Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
+ Y2 H( A8 }; D2 N5 M* m/ |> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
7 U1 K0 Z: a4 L/ b$ C2 z% r> same choice?
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( {# o8 u) z9 O9 _7 S1 _' h7 }, g9 y> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
5 _% k+ r" \2 i% R: h  }> 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:
>
4 _3 N$ P$ T# F& a0 U> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> 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
7 g7 b+ ?: k- `: X& W" X* v  g> natural order of things in my son?'
>
4 [1 K4 s3 j+ G% o5 ~> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
2 w/ T8 w5 }4 w0 J+ y6 E7 Z> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
% v# E$ d; g" @2 r- z) S> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
6 M$ p# H2 M' D; ]. W# @+ R> treat that child.'
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> 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
8 [/ m+ S$ F# r8 B/ E6 d> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
- {+ s4 s- i6 B! `# r> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
& i( j8 m! ?& i  r> 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
> 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
( p9 v# q, W3 x" i% F> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
> inning.'
>
> 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
> 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
> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
% @+ U3 p1 v7 L4 A> 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
0 b* C4 e- k) B8 \4 @> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
% v- c* u- Z) U. t; q> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
$ `% Y% k: f0 [) o% k> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
, M' F& F6 w- f! b* v> next at bat.
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4 V( o4 D- b8 }! `8 w) v1 c> 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,
: k8 }+ S* k5 |3 M* a; t9 K' y. T0 R> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
: ]# j' a2 e* M, W4 G> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
8 @1 m) ]- U! r$ |> 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
2 @3 G& d% U0 Y! u> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
) i  X6 g8 ~* n& ~> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
>
. O- V& o) ~+ \9 |! [; Z> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
' C. G0 A9 i; R$ F0 c> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
( O6 E8 }% T7 I- P" x! p1 e! P> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
> 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
8 M: d; w* q8 Q' P) w! j* j, m3 X5 a> 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,
/ _4 E) U6 d  R' u7 w> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
& E7 E4 M( i/ m# W& C0 d1 J> 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
5 i7 b& e, x/ i> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
! ~) V/ m7 G, D> 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
$ Q/ A2 z) N' @, B) o- Z> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
6 ~5 {7 Z8 B( I* H- ^> circled the bases toward home.
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6 M& {4 }7 v+ k7 a0 |- ]$ g9 k> 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
$ _7 S5 V. Y8 J  s( O0 _' a> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
2 j9 s1 r4 E7 s! T0 C  l  F+ K7 Y5 R> Shay, run to third!'
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> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
! r* H& I1 T  A> 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,
> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
>
) p1 Q0 S  C* y6 S3 I( c# B> 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
> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
8 ~- q( N8 _7 W' }& M# _> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
5 C* t9 f! B' V& w$ g' c, d! N4 v> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
2 Y4 |) v, i6 c+ B, x1 Q( N+ E+ T> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
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" m$ L% E+ v9 k0 z6 z4 {: k! L> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
3 e/ [4 I, `+ U, H& j' I- }& E; V> 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
) h4 }' ~. s) q6 D> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
4 Y. B" M0 H' n> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
9 \5 W) h8 g1 [( N6 K* T7 ~> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
$ }) @2 K8 b0 W7 G* U7 X> 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
, r" v) S( t) l& H> bit colder in the process?
>
) P1 A9 D3 h: M% e. o- r; b> A wise man once said every society is judged by
/ D1 A' t2 ?; f0 f- [1 L> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
0 Z7 r: b0 p% ~. |: c0 |> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.