Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
+ y; o6 O+ X0 _4 M& F4 G: w# b) _> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
8 T7 t+ ^. S3 y. u; @& x* m> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
5 p1 v5 b0 `- B5 y& O> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
2 A( s7 U5 m/ ^: o$ L* u" H> 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
+ j  C4 Z4 }, x4 |. v1 K> 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
: z1 ^* w" z' Z( R, l5 m2 S> natural order of things in my son?'
>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
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, H" K- `6 G8 q, W( i> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
: ~1 t3 W8 r: T+ k> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
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> 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
9 A8 y" n) P% R/ M" q' U& t> 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,
> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
" W1 c9 l: o, Q# T" U' e> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
9 K6 p1 `: Z, e7 X6 P4 `> 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
% j9 w3 b8 A7 q5 {2 S> 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
) G! a+ a# M1 x( U; p5 e( C8 y> inning.'
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> 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
6 o+ C4 o' B( @, j2 v> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
0 H* k7 F) ^3 P1 D% X: {> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
: `( R1 J; K3 o5 _> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
& x# M1 T- f5 P5 [2 L6 c> 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
> next at bat.
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4 F0 P' h4 v4 s4 Z: H> 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,
> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
) t* R6 ]( r6 k/ F4 c  C> 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
. V/ U, D7 Z2 Y/ {$ N, c" j> 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
  a9 O! Q- l* m0 f7 z' v% Z3 R> right back to the pitcher.
>
> 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
3 m8 u/ x- m; A/ V! x& S" Z> out and that would have been the end of the game.
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> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
' n2 \  @! j: G+ r8 Y. C9 X> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
0 q6 O' B9 o9 J' q8 o> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
) r0 o6 @. d" G9 b) o- X3 O> 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
; B  }5 u. h! {8 a3 a> 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
2 L; u6 j; c/ H. @> 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,
( z) N+ q1 h% t9 ]  ]> 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
4 k; Z6 ]: e! I> circled the bases toward home.
>
( e$ w$ E3 Z* @5 R# x, |( V> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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0 e8 z6 \1 K/ d; Y! n0 ]" E8 K0 H> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
! y# V, k* W  k) P, h. ^8 G, V( l> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
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2 m. T4 K+ t( o& u# f8 U; `> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
) G& O* P$ q! m/ X> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
2 ]- H& L, J; ~2 l2 k6 i, `> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
> game for his team.
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> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
; ?( p2 F- r. D, n/ D: `3 c  N> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
# l" S* ]& m, U0 o) E+ I/ v> into this world'.
>
" p  C* ~6 p2 Z  _3 R> 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
> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
- t* v/ N& {, @% ]! O7 ]; M> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
- Q2 ^0 b8 U4 t* I> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
+ J2 P$ \, z1 P8 v5 r: h> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
9 d$ h6 z2 S' _# H, X2 D. c> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
& Q# {+ n5 A9 s8 Z- X- h4 J, Y7 C> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
5 B' T* _/ C% {1 }> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
' X* F5 w% [1 ~2 b; E0 ~' r3 C% B> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
/ I3 L  l1 h: }" f> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
% {$ P' U" n4 Y0 d( V> 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
' _& f6 P; i7 F0 b8 R( j> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
>
+ y  J* k4 @) c4 I> A wise man once said every society is judged by
5 Q0 Z1 l! B0 L/ C# ~* m- }> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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' p& D# B# H  c> May your day, be a Shay Day.