Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
$ U- |* O2 }! c, N: U: \7 n( {> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
7 f0 t3 |5 c  D- \$ l) X> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
/ E- ]1 f7 [% Y4 u" O> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
- [4 k: {: t" k9 ~) u> the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be
" Y  t, l4 ?& m+ R> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
2 u. {- U+ ^9 \' U  e- g7 K> staff, he offered a question:
. w5 n3 `/ R( m4 ~>
2 _2 x: f/ \, Z$ ^/ X8 p( T> '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
> natural order of things in my son?'
+ _" E7 j! s( l0 a" S>
+ X' k6 e6 C& E1 k' h- e6 l+ E> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
$ t5 e5 _1 h+ E, R> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
# M5 ]' x" R# w! \> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
  G  I; U0 Z1 O+ ?0 b7 |, D" ~>
> Then he told the following story:
>
0 P+ r1 V2 X! z8 l* X( A5 \> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
: Z0 F# H1 S5 B$ I& F> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
( R1 O' K, i- ]+ j/ d2 Q4 ]! s> 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,
> 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
% W4 t2 S6 G0 S0 J! Z3 N3 r> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
( y4 T' n6 X: A/ m) b2 o> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
7 j8 y  J" I8 E! H% u> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
% {- _/ K  k6 u6 `  w. b3 i8 u> inning.'
# g. U& {1 D4 R3 Y' G5 f>
, c6 T, F+ w+ o. g: v) y9 j' n$ j- c> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
' F5 p  D6 y  b) c9 ?> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
( j  a) J: q- B2 x> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
6 m6 v# s8 Z( f% F- q2 g  S! 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
" O, I  z' y; Z( f( U# `( a! l7 M> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
# K& `! I0 L3 y> 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
7 A' L! c0 f8 `0 E+ M> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> next at bat.
. U/ [$ L* E& U0 I6 Q9 M>
* y+ G5 q% N1 x6 C> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
. X  \; H, O1 o> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
2 D9 q; a% E& P> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
( A; r) v- W7 `& ^% y$ G: i; P> much less connect with the ball.
$ z# G. H+ S: n6 S! b" h3 T> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
> 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
8 ~4 t# j1 w$ Q, E+ d: R> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
8 q, s/ L, S9 M7 E> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
>
> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
6 b, D! Q; I) k: B# r> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
> 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
; @* D# K& B: X6 L/ W$ }4 V/ J> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
, d" f7 L5 a" M- c> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
- Z% X" G6 X& C% l3 A5 J> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
5 o: R- W4 a/ Q, G  A, t> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
6 y8 x9 ~* q4 v% X4 c> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
> 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
/ m2 M0 F4 t8 r. a> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
7 P, C3 r" o- h: N  Y# |' @) Z> 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
> circled the bases toward home.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
: O/ N' O- w' T+ P/ t1 |# X> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
* E2 Q2 i5 A/ r0 H; p2 ~2 K> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
> 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
> game for his team.
>
# ?+ S+ }# K8 A, b$ N: i4 a> '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
. c( g4 M: J# Y> into this world'.
; y* \  _; l9 L- U>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
9 m7 M$ Y, L# o4 w7 [> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
/ N+ U1 L4 o3 Y- m6 }> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
6 a1 f0 b1 m4 _2 y# \> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
: Y( z2 N# |1 @5 Y9 p# u! }8 @> 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
, O& D& s. h+ S0 [7 U% x' {+ p> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
! D1 k" t, @0 `0 ]> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
1 D( N4 P3 k9 |( N5 j> 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
> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
# r. |. x3 b1 h3 |1 x> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
2 K. J- f6 @$ Y9 Y& Q2 k) @# B7 I> 1. Delete
  U. u& Y0 k! j/ u( F5 P% C> 2. Forward
' y( S" i+ l; q2 F4 g# Q* v$ B>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.