Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
3 @# z/ n5 v, H; j4 s* H) j- D> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
+ E& I4 L& A% i; [4 J> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
( K/ U1 H8 w* n* f- Z/ R> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
+ d- P: ^3 Q0 [5 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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> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
/ x% i9 Q# w) ?> 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?'
1 n6 N# d& r8 L: X+ P; ]; m5 y9 k# q>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
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> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
/ ^8 R5 r" [( R> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
9 o8 ]7 r  \: Z" v/ |# E> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
4 O+ Q- E* J3 s; e2 r* Z3 y>
> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
5 L" E, j& p; v8 ]. Q> 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
5 [5 Y8 t  h" @% B: m> 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.
# w+ f+ {' \# I6 }+ O4 u>
: ^, b2 g, L0 j/ ]7 A& a, L' s> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
5 e: W7 n9 R% ?2 X& b3 _, i0 n( R> 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.'
>
+ Z. [3 m# v8 V4 k> 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
9 E9 s+ l2 J( u% X> 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
+ N' M: K. L0 F# R1 G7 _> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
/ Q0 t1 t- e/ `& y& t( G> 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.
+ g! ?  _! u5 h5 s# d5 s! ~2 w+ L$ u>
. V/ Y! Z. w" h2 ?> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
& ~0 V3 w1 |. ]6 X0 r2 u> 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.
( t& `9 Q# f. T5 g> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
/ t8 Z$ B; [, R& @4 p- }> 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.
> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
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> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
; j" S0 ^7 _/ ?5 T> 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.
8 O+ D% W4 k, T  p) ~>
- N- U& @/ l$ s% E! x> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
# B5 z/ i. c. z> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
4 ?, M6 b) [, I& `  E> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
6 `( i2 @8 y; q> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
) W5 }1 S4 j0 m4 p4 ]1 S. z> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
& S) W3 M3 O& _> 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
2 o: Q2 |0 T: V* \& j/ M9 ^> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
7 {  X, k4 t. C7 i> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
6 T& M# G' @: h% z. y# T* _0 d> 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
6 ^# S  v2 G& P! z( R> circled the bases toward home.
& ]' k6 }; E5 S, J  ^" A) }>
# e. n5 e. v. V: s> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
6 h5 [& _( V' h1 [* U  w% t> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
>
) x- Z- Q  s/ f5 {> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
7 P- Q8 X2 P- H, e> 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.
' i+ s% }# v4 z9 g& R, ?* @3 P& ^>
* v* c2 V, ]: @, q; L+ f! M( _> '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'.
1 [, t$ C0 c5 q. _3 k3 X>
. l; o1 i% \" a> 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
8 k' y! x  \5 j' H> 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
* f  G( k/ y. _4 P9 S* T> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
/ @" k% N: x! ^0 L) o4 t0 ~> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
4 q+ J3 G: _( V1 U# G> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
% D) K+ X* @7 x1 u3 b: I! a4 X> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
; h* V$ f/ }4 b7 c8 g& V* Z> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
( f, L4 j  }3 q3 x> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
$ ?; u; N% X4 k: o> 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
3 ?8 _+ G6 f) O9 [* _* k> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
. @3 B1 X* ~9 {8 D- q' e/ t> bit colder in the process?
>
+ i$ Y" J& V1 U1 K: G5 O> A wise man once said every society is judged by
4 X: Z6 N* A8 `6 e( e2 p9 l" W! I2 [> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
/ l% b+ B$ y* o1 b* R>
> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
$ {5 @4 `8 l' s>
) \: `* m- ^" N( Y) ~) q) k> May your day, be a Shay Day.