Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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$ Z* ^7 X3 C! ^$ _1 B  E$ v6 D> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
& B# L+ K6 ]: D$ `) b& F# k> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
% Q# X0 F2 \( r> same choice?
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  \7 Q1 x" z* R4 h/ f6 s/ G> 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
: A  x. s7 n8 W& Y1 y' k# L; T" j> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
8 j' w  I' _& R$ J* C5 Z  Y5 x> staff, he offered a question:
>
! N6 s% J1 _' |! I> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
1 [7 t8 w% S' r> 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?'
>
! V) Z( w4 Z$ ]- i. T> The audience was stilled by the query.
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> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
1 t/ t: K2 q. S. L> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
% @- k4 V% j7 w/ q1 w3 {! ~0 g> treat that child.'
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+ g8 Q; v+ A; d6 |/ p> Then he told the following story:
>
0 n6 }/ |5 E# F> 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
> 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,
5 M# l" p5 f$ T1 L- ]' Q0 U6 P> 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
> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
0 A3 U, Z/ E) d( I9 k* C> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
$ F& T. ~& k6 L> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
> inning.'
>
> 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
' X9 u" A3 n% L' |/ s> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
" k8 K  G# p. w7 z> 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 Y: T% n% ~* i0 W2 X1 n> 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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> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
" p3 J1 B$ p: c6 b2 T> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
5 |! D& R8 ]& C8 L> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
# J! ?; g  Y4 _> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
/ a2 o& C( u# c> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
4 P! B, b9 x" Q" `8 K. v> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
  {2 X. ^8 }# Y1 x- R( b$ P/ {8 W> contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
% }2 R( M5 h0 p+ Q; }> 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
2 M( V' [0 o+ D> right back to the pitcher.
>
5 @5 B* i0 [1 j7 U- D> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
) _/ M1 E* N7 v& r> 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.
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; w& x# i+ E8 J> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
% R6 @4 ?4 X! y; k. k6 S- Y> 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,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
. Q! ^4 y; ]( ~' I+ p3 a  P> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
$ C2 U# b! W3 n7 C/ b6 b$ t> 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
> 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.
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> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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& a# s" w8 w* i+ D" N+ q> 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!
4 r: I4 C" Q, g+ w. w> Shay, run to third!'
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> 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
> game for his team.
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> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
5 {  K: h+ E( Y) O> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
2 z- G! x' f. f+ p> into this world'.
>
> 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
> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
! M8 r! G/ T2 z. _> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
- B0 \9 N, B# D# L* ?0 n* v9 g> 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
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
# C7 g4 L/ k* ~1 z9 l1 ], a> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
3 V: k- {9 {0 g) \# \4 h& q7 A> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
% z3 _( z! R. N, o4 p+ p  N> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
( e1 e3 P# L$ v1 C1 q7 [> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
; \& I! y  f+ {" r+ [> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
/ b+ J0 |6 S3 b( y$ j2 f2 k> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
3 M4 {8 K2 D. V3 k> 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
! R4 i- [: e# p, ?> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
8 q9 U! s+ x3 C5 E0 C. p" g; m( L7 X> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
( z9 _% i" s4 [# v7 k' c> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
( f  z0 X: F) L5 n> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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) f3 N. v+ d5 q/ r0 U+ {0 ?> May your day, be a Shay Day.