Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
1 s0 w3 N9 ~) o( j, E& v> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
, N& }: z) G1 ~8 f' d& z> 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
6 z, S" \" R9 k> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
" p% F) X' `1 G' A" j/ `> 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
; [9 `, ~, u' V* d" M; A  n3 S> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
6 U3 T: H( {- n( [7 s9 }> natural order of things in my son?'
. X9 p7 E) Q' N. f) C>
! G$ V& @( `- M( `> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
# G- n3 o; e& d+ \' l> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
% H1 S  x. n8 L4 f+ N> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
> 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
& J/ Q0 B' p5 x> 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,
. |$ A& u0 O( A( t" `0 I> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
5 F6 Z0 E. U+ f. q/ m>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
6 H& c, p4 [& x2 p% J" m3 j> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
: F9 ?" |) z- w2 E) H> 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.'
>
5 r: G7 P& Q& A6 r1 Z6 \> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
6 x+ V/ m( Q) C6 g; ~> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
  e- |1 e3 d: F> 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
4 e- O, A. c, x' M' n> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
6 m; T3 K( s0 A7 |! ]  U: w$ i> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
1 S$ X& q0 Q4 R3 R* U> 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
7 x6 Z9 Y5 G! W$ |: L3 T> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
4 }. o. n& O! W0 a! ~> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> next at bat.
>
1 X2 g( s8 G8 }1 v7 l> 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
9 u. m& @2 Q3 e7 P6 k! y+ K> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
* e6 p7 A# [; s/ ]% I0 `> 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
" T/ w% s! G' ?+ S> 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
> right back to the pitcher.
>
0 Z- m6 U& [2 `) v" S3 _> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
* R3 v1 T6 y% }6 b, J> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
+ `" j2 U4 @" c3 u) T> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
  o8 w( d7 [/ _6 S> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
  [% O) m, V8 d% x$ Q* Z# B7 n, x> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
; V/ o; l- }7 b0 [* ]: ]> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
& h5 N! [$ s/ e' F; z1 P! ^* A> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
1 v6 I0 \3 C- A5 O. D" U> wide-eyed and startled.
' m; r2 @6 O$ f5 v/ y# s>
/ E8 X$ l/ K+ N" [, d% i/ Y> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
3 r+ H% ^" \& a3 f+ _8 c> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
+ i4 o9 S" Y2 j> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
/ \( v3 H: y# E( E( L. r> 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,
) p2 o* P9 x6 `" o+ O- z> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
# ?7 E) h" }% |- ]6 P3 X  {> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
% W9 _$ W$ s+ D> circled the bases toward home.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
) d! }% c1 s1 `; F> 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!
: [" S0 V+ `7 n2 _7 s> Shay, run to third!'
4 f% F" B. {* Q>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
+ K$ u6 V8 g) b9 b. a" M> 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,
' f) T5 Y3 j. c3 s, x5 {9 o> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
9 [- S# v2 w7 _& O- w> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
6 M& h; ^+ f9 K# f$ _> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
2 ^$ I0 e' v2 [( A9 H$ C$ B> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
) I$ l- \6 a. C> 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
  _8 _  B" z, _> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
8 ?6 Z+ F4 J. x8 I" i7 D( ~> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
9 I* _) k6 P4 K/ P* [$ S8 ^> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
9 }) ]& n9 K( C8 @> 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
  x+ P/ A$ N$ w' Y! A) w+ D( q> 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
> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
) H9 J: _& o( T! K* N$ A>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
" ?" f" D/ o& h  E: F- U> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
! U2 u5 m, Y6 Q>
) _- A" R' ]- f# K> May your day, be a Shay Day.