Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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: D2 l2 R9 b3 b1 `6 W+ v> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
, R2 \; y& ]8 h, Q> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
1 H7 l" G$ f" _> same choice?
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1 M9 P! C8 [( [2 }/ x> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
# Q6 E8 T7 M) V# C" T% ]/ v$ b> 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
> staff, he offered a question:
>
> '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
4 P- e% g( X4 R# Q& C> natural order of things in my son?'
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> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> 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.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
9 k. t( b+ f9 S+ w> 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
4 _! K9 _+ {, X, z  G) T3 ~> 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
* g5 \0 l3 B) {( O$ F) X5 s> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
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> 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
/ M* _  _$ ]  a5 x& c; D1 a7 v> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
0 J9 Z& `1 V3 }5 T, s> inning.'
>
> 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
. f! u: k& |- \" p> 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
* w5 e# w( Q& K: O: D7 ]# h> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
3 ]' t. d) Y2 Z5 @> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
! l) V) F, t4 Q2 i% t> 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
+ Y$ D; c( I2 q" I5 j' Z' f5 K" v: r> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
- W/ P1 v, A% ^- f* k> next at bat.
>
> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
4 P. n- [- T& A7 x/ |> 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,
> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
* v6 w6 L& N$ k> 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
> right back to the pitcher.
>
7 ?* ?# P3 B) O& M+ r> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
$ l' k4 X/ l2 B! y3 {9 ]> 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.
>
# e7 a6 Y+ z3 _8 \2 Y1 I> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
3 ?; ^1 I3 q. k6 N> 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,
> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
4 k. r4 y6 V! l9 V4 {$ H> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
, Y# d2 h, N; g' x' B> 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
> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
% C, y+ m0 t- ^! w3 E) {> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
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0 |. O8 E& f9 S' k> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
  M3 B& j' {6 q( D2 K> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
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3 u  O. W# q& z) ~1 l: v# h7 N> 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
. y3 g4 o  S9 i' k0 p0 m> game for his team.
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/ F1 ?9 B& P9 j$ Z& M) Y- y> '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
, {. O! `2 E2 ^- l# {' L> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
4 f- U/ ]) e6 c6 D& j- Y% B* _# q> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
7 P. K6 N) D8 V5 c> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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, A) n4 `: J4 P> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
+ P0 Z; S: W: W3 Q/ w8 ^> 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
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
  J( ~1 g4 I) L3 I7 n" k5 {. D> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
. k9 L7 X* y) r  J+ v  b# y> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
1 v0 G5 n# L# \- `) V0 y$ `> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
7 `: D+ S, V0 y2 Q! m! y( t+ m> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
: x" b% z& H" A! f2 N> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
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> A wise man once said every society is judged by
+ Z) B0 n/ N! [> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
$ o! ^- K6 B( E7 Q9 f> You now have two choices:
# D% ^9 W5 n8 D. A2 A. ~& k> 1. Delete
9 M! p" O% A9 P" w> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.