Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
) q& D) \) ~* s> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
8 Y- T) U, X! [( k3 N> same choice?
>
6 J- K1 N# X2 d  i# m: }> 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
  i( k+ t" G' g% E- W$ D" U6 g> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
" ]) `" S4 e( p6 o# d: k> staff, he offered a question:
>
6 c+ x% v# z( c$ O6 g+ ]> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
( e! o3 U3 _% x8 G% w2 ^> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
; u/ _: A; F4 q2 w9 s  |> 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.
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- N6 @, u  _( b9 q> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
7 O2 F. L' i* t: K* [> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
: `' m3 r! C  t2 _& M7 R7 M' A) y# X> treat that child.'
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> Then he told the following story:
>
4 ~2 d1 ^$ y" J: B> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
  N: m$ H1 b* Q' o. w> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
; c3 {3 b8 V& u0 R8 n, c" V> 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,
+ T7 J; b3 p. y5 W0 T: f> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
) `& p- C# k( {6 D/ D: g> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
7 R3 ^5 R* n+ P, h, ]> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
7 `9 U' w, l" Z> 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
5 k( [% ~7 _; R/ ?- e$ ^> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
> inning.'
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> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
4 W; }1 h# w( ^> 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
7 C5 v5 f. C4 ?/ U6 @9 y9 C& T> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
+ H& L' f) w/ [+ |1 S* D> 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
8 E, K  o' w7 w/ b# `, x> 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
% [/ o1 m( r! v( o8 S# |9 U1 A> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> next at bat.
>
> 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
3 [" L8 B! o' X3 f+ S> 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
/ i+ d# `5 ~3 b( D. V7 h> 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.
>
8 _0 P9 Y+ g( Y0 z> 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
/ E% }/ j( c4 a* b9 X, `: u> 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
7 l8 W6 N; v7 A  p" ~7 R* f> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
3 r! }* z$ y8 X* F! K& a& e4 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
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
) @, V1 |* u- e3 a- S" K> 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
> 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,
+ Z5 B. ~$ N+ Y( r% c2 h> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
: V* y+ y+ b- Q0 i2 w> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
! r2 e/ X, I$ V! W. _> circled the bases toward home.
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+ P1 i: r- {6 W( @! [3 Z> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
- M1 X1 p$ k8 x4 i. W3 `> 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!
6 G- k" V# ]9 t7 Z> Shay, run to third!'
>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
; s  X# j' z1 }. b0 B> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
+ N9 a9 I0 ?! _! D# Z$ e) ~* |> 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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+ d) P& ]. o6 a" L> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
  A; t' W& t# }' q; h( S> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
# @. h1 i+ U! |. I> into this world'.
6 I1 W0 P9 u% n- f6 C# b>
7 m' m+ W) b: F! r- L: H> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
8 z9 B; g$ \# G8 t> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
2 l) q; x, t" X" ]# ]> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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" g* W8 h1 \! b- x6 z1 O/ e> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
# G4 S) G7 w" g, v9 r> 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
5 N; M% Q3 M0 `5 {, y. L. h> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
+ B9 R4 Y6 J& U+ f# q- O; q> 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
> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
/ n' A8 Z/ ^% x+ r> 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
: L; `' u) _! T3 E% f. S> 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
6 |5 r: T7 U4 ]4 p$ W( y# K' k' ^> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
" B- u. ]: ~+ v: C> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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0 M( b9 r' {' [0 y3 b& d8 H> May your day, be a Shay Day.