Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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' H' V' [; {2 X; j( i4 Y- y> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
! g, W, k1 @7 \& {* z: Y> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
> same choice?
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> 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
; w: ?! `1 Y# X, G; ?> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
5 o" I5 M+ n: f7 F> staff, he offered a question:
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  C) B6 \/ D2 w, p4 f) ^$ N1 Y$ Z5 y" d> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
* W7 X5 S( x+ S3 F- Q> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
- k$ x! m2 ]4 p, c> The audience was stilled by the query.
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> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
4 |, h% @2 `% s$ h, ~5 I9 n> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
1 M6 n% o4 l2 R> treat that child.'
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> Then he told the following story:
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" d* ^8 G, q2 J- ?0 x> 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
$ b+ g0 v7 H5 `# d& q- T4 Q; M> 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
& K/ \- b4 _" l8 z8 H> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
0 X! O9 ?  \% L/ q> 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
8 L. C& |2 f& J6 \* s5 }5 P> 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
0 N% l( `7 O  b. l- U7 n> inning.'
>
9 T2 P, t- b7 L! l& N. L0 f> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
- s# ^. m- z/ |9 X> 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
6 a1 [7 D  \( _; U5 O6 z> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
) u, t3 t, {$ `) C& s& q5 C> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
> 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
6 B4 Z7 n5 u2 u0 z; T1 f  M> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
! [7 q  Z8 V# C> next at bat.
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( X. D, [! _, ~7 {; g> 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
0 U$ J4 Q. k1 ]> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
8 }/ E3 _0 u6 G! g* @4 N2 M/ S4 y> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
0 D2 Z$ }/ T/ Q3 N2 b> 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
7 y# M- @0 D4 L# M2 ?> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
5 ?4 i8 x0 P0 q8 m0 S) u3 H  \> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
' O% s- T7 H! S* Q8 R( y> right back to the pitcher.
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> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
5 S: H* u- L& w9 \" J, ?5 K> 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.
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' J8 ]- o4 x- O3 V/ d> 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
& d2 h9 R+ O  o; W! f> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
3 N% s& Z4 [! M; o; W. E% Z# u, s> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
% j1 N" _$ @4 D5 r& S6 D> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
; v1 q/ O0 m" D> 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 I5 S. S9 C1 w3 s" q& c> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
2 f8 E  L9 J, K! ~1 r$ J> 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
1 o% h. F! y( l" e8 o3 d/ c3 D( P! u" O> circled the bases toward home.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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3 p6 U+ z  a2 g, i* Q> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
7 v$ v( @4 Z/ a+ i) P2 P3 m# |> 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
> 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.
>
0 w1 X0 E7 ?9 y; E7 }( ]9 H+ z> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
8 `! E& C" c7 D+ z# S> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
>
1 d$ L9 M7 o$ U$ R/ o) J> 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
$ S0 Y4 y8 j2 o. [: S> 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
3 K5 L5 W" `& G" E> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
0 r; c7 N9 m1 ?' |( b$ d+ T# w! {> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
1 l; R+ T4 i% C; w1 }$ {4 T> 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
* Z/ q5 \4 X9 w5 m; c5 g> '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
: G7 t. X" K0 K2 E6 v6 v+ ~> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
> 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
: T- ~. K% Q+ X. e' @2 O9 }$ W, f> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
! u2 m( D' I; X7 V$ Q> 1. Delete
# h( X/ W6 A$ Q' }4 [3 _3 e> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.