Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
' ], @% V- f8 v5 Q9 S1 ^> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
: J6 h4 I, z' D1 A) I) F1 c( o9 l" H> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
* q! a: m+ e2 k3 [> same choice?
>
9 S2 X6 z) \) F> 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
& d( l# U5 {3 N9 _> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
: F; S) f: ?1 D# _> staff, he offered a question:
>
) j0 c$ Y# ]$ r1 h+ U$ k* y> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
: |& R* ?- H& O( F> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
2 a# A* L1 q0 C. {8 m( L> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
% H. k6 \7 b4 }1 M" B7 l> natural order of things in my son?'
>
> 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
; U5 V: E' b6 I+ W8 [> treat that child.'
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- _& j+ r2 D) L7 ?- Y5 J3 m7 m  T0 Z> 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
& T8 G, f4 Y; t> 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.
9 U* D2 V' q7 u# A  g>
) p$ O3 |8 c! o4 _. H9 ]> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
% v2 Q" T1 n$ s3 r! U> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
6 @8 P: P) A, }: D) A6 X% X, i% G> 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
> inning.'
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$ O* h6 X/ D" H) G8 m) Z> 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
> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
$ w  V& N) a% ]5 r0 b> 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
, r. o5 |( U* e( q& U0 u5 D' J/ y> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
4 f1 o9 N2 C% t' U2 t2 }> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
, [9 a9 i8 f/ R0 f3 q* P& ]> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
' o0 c7 a5 O$ F$ O( q> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
# b3 w: I& R- ~+ N" N> 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
5 {: ~# U; z5 T! C1 Y1 p! w> 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.
+ }4 T8 m2 h* [: T$ e> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
9 t6 _" H9 t/ J> 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
> 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.
/ J3 _; q2 R; Q3 M9 n8 H>
> 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.
0 E9 D% N2 W& M>
> 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
2 r, b7 w& c8 ^. ~* Q> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
: `9 k- t  H. n- F1 p> 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
> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
% D' @1 L% T& ]1 F- K> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
1 t4 H; Z' ^2 k> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
8 G. _$ C, p; N> 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.
>
. e: K5 Y, C0 w. E7 t; \> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
6 K7 \' j& w1 w: o5 b7 E- x4 j>
> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
2 Y' @+ g  W. ?5 C* x> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> 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
; X4 f% N0 s# W: f  z> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
> game for his team.
. E2 q* |! s. r( [8 [>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
8 F9 C! F" p5 |; o4 d+ T: t1 E> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
6 N. U( o( H8 J' B4 ?> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
6 v$ K- E4 g! @8 j. }: }; J> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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5 E. N  p3 r3 q2 P> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
- H. x' Y6 W3 Y) X/ `> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
9 }% d3 N& C9 `7 Q% t3 r> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
/ r' G  H8 [! E/ n> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> 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
# y5 \: Q  I# D' y' u! l6 z" A4 K> '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
" g! q, J, O- S4 S8 M4 l> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
0 c3 B1 X5 k1 o; e> 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?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
; \. n& Y1 L, p* A$ @- t>
* @# j7 L: J8 g# y1 k1 a> You now have two choices:
% T; J- E, T% G" j! b* ^& H> 1. Delete
% ]' h) S3 R9 d! i> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.