Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
) J: i: X- d' V$ G/ F: O) K: _3 Y> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
. R6 o# N; v8 b- a2 ]5 r> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
4 R: P7 c& a, i% U! J! j> 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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' Z4 u0 C: S% b- F! D> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
! h+ J6 b) r; }- h$ I7 |> 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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( e# M" d3 a3 }5 p' `3 X> The audience was stilled by the query.
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$ B1 c  U. A$ P& w" _7 |> 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
- g( j# c# r+ D* [  N" x9 x6 k> treat that child.'
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  o. f) H$ W6 Y/ f" w* W/ n> Then he told the following story:
>
- \& Z% V+ O2 e) T% X3 a> 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
2 d& h# L% a( r1 n" _1 P> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
, ]. g8 H& \. W  z8 @3 c' a: E! [> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
5 [3 t/ M% C: F  k0 Q" P* w> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
3 Z) |6 T0 D* }8 m/ s0 q- d% T2 u> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
> 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
& W7 b  z+ o( n> inning.'
>
( _4 k& ~% T) o& w/ T> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
% ]- i1 D; y! {+ `7 M: N, M> 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
! r4 v' s7 Z9 J0 G> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
8 |4 o3 j3 Y3 U6 j> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
$ ~# g8 d' ]' N  K6 ]/ Y0 h; B> 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
* V, f) H0 U: G0 f  M4 k" J> 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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> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
7 Q' ~% c* m! \1 W* z> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
1 z* x) S/ U- E! r* W8 ~> 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
: L% i8 ]8 N) ?8 s* \% T* d> 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
> 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.
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1 a$ _" E3 O- w* e; Z> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
% N" p2 \4 x3 N* @3 p7 w> 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.
>
* C; C# W9 C1 G3 b, g> 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
> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
& ?" J" H2 x9 W# `' X- h. _> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
/ W9 u- {+ _# m9 \> 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
' x+ O5 F# o: Y> 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
& b2 D; Q# l9 j> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
2 B  k( o3 ~/ f4 r- D( d> circled the bases toward home.
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+ [! K& q, a0 H$ d* E8 A> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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+ G" {7 h3 T' R  O> 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!
7 S% m7 J* E1 l9 g> Shay, run to third!'
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> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
( a$ a4 r, p. r: B1 T  G/ D> 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.
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> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
5 [( ?7 j2 Z- K> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
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3 B2 _3 U0 ]6 K3 p4 s# X> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
8 H) L- g5 H1 w7 L( w> 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!
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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
" |+ @) H0 u2 w2 d: I> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
4 P# j* t7 L+ N* Y9 g7 {> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
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> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
: I' L; P, g6 d> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
0 ^% Q1 s, c$ z8 T> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
8 V# C1 E" g/ D4 s> 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
3 |( ^2 g+ T1 U0 F> 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
; ~: w/ l0 U5 D: _8 d> bit colder in the process?
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% g! P; o6 d& E> A wise man once said every society is judged by
" J- z  I' F$ {* E, `1 i5 i> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
+ ]# q9 k. a* Z1 e0 K, ^6 t9 Z> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.