Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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) }1 M( i$ g& H  {9 a( j> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
$ X! Q  m" ]+ S# y2 L- M> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
9 N" `+ V# O, R5 I! P4 M: w> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
% E5 E9 B; E0 k; X& r7 L> 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
9 Y2 l4 C6 K, P: l$ A7 f7 T> staff, he offered a question:
>
* F7 k" D. @& o3 {> '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
> natural order of things in my son?'
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> 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
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
0 O2 N- D$ i8 B; M> treat that child.'
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> Then he told the following story:
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> 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,
> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
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5 j2 U; _: S  ?> 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
2 A$ r, E# V3 Q' T9 t5 y> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
& L  w8 u* K: a- ]$ |> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
, ]) L$ u0 M" t> inning.'
>
> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
2 S: Q- Z9 ~( D& B/ [2 T+ }8 P  P> 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
5 P* S/ Q0 L7 w7 W3 D+ ~> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
- O3 Y8 W& _" A> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
  G5 s# `. {+ h> 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
- }  l( K: Y* y5 f> 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
3 i* b) W# i/ I  o% W> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
: _; A' |) H  j4 o' X; m6 w) z! m> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
) J1 G  _# N9 i/ v* L> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
> 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
: b4 M% U8 h; t9 c) T4 n> 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.
  C7 H0 U2 ]4 M7 U, x- Y> 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 ?1 C! E/ |+ }! v0 z. v: N> 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.
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* @9 [# O* C0 i- i7 ?: y> 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
- L6 G7 e  y2 c& ?> 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.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
1 K$ ~& H3 V: z. V, X+ p; 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
8 U* r( \. B' Y4 o1 J3 V> 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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; l8 `0 u* y* R+ A1 }> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
* ^( Y- Z* f7 O( e2 Y5 F> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
: D+ P% r6 S3 w) R$ R> Shay, run to third!'
>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
" y* }4 G9 O* o" x) u' I  S> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
( ?  Q! @* e5 v+ {* P> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
6 n3 m: d* d* ~, H& a> game for his team.
>
. k: ?- t9 l9 G4 u4 q> '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
& ?3 f, x( B+ x> into this world'.
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3 A8 x& D9 C* U/ C% O0 t> 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!
>
> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
1 m+ c$ _! D9 V4 v6 |+ Q> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
! p/ H& I( L; f0 p$ R> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
8 z* w: s; S3 k$ w7 V+ J+ c' N> 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
0 W8 \' ~: ]2 g. `; `  F> 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
  j( X1 o+ E+ ?) d: b& J8 l> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
3 x4 r: g8 q: M; W% M$ w2 ]> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
6 P: a% `- m1 c. D7 i8 q5 b* u> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
! N2 V" O3 |" X! ~: A> 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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  l5 C* s. L/ R6 g) S* B6 Z> 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:
> 1. Delete
  S* ]0 C2 i3 |% B* R> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.