Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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( N- P% P( Z+ {> 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?
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> 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
> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
> staff, he offered a question:
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> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
/ t  \/ h! G9 n( M% g) _> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
! N& N3 s! ]( l> 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
2 h7 A3 W$ E- g# m1 o: ]3 m' y/ Y4 G> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
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7 M  ^% Z7 j$ s: N: Z! A3 }! \> 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
. x- P6 Q0 w, t* Z9 @+ R> 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,
2 `( x. d; K& k% v/ ~4 q> 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
> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
- a# V1 _& v" z4 j, \! 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
> inning.'
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> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
1 P! [7 q8 ~! {& I% ?# q> 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
, V: L5 W* H" W/ Y8 {> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
3 J  u5 L( l. U. |" v0 D> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
) s  `% c+ t% W, E! r> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
1 @2 ]& ]' T! P> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
% J4 A; Y5 K0 N2 v$ B& l1 l+ m> 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
" M; a6 D7 @: V% f5 n6 j4 i" g' O> next at bat.
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$ @  |8 r! Y5 p> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
! s/ s7 w. G% S0 G0 _$ _% U> 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
/ \+ F+ y- P5 z; j' E& a> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
, c! Q( t. V) h7 d5 z+ H> 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
# }9 G) y1 Y9 z8 K0 p> 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
( J5 q2 P% h$ F" w1 Q> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
' n  w7 G8 `7 {% v- r> out and that would have been the end of the game.
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$ C# H  @4 e; g- A8 W> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
7 e# Y( {2 I1 a2 N> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
0 y4 Q' N! Y: Q> 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,
4 }, S/ c$ O/ x3 c4 Z2 I: z> wide-eyed and startled.
>
+ E5 u1 l7 a9 S> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
# O6 l! L7 P! T) f& w; d' u! i$ e> 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
, E" ~0 ]* n- L, A9 C> 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
& ]) l8 @8 O8 C> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
  q5 ]: _# v' t) q% O" \- M> 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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> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
* P9 o5 S2 c# r* U! E+ Y2 p* `4 M> 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!
  M- W8 f; w2 Y* }> Shay, run to third!'
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> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
+ O* Z" ?/ k" n> 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
> game for his team.
>
* W# a8 F' R4 @1 V$ ?& H> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
5 d6 E! _% \5 ?. c> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
> into this world'.
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: H1 r1 |, y7 O9 |6 r; ~9 y" e> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
# @2 \, o2 e, |/ v0 ?> 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!
>
6 j7 ^' l5 K7 [, H> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
8 w# G6 a% n% m) r( n> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
: e& U5 m" }& K+ I0 H3 j> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
4 }# w, t( F! ^( [: x> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
( h2 D0 `) n- U1 f2 U/ K> 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
  J0 x- z, U5 h' a* ?  n' G/ ^> '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
4 u2 L0 K0 C7 m: m; `7 Z> 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
0 F  g9 l$ ~; @. p> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
! I0 n, X' Z$ t- ~1 w8 c' \; h> bit colder in the process?
>
( e% ?% x6 L4 R3 Y> 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
> 2. Forward
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) r& _( Q: j+ |% }- H> May your day, be a Shay Day.