit colder in the process?
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8 U" V0 u; e7 l> A wise man once said every society is judged by
) u6 _1 E: R* D) a  \> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.