Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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4 Q* G+ V" ~+ ]: `> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
. o, b/ F- A2 S& Z; z( B> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
, A1 j2 @0 J) S7 B0 y; j) y' |> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
> the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be
, c$ a" O; b  G! R1 i4 f> 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
> 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.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
# q( F0 J, Z: L  A  ~8 p* G8 ~3 N> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
" p7 u1 W8 ]' P! C. S+ K5 W3 i> treat that child.'
>
> 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
! r! c; Z# ~9 E7 {; e1 e> 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,
& l7 e( L- O; b% K9 Z0 [5 L> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
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8 z+ ]+ K! }3 v* B- b% H> 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
7 C# N8 V( w" p6 d; w> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
> inning.'
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2 V4 v# N$ o: Z6 n! |> 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
6 P3 R7 o! a/ d- A3 ?9 C  h! J> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
- S) `2 M6 r7 Q0 b0 S4 [4 ]> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
0 R% C" j0 H& I4 q> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
5 ~$ T6 F4 _3 B2 |, G! S% L0 P> 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
+ V# B$ l) v* e+ F# r> 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
$ J8 Z: o# f9 W% s. K* t: H  U> next at bat.
>
> 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
> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
; |- h+ e# w& F> much less connect with the ball.
) K/ `& j2 p% X1 G* W3 h> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
- k; A# G3 ^: M2 k5 {$ {6 `& I> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
& y! [6 G& ^8 a. o" y> 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
4 R* E1 L7 B, g( y, W/ \> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
& r2 w' u8 A! F* Z  D4 |1 W> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
>
) C: ~. Z. c4 u/ i> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
2 T" g  s( @% P' q4 m> 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
> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
* o' i2 {' w0 G& E> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
( Q+ X4 \: q$ ^: T* k> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> 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
4 Z! Z% q5 j. V2 q7 ?6 `& W4 H$ F> 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,
# Q5 ?2 _/ S7 N3 g8 V4 `) X. `( [> 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.
>
% P+ Y5 o8 u4 v! d, s> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
> 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!'
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> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
5 |  b5 _# b( m5 t2 O> 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
' N1 f) e2 ]' x# L  C7 y. y> game for his team.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
3 |; g) C$ K6 s9 U> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
2 y- `* `+ T/ y! I9 H> into this world'.
>
' R) N) E5 }1 N, i' ]2 h& g7 j7 ^> 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
/ v  F/ ^; W1 Y> 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
! ~; ?4 U" b' V8 g. p> 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
4 q2 D' ^" n' c* H. {> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
3 o" U! |  c' x6 P9 _1 V6 h> 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
3 }8 q7 y2 Z. W0 a0 l+ e5 j8 b> '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
; q8 J4 y. a  `7 K9 k3 q* n' F> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
9 O, t5 }: n+ L- }' y> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
8 v- {/ E) N; Q! A- z, x  H; e> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
1 X* |  k% M$ ]2 m> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
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% ~( H' Y# W, N% q  C( i! w> A wise man once said every society is judged by
8 {0 [# p2 B0 t# Y$ J> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
+ k: w% w! A# C  c9 L: B' i+ z; U> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.