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
. z; Z. A7 s: f# M, H' G> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
1 y; E$ ^" w' ?" X) b$ e- Y> 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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> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
% V) t) z# G: r7 Y> 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?'
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3 D% `- |' y) u4 U, s: K+ Z+ `> The audience was stilled by the query.
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5 F* f) N7 u, l1 e9 |- I8 d! {4 L8 T> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
- W) J9 W( f' a/ f> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
( u8 u4 X. Z3 I+ J> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
>
> 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
, m7 ~  `) t$ n> 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,
4 T4 p; I$ {3 b3 d6 P9 s2 T8 b$ k1 f5 o> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
- W( T% T' W  T& I8 k: u> 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
' A  A# ]3 F2 X$ Q# J> 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
> 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
& _. O/ `+ C" \> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
6 n) Y9 P6 x$ v" |3 a$ n$ z0 q> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
) _+ u* f  G0 }* G* k# E# x* ^> 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
5 s% {- F# A3 t& u* Z8 X0 ~> 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
> next at bat.
>
> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
1 e; N; S. g% R. w' s8 G* m, X6 ~> 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.
+ q; l6 y( ]& X/ {* k# S> 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
> 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.
* C5 U' S1 M' ^/ v$ h> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
1 |9 i" ]1 U% J, N/ C> 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
$ f% Y9 D' W7 G: K, \/ Z% m> 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
> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
# L8 a& j/ R0 S1 o> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
0 O/ D- l0 u4 y> 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
> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
( F/ s) {: C0 O: Y4 R> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
1 ?" K/ {, P! F+ e  ]5 L& u: ~' q  O> 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,
- G9 f, }9 D/ Y6 Y7 `> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
4 b4 ]& V  ~# e> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
>
2 M$ I4 \2 h2 a' j- m> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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) a6 L: r5 V( e> 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!
* A7 w8 m, P  }; D3 e8 u# D/ `> Shay, run to third!'
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0 b; C  X# F/ O( \( w> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
6 P9 ^' \0 c3 k) }" c0 @> 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
1 ~! `& Y& e/ P8 |' y( T) {> game for his team.
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) Y2 L6 R/ z3 I$ u. O> '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
- Q) C  v2 q8 R' i- c' C& W> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
# N" G: K- Q2 u: ?% D> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
- c- p4 X0 ]. j# t( K6 R> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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/ L6 i1 C4 k& g, x9 W4 E> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
: T/ [; F! O, D1 i4 Z> 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
( H* M  b( u: \3 M> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> 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
9 k; m2 _% g7 c) A, d$ J; d! \> '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
) S  w) \: ^+ G) w> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
$ I  r& j" i' n. ^' h> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
$ ^: g& f' z' @$ p8 [> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
  H3 W6 n: m& A>
  k! o' F; `! v3 u> A wise man once said every society is judged by
4 {  p# h6 T2 R. W> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
8 @! Y0 |) v7 E7 \> 1. Delete
: z& T9 ^! y  v$ G7 v( N2 L> 2. Forward
>
( S2 [: J1 |, x. D7 G. `> May your day, be a Shay Day.