Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
3 v% i/ w. D, T  k' C# }> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
3 c; z( H* B! r5 s0 A$ _> same choice?
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9 |- \' C1 x9 C; H3 u2 k# |> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
8 V3 k4 j3 i6 L7 C. A0 \9 ]' c( O> the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be
> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
& C  \' T2 w+ w> staff, he offered a question:
8 ]) K; |) a- C- ?" q# T2 t* _>
5 ~; T; ~# }- u& Q4 J3 [> '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?'
>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
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> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
( X! H; R% Q, {9 W1 N> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
8 r% G' n+ v- Y> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
5 v1 B- H9 ^' s8 g> treat that child.'
>
5 ^; \0 r7 l& ]) C/ e> Then he told the following story:
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> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
, O- ^' T9 [4 @) \> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
0 b4 |' w* t8 }$ U7 U> 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
/ y5 i* m4 j$ [- N0 t> 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
5 t1 ^7 m& P& F3 B0 f3 `> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
( k( a" {% q- H0 r> inning.'
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0 o8 I7 R: S- M0 |" w3 i6 d. K> 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
> 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
% Q, A, L. _+ T8 ]+ _7 ]  q> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
% G; O! C$ X; T2 I5 r4 e1 E2 \> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
' p6 k/ D2 b. d5 t6 ~3 j& ?- p> next at bat.
>
' {. Y8 K0 y1 p> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
( \0 O0 s- t# W! d5 Y/ k> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
1 ]! B6 u2 q, n# f0 y+ `> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
9 Q6 b' e8 X  h5 ]: K# R" h1 a> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
' y4 Q3 v* M+ o% `) m$ h% }> 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
> right back to the pitcher.
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3 l% R# R. g8 |7 f; R/ T> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
4 j( K# j8 e' [- L6 O" o+ h> 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.
1 b: \5 f; {; T* g4 `>
3 ?4 `: _: r9 m9 e) w9 R> 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,
9 k- Q+ }3 Y6 ^+ m' I- i2 l> wide-eyed and startled.
>
( g6 _  R! \: F; J' G> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
. Q% w% v9 m- ~3 i# D6 v> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
2 K1 \* w" g- @$ y/ p> 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
+ h+ e7 E) w" q- ?- H. D; d4 y; R> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
/ A4 k2 O' I- A2 z7 O> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
$ t" a3 Z6 L, [* B& P> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
, g4 g* \* H# l% T: h( m, v> circled the bases toward home.
>
; U+ n& ~( a2 }; g( y6 I> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
6 n: ]6 g5 v1 R! a9 t; e! O> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
! k0 b$ x3 q0 k, X6 m, f> 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
; D) Z( i' F. m2 @, o> game for his team.
1 W. y" ]4 f* U7 M" @; }9 f- e>
/ C" K8 p! L) O- W8 {> '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
> into this world'.
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> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
- X! U& t- K* j. E5 J( e, u' g> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
/ y+ l! c  j. S8 M% p7 R, j& p$ _> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
; O- C! K, z/ r% @: H" D2 e> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
2 r+ ~+ f' L& Q  R* Y+ j; ]> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
  u# J. N9 w, o; M/ S> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
& f, k3 R: x+ \0 S& |: e$ S+ r: y> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
$ }2 v8 j2 x, N2 D, Q8 p>
7 L% J9 V7 v( X- Q6 V> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
" X$ J  @& _2 l8 \  Q& |- X> 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 R# L, R9 H6 ?> 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
> 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
! b1 o1 M' `$ V& U! b" |; U> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
>
  M( M. ?# x5 {. m1 g% R( p. V> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
4 u; D* u# Q5 ], S5 ~( y8 M> You now have two choices:
5 E; j( u3 e; a& ], h+ \> 1. Delete
! I4 M) `& V! H> 2. Forward
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" s% @1 U  |( p- \- s2 i> May your day, be a Shay Day.