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
6 h: L$ V: A1 e5 u> same choice?
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; y& ]3 L: x& K0 E+ F+ ?: e> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
& c- l5 S& h& V+ d5 x> 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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; |! g9 L+ ^9 w% `# C" i& k> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
# L( p1 Z6 t8 }: ~> 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?'
3 B) m; E9 b2 T! q' V>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
& }+ G$ j( d, Q* |( k- M> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
2 r; R/ B: q8 e> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
! o" v. y! f% E' E; S> 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
> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
% a* _' A5 q+ t# B. N$ W6 I> 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
, L/ y6 S$ Z$ p2 b# Z0 Z( M> 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
7 H; i$ V; b" f! ]. y# J& S1 y> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
" ~( a, s) c2 i' n; ]! Z> inning.'
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3 `0 ?" Z! f. m( W; @/ o* i4 _; T: A4 Z> 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
8 M0 E" B9 E' K7 {( i$ _  E> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
, ^1 x) k( N+ ~) @; f; d8 l/ G> 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 Q! l: X, e! o* T3 n8 E9 \/ m. 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
* B! Q* p- l' v! T> 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
> next at bat.
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) T8 J4 f6 e" x3 x* e- H- S> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
6 O* L' I0 w+ Q2 _, I8 B' w; y> 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.
6 c/ x) X" x( J1 c8 [> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
, Q+ F: f! W. G  m" B> 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
9 v* \; D9 `8 T+ U; h> 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.
. |$ l$ W) S1 q+ |0 y! Q" g> 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
> out and that would have been the end of the game.
# p6 F" o* u4 S4 Z9 O>
  i% F9 G9 |( U8 z> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
, s  f8 v6 q) O+ w> 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
; G2 r9 V% w9 |  c> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
' {3 y& P2 I% b, d/ [- u1 x+ ]" [# T> 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
1 g* f; @( Z6 q> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
7 P0 D8 h9 Z8 `  w> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
$ S. q1 s5 J3 u& I& \) l7 d> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
: G/ S; a4 G* i" ]/ A> 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.
>
  P  N/ x2 f9 G/ L. a# x& u> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
* @: s1 l/ Q6 h0 Y; B1 r2 }> 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!
% O& s8 d+ v4 }- a> Shay, run to third!'
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4 ]9 D  F+ l6 k> 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
3 i7 `4 P0 t$ b) W1 y4 R) e> game for his team.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
8 F0 y( C0 T( a; [* e* l9 O> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
" d" _& t. F; T3 K: F> 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
% h7 `; e4 v; E" o> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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' v: C; o! J3 O% t" Q2 H> 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
6 A+ i2 w# E1 q% M( J& u> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
1 d3 ^- Y- P) ~" r+ Z  Y> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
$ f- w! C9 R5 I' X>
, y# ^- i9 @' Q+ e+ c% ^> 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
1 }6 @$ ^- [7 i. X( r8 F> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
7 l+ Q9 x" b  E8 Q4 l- l> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
' d6 J& O: p+ ]5 B) ~* j" Q> 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
" L1 J$ |" H+ X; ?" S> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
>
! b- l. \4 J# m. q9 z" `> A wise man once said every society is judged by
) r  |+ R1 i+ w# c' V4 l7 U+ |> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
. u8 Q/ S4 k- \, W2 Z/ O1 \8 J> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.