Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
! Z" }  @+ k/ n# A. D% b> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
& f$ a$ ^6 X* y" M# \: k( t% n1 h> same choice?
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+ I$ _% |3 _4 \& b, W$ r5 K! w; P> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
6 p8 m& A6 r  p  r" w0 v> 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
$ W- m, z' a& \, H: s> staff, he offered a question:
>
6 E( F0 U9 w: S4 v0 b> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
7 _  ]- X7 m, `3 l- C* t' t> 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?'
>
2 m' {) S, V% k* [& \> The audience was stilled by the query.
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1 ]% Z# p% D0 w> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
7 M' a  [: C1 J; ~; C4 t! l1 V> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
8 w; k$ G; P# {: W5 P> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
) R" G+ m4 b; m/ f, c> treat that child.'
>
( i$ J( F4 a; t7 y$ w. v> 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
* w2 ^; v$ r! |3 q> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay'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,
6 f% P7 K/ G/ e( Q) N: q6 O0 ^> 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
0 f+ ~, U% R) Y) E* F> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
. e; U) t/ \: v8 q0 X3 W> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
  x+ d: M+ w% g, E# d, ^1 U$ E5 l* Z> inning.'
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/ R' Y/ X: k5 Z/ N$ H( C> 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
1 O2 u  E# U7 w( ?; {6 l% D1 g> 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
> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
3 e; h4 e2 U8 c) O3 ?6 k> next at bat.
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# C$ J7 [" A0 q) a3 ]  ]> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
, Q8 C( Z3 L% s# W2 _4 q& T1 _  h> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
+ ]+ {8 ^7 e0 J+ a9 d> much less connect with the ball.
! `" r1 H4 N$ M# N+ h3 `> 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
> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
3 O/ K5 Q# H0 Z* e' s9 Q, W. U5 i0 M> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
>
! @* v0 `+ T( ?( h2 C> 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
> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
0 W  ], L/ |- x> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
  v" D- |0 J& I6 P> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
6 x8 `- g. L9 O0 a  a# [> 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.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
7 x) E1 U# y. V& h- Y4 y  t( E- ]7 ^> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
# T9 N9 d7 c. [3 r# s> 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
" {/ b2 v- o, R> 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
> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
>
5 e3 i& y+ n9 ?! S' Z> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
! h2 l8 N& ^* u. t6 `4 M; q> 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!
> Shay, run to third!'
>
* n, u0 c# ~% h9 q) e> 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.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
  |4 H5 |' w/ @> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
8 z4 v' k: Z2 L4 c2 N( _! a2 B> into this world'.
>
6 m; s$ ^' |" ?& Q+ B> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
2 M) V, l* Z* H* R> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
+ S# p8 T) c! V> 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
> 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
$ t: o2 [6 Q: o/ D2 W9 M> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
9 ^; }, |/ [  O+ u+ G> 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
$ }( V* F# k8 O" B" O> '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
> 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
2 A1 ]5 B: W4 H+ u, j, n2 @> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
% y" W: e: g2 P3 X4 k> bit colder in the process?
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* u& C- F5 p# t* K( ~% Y8 g' B> A wise man once said every society is judged by
# I: T" F' ]4 q2 a3 A3 r  l) g> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
) [- C: Y; c: _/ O5 x. m- s> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.