Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
' P9 ]: z, {$ \& X- R> 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
3 k7 D0 A# I  r* L- U, [& z6 A! k> same choice?
>
) C( ^' u) R% @8 I8 r; w> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
2 j0 A* u( u7 D* a" ?$ K> 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
- z5 g8 O5 d+ \% M> staff, he offered a question:
>
) L; Y7 G2 L( J# _5 v* y$ O+ b+ T0 k> '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
, V$ Y- m% }2 k: r> natural order of things in my son?'
" J5 x/ Y! W: I& s" \  u' C6 I. x>
' F, Z: {. b1 T+ S0 ]4 s% k3 K> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
" u0 }: i! i9 i" K6 \> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
# }6 ]+ m. N" W5 M& e) Y4 n> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
9 q4 J2 d5 b& j. M4 a( A& T>
4 X; d* C5 }: g; Z1 x8 R> 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
2 }$ T$ y& Y" `& z> 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
$ E. t0 W, d3 q9 M* R" _> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
$ R4 D* q0 A  J7 @; P" m4 [, @3 f>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
8 A3 ?) ~5 _1 }3 Q/ |> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
6 \, j: j( e1 E' c  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
5 k4 u3 p8 ]5 ^  x! l> inning.'
>
. G, d/ g6 @' n; H/ ^> 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
! ^( z" P/ Y8 C8 W> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
/ N0 c( Q& n' R5 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
2 |. @( t$ U4 b6 \) Z2 X> 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
) m( a1 w4 n$ O: |: K% p> 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
, c7 U% Q& p$ F2 Q1 E# L, n> 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
> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
% v$ P% `1 X8 x: R( [1 T> 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.
" g% N* ~8 u# ?% \! ~2 v8 Z> 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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7 I- M1 D5 J1 I/ i+ o: w0 O> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
) T6 R7 P, \3 ^> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
( G  ~5 T. }! e5 r7 w1 B> out and that would have been the end of the game.
>
7 K5 `' s& z- I. A> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
: i9 \$ F$ `7 N3 T> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
> 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
- T& G4 k7 e* ?7 i> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
! w" g. ~9 G; D2 T> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
6 A/ {7 [+ q8 W8 X; G, b% u! I6 N> be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the
> 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.
>
& ?0 o4 D  h7 \" a% I. R' T> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
! C0 t  {! a5 M* S) b>
> 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!'
>
9 Q' m, \8 G) Y4 U/ k. l' h> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
& i& F- U* m0 D1 H, G> 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
0 S3 \+ X8 E, U3 L3 q> game for his team.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
- f5 `& {  J; O# a% b9 Y> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
9 S6 p  P+ B: J) {2 z> into this world'.
& P* ]2 d8 N( b5 X  A>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
+ m  u! E: y# G5 E5 m1 s3 H2 b> 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
7 ?- g0 g0 ?4 z: a# Q" q$ t. ~> 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
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
7 N; ?. Q/ D8 j+ _0 S/ j/ I$ b2 [>
> 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
1 l* b+ h. ]- H+ 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
> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
* W8 r  g8 w+ y3 A- o> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
7 T/ z( F8 {% `> 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?
! s0 [. z8 {- W6 \* ]2 t* X>
& }: X9 a" i3 m2 l8 f# G  ?% [9 `/ d; q  ?> A wise man once said every society is judged by
1 c; {8 o7 R7 h2 N8 g2 u6 n> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
$ k) k  p1 o/ ]. C/ c" S& z> 1. Delete
3 j4 p  o9 T* Z+ s3 B4 ~> 2. Forward
>
: z/ L+ \. |! V) Z2 R> May your day, be a Shay Day.