Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
# Q3 H8 ^5 x! V+ h" M- y9 {> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
; x0 F; N- S  k> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
  V. \$ }+ T, s> 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:
0 M0 }' A9 c2 Z7 v$ |>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> 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
" |! _$ Q( N" s: }> natural order of things in my son?'
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: s( k; f- v+ A, |> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
% c; M8 R/ c; B2 A) ]> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
, ?$ K, l7 `( z9 [4 S6 u> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
/ e/ x0 |# U2 Y# \> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
% p7 h$ Q5 C# D. n. p>
8 P+ a+ Z3 q$ R$ ^5 R> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
# U' ]" W& {% L0 G, T5 J> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
3 R7 z) @" _; G8 |! \- M> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
' o" u6 Z. s+ h> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
6 M. l. P2 [  {5 E> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
3 ~) R+ ]$ m1 n% Z7 ^$ \> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
. s9 A4 }/ t: Z> 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
" r, y& A! Z3 ]" G& d> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
! Y& P% x* h1 K4 F5 p- f/ l> inning.'
>
6 e8 H( L/ S$ h) ]) }* N. _> 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
> 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
3 C( r% j& e& m, c- C2 r4 C- J> 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
0 V  L; e! Y5 \> next at bat.
>
> 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,
6 Z0 Z, p% X" B: h" w3 [+ g> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
% u$ }' q1 T% S6 O> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
7 l# T* m$ J$ B8 J1 s2 A> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
7 f3 G- k5 ]4 J  M> 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.
, w  E3 S. J* D* v4 `! Y  e> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
% N: q4 m8 ~9 y) j: o7 u; j>
> 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
/ n3 ~+ q  L2 S, W: J8 h> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
0 D( M" p8 R4 ^0 L> 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
> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
% ?2 {1 r% j7 M, }* J3 |8 X" C# |; S> 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
* U; \" T6 I6 U! B> 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,
* z' r$ E5 \2 n+ H, e  o' {> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
" ?% h, C* o2 ~2 ~+ k$ a& n5 w5 a/ n> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
>
( c3 _& L" U& w9 V> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
9 v! Z! c1 X2 O% t4 p> 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!
6 h4 Z# H+ }+ ]% `2 G# e> Shay, run to third!'
>
> 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
! A# A$ S6 m9 o) V) r( W. C: R: P> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
' ?3 S' U) I, z/ |, \* {& t* i> game for his team.
>
6 }4 D& \: T/ f; P4 Q9 _! Y> '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'.
>
6 Y6 V7 s# ?1 \: P% j+ v; z! Q$ ?" |3 Z> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
1 l1 M, l! g& X, _8 B> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
6 S  K9 @- N7 J> 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
0 ?  \' [% _9 z& k& n  {4 [> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
. [, W( ~: b1 X: c> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
- G3 `, h9 H3 W+ D/ C> 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
> '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
" l. X( H: O5 L> 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
> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
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* m0 @, j1 w" G1 v  I% q, L* I( K> A wise man once said every society is judged by
) W8 m. C" E9 f  S5 F> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
( }% Z; ^& @* |> 1. Delete
! o' c! B+ W: ?3 f: K1 z- t> 2. Forward
>
) ^& V! i/ ?' D> May your day, be a Shay Day.