Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
> 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
> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
# @+ U. h8 M- a- T5 h1 \> 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:
) C) T5 R! s! B- _>
6 `' {/ ?6 s8 a. x$ S7 A> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
: D- V4 Z  l$ f( h; K& |! o" ~! [> 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
* z0 h9 w; v  Q> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
  v$ j4 i0 Z2 l3 F> treat that child.'
" A6 T6 d$ j* h" u( @" x; r>
> 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
> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
# Z0 C4 m' h. e) u> 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,
3 w$ G& O- G2 V) U3 R* D- |> 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
( _  [. X% k' U$ x* W> 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
$ }1 L! I& J$ X> inning.'
>
  v% a: g( q$ K( s# U; \> 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
  Y1 c2 _* B9 y$ ?" B> 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
* X+ D4 |& Z1 z1 ^( C> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
/ S' p7 t: n% H  O9 s4 H> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
: O, I8 [* r' z> 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
8 E# ~4 Y4 E- N2 {0 K> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
" K0 H. ^1 H  j> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
) u& z9 p5 q' W> next at bat.
>
* r" j1 L* Q. ^. m> 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
> 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
* _  g2 y" n& i% D' p> 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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> 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
9 o6 u( o0 j# n+ b, {> 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
> 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
7 e* q6 E9 o: C2 C0 r> 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
$ q% q5 s6 O( C/ h> 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
% L, E( B; [3 \& b+ i> 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,
3 G" ~& m- Y8 T* \+ y# G+ ^> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
% L9 S8 `+ @5 Y% @0 F* G+ I( L> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
, r5 ]1 e0 c( [2 f> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
; y5 A6 P& r& D+ |$ F7 W> Shay, run to third!'
>
0 D  X- R) ?. v$ }* m> 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.
>
8 `  }4 M% v% t- `9 \% G9 E> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
) C0 f; q1 Y8 U# ~> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
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> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
1 ?* n! i% M1 S8 _7 x( O> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
! e9 h  N" v; T# l" J# |6 x8 r> 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
> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
+ J- n4 g2 r8 }3 m, d> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
! X9 W' e: ?1 m> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
' B, D; R1 Y5 Y7 \3 i' H! s> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
% X9 p  j6 \; Z6 [; g>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
& V3 t* U. u: ]> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
> '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
> 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
! P7 i# H% w9 L' S! S> bit colder in the process?
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4 c! Q7 {# Z' h) U. N! S, a> A wise man once said every society is judged by
* l& U- K7 i4 ?% `7 e* p2 r# S> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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2 C( \- s6 X9 U( }- i> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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! o) o( r9 a( I/ p- Y# B- n> May your day, be a Shay Day.