Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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6 z! [* q, r4 c) d% F8 O> 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
6 a8 c; s: O5 C; _> same choice?
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3 W* A: t# N/ r6 n5 m4 [7 c0 r> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
+ |6 f# E* i; Z( U. P9 n4 q9 [> 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:
>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
$ I! c$ M. \3 }* ~* P1 }> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> 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
4 `4 Y9 w: G9 r0 K> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
+ w* L4 J" j2 P1 [, }  J+ t9 G> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
) |; \3 ^& |; J& _! {( v> treat that child.'
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> Then he told the following story:
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1 g- U( X; O! P3 r' n# h> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
' {) _+ v& k3 L- }+ y. L7 \> 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,
! f- g+ C; k% B% Q: F> 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
  {. u2 ~- ^. ~. t) B# z3 h' c- j> 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
! i+ I) K# K2 Y  L. b5 ^( U> inning.'
>
> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
" O! G7 O% n" E/ V) M0 K> 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
& Q, M, `* k5 B3 A  k> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
' J4 u: ?7 y2 i$ i' x9 m> 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
: l5 R* U& U' d7 P  T> 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
9 \7 d! q8 r* E! a7 d> next at bat.
>
> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
1 n, m* G$ h8 Z# F2 V1 i> 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.
/ B- [2 u/ x3 m8 I, B- p, [> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
/ i& x9 q# Y0 D# Z> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
* B, V$ O9 ~$ k5 f, o9 {( [/ E% N> 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
7 N# @. }9 K$ q  j: k3 L> 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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9 ~; {! c' o2 t8 B> 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
8 a3 A" K9 I! _  C4 l  S> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
  p# E) V; {. m; |% ~( |3 v> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
  h. C1 }: ]& e: v' Q3 S  n> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
7 \: _. E* X1 F' E) a> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
+ n$ @7 T6 j4 \3 ?> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
( Z5 J+ @8 W5 l: ^) P* A> wide-eyed and startled.
>
: b( p) ^' U2 c$ a( B% Q" x6 A> 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
: \( A5 Y  A4 `9 ]> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
/ J2 w" ?. O- c4 F( G> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
( G/ o! p9 V1 i* D> 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
% [2 \0 o, m& f. Z- o5 K! r> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
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$ N( |6 H  \! {" {9 A$ Z8 Q> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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# C# h7 d% W+ j8 S" 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!
> 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
> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
5 t, E/ o6 c" |/ ?" S2 u3 q> game for his team.
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8 u, I+ g2 y$ r> '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
0 ]$ l8 X/ }6 y5 v3 L% Y) o0 L> into this world'.
>
+ N6 r/ T) F+ f% I> 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!
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> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
4 u; x: ?  I. A) k, A> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
, b- d$ Q8 r8 s0 g5 K8 I) f> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
& W0 l9 \: l  M3 e; ~, X& O& a> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
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> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
: t3 j3 }4 ?$ x' l& F/ i# X> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
/ F; B) P0 ~. q# i0 p$ L> '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
" \" y/ i$ h! t+ Z$ K# N- y2 U> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
# N8 P+ [4 Y. m$ Z. y7 K4 s> 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
, D9 g  A; o( Q& v6 b, H> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
0 h3 A( G( b8 A& D; r3 }# s> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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> You now have two choices:
9 q3 ?! Q6 Y2 C, a/ m. H7 b> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
>
, Y2 l1 `/ S/ {7 m( }> May your day, be a Shay Day.