Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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# |& P4 I- Y  z- u% `> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
9 \- P# ?9 c! K6 [> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
  y& Q) g) p. J7 t( T, x5 {  Z. h# Z> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
7 }7 O5 j' r( Y; h. 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:
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& B( R8 j$ w4 p  }7 z> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
7 K0 i' j+ k$ r> 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.
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> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
; U6 Q' v# H7 {6 M2 k$ q% I. {> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
5 N1 r2 C2 F7 G& u! \# _> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
/ V( n0 H0 v, ^1 D5 v+ H* Z$ i  {> treat that child.'
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) V8 N! P6 o( L( J> Then he told the following story:
>
0 u0 _$ E3 d0 j1 e8 n: R/ e> 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
> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
) p0 |. O1 f7 R9 H4 e- ^$ f; V, b> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
  h1 w9 i4 A( k0 c! z  k) @> 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
> 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
- Y# R7 E, b  S; o1 |> 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
1 S# W9 o6 c4 M" c& q* E& V> 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
> 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
" U& m) J8 Q) r) I, V: ^% t> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> next at bat.
>
; D6 R1 ]2 |6 v  s) l8 w> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
' n, r' @7 I8 s0 U: d> 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,
% I5 I2 p/ C  s$ |* a5 G> 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
" y  z% O, x; f. x* `> 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
5 a* i0 Z5 n( e! F% V. _> 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.
>
> 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
0 X& T3 \- U% y, X! i> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
6 B, Q$ F. N6 ^9 [' D' a> 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
1 S7 K9 k7 f- L: Q) U3 A7 Z& y> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
% [  v6 E% ?- `5 R> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
$ Z! ]) s' v" E- [3 f+ j' w> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
. w& Y' W/ u, E> 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,
> 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
> circled the bases toward home.
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> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
8 [8 z8 ]1 D- [% q) q$ C+ k' u> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
& K. f1 ]$ F2 \, Z> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
>
: d0 v5 l: q! E  Q> 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
0 \; q* h4 J1 V& x# S> game for his team.
>
6 Q% D; Q  `: Z) V> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
  `3 k) S6 a8 s: W9 G! P5 I9 `1 c> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
* ^( A% P' t. A+ R> into this world'.
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> 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
& d0 b4 @. P' x& W> 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
> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
& s$ G1 e' H" a- T2 _& {  I> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
6 `" \$ i5 z: ?3 ~- r. \> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
  t% L0 E. F+ J% Q+ m0 x> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
0 S( P3 l+ q% y; S' n- ?+ s& Q> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
% n$ K6 K' p2 V  s4 P; M' [> 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
9 ~; W2 L0 Q5 n. R  Q0 z- w4 G> 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
> bit colder in the process?
>
9 i; Z, I3 k% v> A wise man once said every society is judged by
3 P! b' j$ Y- M: j> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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) s( {! |1 w# M2 I3 D: ]) s/ L$ u> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
3 ]# }" y. k2 a5 a> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.