Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
( r- @1 N: M6 x7 Q" v> 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
  l- ?& f' P2 L$ L# U7 K> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
$ z1 W- L) U+ ]9 S& C7 X* m> 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:
& ^- t1 q6 q+ r8 }" V- _>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
4 F5 @' e5 n! @3 G% w$ n  c> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
  \$ I: f) m% j/ k4 D0 \>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
- L: F) l, |" U( }, |9 W! ]( _> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
7 E; h$ }! [8 B$ e" ]9 G; a6 k; m> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
2 K! k, m# K. |>
> Then he told the following story:
>
> 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
3 a5 x+ y6 Z7 c( T4 |> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
2 x' E- v, {! n' v> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
3 X% K8 }. H. v4 S: S% ?9 l( A> 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
> 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
/ ]# c2 a6 b  O: M> inning.'
>
> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
* ?" Q# r7 v0 a" q' X3 P1 D: H+ d> 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
  K) ~7 j. }6 i- [+ [7 J% e1 [> 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
1 t6 b8 O& ^3 Z$ V- x> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
8 e2 j  T- w0 d> 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
> next at bat.
>
> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
/ U/ X7 }. O+ n# b. r> 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,
7 ^' x8 e5 B; W, u3 j' }> much less connect with the ball.
9 V: j' H- |- p2 W> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
* C( _' X2 d5 S> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
- t$ y) C" S# v1 U" x> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
, N& w! ]' a) @3 v/ e0 |+ C* a> 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.
>
2 ?+ q7 Z- W3 f3 @& @> 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.
>
9 L1 w) ^1 ]% G8 h( l6 c> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
0 v0 `7 b- H- q/ Z- |/ b> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
# W% B0 E: J" W4 I2 D$ {" M> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
1 [; s7 \( \3 I> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
+ a; u! W3 p$ z! O9 G> 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
9 T! W; c3 ~2 o6 T2 @> 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
/ v* F# m" Z9 |9 Z> 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
" P. r5 b2 v# P& w> circled the bases toward home.
; N/ D9 [/ t, }% D: i>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
0 t6 p" p$ j2 g. m> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
" I( F, H" G' e! n; a0 Z+ P! r> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
: h' L% r% i( d; h- w4 v>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
. f# j. @7 ]% M" Z+ X( B8 ?> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
; K' ~7 W1 Z, {6 e> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
9 w/ K- T, A) ^5 o# ?2 J0 [> game for his team.
>
> '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
% w3 _$ F: p* R5 I1 e) G: g# A! I> 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!
6 s( M2 U% y* E) [4 R>
" E# P) C. m5 }4 B% W. i> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
  \; N2 X9 x! u, M. I( Q& G, e! R> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
1 X5 z: @1 I  X- c, P' g> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
. Z$ m( B/ D+ l: s> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
$ ^8 D6 l; c  ?+ g> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
- w# b* ^' ]/ Z5 ]+ |> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
/ ?; G/ x' m( F- A> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
2 B- m  e5 W' @> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
> 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?
>
$ x' r( U. W& V( g8 h> A wise man once said every society is judged by
' S+ Z; X3 r1 J> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
3 \8 v' X; c' {, C7 O+ B. w>
( }+ p. w3 i* e> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
. C) m" W* H/ C# k' R4 A5 s  f>
# {3 [0 \" i/ \2 x8 ^0 {> May your day, be a Shay Day.