Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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! d8 h8 J* J, \' N> 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
> same choice?
>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
$ F1 t, }' O& w* g  m2 s' c> 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
2 T: `/ e' J$ q) @* n> 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
+ f, n3 r' J3 z1 P7 E7 [$ k+ W> natural order of things in my son?'
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> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
  I* e1 h1 l% G6 R0 K: n! Z> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> 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
! k- j4 ?5 V2 c( R2 b5 v$ s3 p. I> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
% R, q8 L) j; z( d' y> 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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> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
, d- ]2 [8 _6 t1 y0 J( j) ], u> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
4 v, f  O, e0 u' A; P7 U> 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
- z( {8 p3 i- y- t8 q1 T: K. i/ c5 X> inning.'
>
> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
/ {6 f' |: O0 E: A& N> 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
: t9 e5 ]& K& W. _( ^> 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
: p. r- B" ~. z% K> 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
9 K1 ^& t: K& g. y> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
& Q, u) S9 \9 [> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
" `  N9 t6 e8 r0 X> next at bat.
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> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
> 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.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
/ _' m/ K) v6 v3 T/ q5 I+ n* Y> 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
) J0 w+ g! p" Y) E, d' }> 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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> 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
! O( S& }! S& b5 x; q0 W' B" ^> out and that would have been the end of the game.
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4 D. r+ F- f& Q3 d> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
3 q, T% l6 w7 {& ~5 Z> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
$ z) n- b/ a( r# S& m1 p6 \  m> 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.
>
) Y2 I' {" `3 L> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
+ d0 _1 ^* p6 X0 J. S> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
$ P" Z% `6 H) r1 _+ E> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
% N0 Y1 ^7 Z6 ^% a2 P> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
) A; i  G- Y! Y> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
% a8 q) V, D" K> 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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. C# r! W+ N1 }4 S% K* `> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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> 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!'
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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
' G0 z5 f/ p3 Z3 q' u' C* F# z6 Y/ x> 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,
> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
>
0 U& J2 K% ]* d, \& S# u> 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
# U$ ]0 c& V  i! m> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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2 j5 ]6 R) o3 e; v+ ], Y" g> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
3 o: ~  k3 R) V" ~: ]> 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
! p4 X0 k* X1 u> 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
6 Y4 I$ ^$ t3 @! A( q: W> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
3 F$ i, g3 j. T# v> '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
> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
8 V: Y- T1 a2 F5 Z; e) m; w8 X> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
4 n! w& B7 h. B5 T  u- K1 k> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
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> A wise man once said every society is judged by
4 e# H' c- r6 @$ D7 {> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
% _1 t' v6 o2 h> 1. Delete
8 S. a; p" z+ Q5 m( t> 2. Forward
>
) ~! ?) c: ]4 t' u( w> May your day, be a Shay Day.