Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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+ V: V2 n( G7 K# I! L. `9 e6 p> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
0 o- y+ c; x  z+ }/ Y# A  @> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
" w2 O( m9 @& g! P! Z. c> the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be
- l, }! j8 U3 j1 X0 s0 ~' X> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
( n+ N! D7 D; A> staff, he offered a question:
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, w  C! [$ c! L# [> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
. N5 d& b" n/ T' C  t> 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
2 S, Y( k9 a3 Q- `> natural order of things in my son?'
>
$ O/ C1 Z& @" g9 w' O( `- ^; Y> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
+ L( {( v7 t6 P1 c> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
7 }) M. S% G7 Q: y7 j> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
9 E) }1 _# Y, y; Q$ _> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
: |! S) l3 j% k7 H> treat that child.'
>
- x6 {7 \& H7 n4 R; ?: S> Then he told the following story:
>
* }$ [% F2 i7 a& d9 ~> 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
# |, v+ @4 C% r. w, a% b8 S1 s> 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,
> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
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! ~' G! |: r6 g. L& f" |& |( r> 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
- a4 h! a. B% X> 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.'
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> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
. B% Q$ B* U6 x' [0 X> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
* H( C1 \5 a+ {> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
# Y+ W6 {# p) _: V; `# e' Q, u> 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
0 s3 T  F) z/ N6 q) T> 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
> 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
9 j3 e: V/ D2 E. \& E- P> next at bat.
>
& H0 ]& w/ H1 A2 a$ G> 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,
7 u# ]: w6 r- Y3 k> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
# c" X5 @( z5 j% C; v. }! `> 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
) r' f) D0 Y6 H: c" ]> 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
8 z% ]! V8 _& X1 y$ J9 r5 I' X> right back to the pitcher.
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7 @; I' \. h" a/ @& O! w- b> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
, G" }6 B, w& h7 V8 k2 L; h> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
! y: E9 Q, O* l1 a9 O> 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
: i' j* L" f$ H; g: y& v! R  z9 y> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
2 _2 x4 E7 q* ]: L. c* Y9 }  m  q> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> 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
> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
' b/ a# I  r: H> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
* _% B  B) o( z) e! _) S> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
& M. M( W' o9 z% u9 i> circled the bases toward home.
>
/ f* |; o  w1 t, j, D3 X> 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
> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
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" S) J! [' i- F8 n* G> 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
* \6 R1 E- P' y> 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,
3 W: F- H) y) r3 G> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
>
> 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
) _7 O3 y1 H9 K$ k> 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
> 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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> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
% Q5 S4 R: m0 K' \: @0 r3 ?1 N, c> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
0 f' g% L8 f& k5 I* ]: @> '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
3 p* W) ?8 e) M& @3 k" @> 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
! D( `3 o& a* Q3 P. Q" c> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
; I  }- ~1 w& ]  t) }* H- ]> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
6 n7 R* G- g, S1 u> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
>
. M4 m' ?# L% r% y$ v4 x/ Q6 b> May your day, be a Shay Day.