Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
1 N# P7 I: q7 v+ e2 k' b* C>
6 t, s( k2 y4 U> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
8 s+ l) a6 Q4 v& |# f) |: p" Q> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
5 t; g4 C0 k9 u* y> same choice?
>
2 D( L# T$ x& h$ ?* ~1 a2 |> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
> 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:
4 P" ]7 b7 B* R5 N; {5 R* o, L>
2 n- w+ g9 z) @> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
5 x1 c% W! y  `8 k, r; T: x> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
! Z; W  t: W8 e) v) b6 c> natural order of things in my son?'
>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
( E# F/ g) m0 T) O& n# W# f> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
5 E# \! Z# a* X# _> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
1 R* ?' f: F8 Y' H/ ~  l7 J9 l' L>
1 m+ P* n5 c! j3 v* [  h  K- O> Then he told the following story:
& i1 _- ^% d! f- e1 A8 d>
> 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
  Y1 J. @* U' X- z0 A9 q) B, G& Q; D> 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,
$ [0 S- t! z9 S4 u# Q1 j/ q7 v5 W> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
  i5 e7 r7 t& ]> 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
( Z) x3 q% @2 @3 G9 |, o> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
> inning.'
>
/ X5 r  I8 A* _/ r> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
+ `  Y4 j+ V2 R> 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
> 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
7 V. A; n7 {( v% W8 a+ I> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
9 p4 X& O0 i* u' J9 L6 G> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
5 C) ^0 N3 C3 _: M6 U> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
5 T( x) S0 _9 K) T' ]* b9 C" \> next at bat.
, E: x) Y+ q: v; k>
> 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
; y- ^  g2 E" R5 \( C3 K* J& L& n' W> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
5 n1 W9 z% }$ M) r0 R0 l> 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
0 z2 f' {  M7 p' p> 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.
, d; ]4 W$ K1 o>
) }8 s% V6 T  {! p+ B# Z5 `) v> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
' J. f' C5 n  \, W8 u8 J6 X> 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.
. A7 f" T0 T4 F  {) W; {* }>
3 h: f) A7 i3 p& H> 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
" l9 e- G8 r, D& }> 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,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
' E& l5 r) I6 `. n# p> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
9 y* M7 |. q2 {> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
  b' s2 |. z* b> 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
% i# T6 ]. T& v8 {7 \! |: f8 ]4 b5 S> 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.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
- |8 @& J7 }) i. e. A: _% e  M( j4 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!
7 z8 v& V, w, n" T: w7 D) X> Shay, run to third!'
# F- Q# F( i6 Z7 X>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
- A. h' X2 V7 r% C. Q> 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.
>
# m$ J  }2 j) C> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
8 ~" _9 Z9 W0 `- p> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
- l2 D1 [* Y) P8 S>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
/ }+ A& l" d. S! ]1 r- e6 U$ U> 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!
  S2 |0 m9 |: J$ c8 X>
> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
5 W6 A; g% ], T2 W> 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
! l% J6 a& S$ d$ ?) Z> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
+ w$ m" y. a9 u2 G9 E+ b> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
+ D' h( j" y8 G5 W9 g  M1 l> 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
, _+ O/ |. O4 [6 B1 |2 [9 ^% n> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
* O4 A! W. n6 f& L& a+ q, R5 s& X> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
0 a9 ^2 N% l' ?" o' T; `. F4 n. {0 g> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
1 l  y, Y6 J5 s, i  {>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
) V2 r1 a6 i7 f) [9 V+ y/ N: R7 l>
9 |5 y/ q+ p$ {- n> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
2 h* R8 j; A2 i; \/ \! S> 2. Forward
4 Q& k; Z. l& I# u' I! N5 ~>
% ]% C7 I1 j) A3 F> May your day, be a Shay Day.