Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
: A# k0 d5 a0 h2 b4 X! ]  F4 |; z# q- a2 e> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
) B4 T$ {6 X7 `% w* N$ E/ Z> same choice?
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+ e  K3 S# [- @& X> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
" b6 L4 \8 W& s2 K7 S, ^> 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:
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> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
( L4 P& O7 J2 ?" L7 a> 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?'
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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
9 a4 A6 e' r3 {- r. `" t> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
6 a; b( t" |3 x3 L: ]7 c# b$ ]$ g> treat that child.'
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" ^" u4 h5 i1 i2 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
7 U, J7 R1 R) t7 D2 c3 b1 j> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
+ T7 {* {3 h/ X$ F> 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,
; n0 _2 Y" c1 O> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
8 q* T, m4 o2 f. I6 R, q3 _2 u$ K: M> 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
% C5 @, _2 H* e  }$ O4 k> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
( z) n9 l: o1 f2 Y4 D+ X& O% ]> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
3 M4 k  H* C: T% o* J' E> 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
8 j1 ]9 C9 g9 @; D> 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
5 ]2 V& y% r$ q+ f. A5 U/ C> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
$ n- \0 s3 `. X% L6 {> 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
. m# [( |! E' U+ e2 {) M> next at bat.
>
> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
! M: c- b, x2 @# Q' ?" l, f> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
9 t# }/ k& ^0 N+ b$ m+ p> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
0 t' E* t4 L4 l> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
) [' P* V' j  A5 n> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
  q$ K  P4 j' b1 [. C2 l* Q> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
# S4 t& j5 F( d# u) c> contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
% B  B' j, C4 q8 X& p. K) D7 G> 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
1 W/ s" m6 L* y% ]9 ~$ `: m> right back to the pitcher.
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0 Y! P0 V- ]/ ^% A4 `> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
" |$ q- `: I1 ^0 S6 T> 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.
>
% U" U3 t" x! x$ N6 s" D0 \> 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
3 W6 f1 o) J' K: G& I+ w> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
2 N1 d: h9 E9 {( }7 {> 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
5 ^4 N, q$ E* G+ A( J3 |, ^> 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
> 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
5 J4 l/ ]& @% ~> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
5 d; Q# `# }  ~> circled the bases toward home.
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) H' \. C/ _0 f> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
, r% @% W# I! \& F: x9 f, X% l> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
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6 n$ g7 V4 R1 v2 K0 T2 c> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
2 x/ |7 K4 l$ o+ E9 a0 z- }1 h" j) ~> 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
0 X% b% r! m4 _4 L6 l> game for his team.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
  H+ h' V3 e0 Z& f> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
1 h; h4 F8 m/ z( H* z; @" S! a> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
. }/ }/ \- r( s* {) U4 w> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
$ @0 J6 a" y9 e( ^> 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
" @6 ~- N, Q. }0 ]> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
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) ~( e7 k1 u* }> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
/ Z3 v# E1 K6 d7 [4 v" f  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
> 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
) @8 O/ `6 _7 R$ I- Z/ b# K> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
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& N; o  q% E* T! z8 h& b4 ~> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
5 R' y7 }; a8 T+ y( n: P; W6 O> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
% i5 i9 l7 K4 c" j+ D' P1 j> 2. Forward
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( z  L5 @0 C( i+ i4 ]* g> May your day, be a Shay Day.