Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
: `/ l& V: k+ d/ ?> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
  Y5 [) U5 B% B2 y, s0 c> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
" I. w. N. e  ]9 G% ?, m> same choice?
>
# s6 Y: b" [6 H2 t2 E0 X1 ^2 s> 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
0 }! Y, E! A! [0 Y/ D> staff, he offered a question:
2 S9 I/ O4 v* D( ?) z>
> '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
8 `0 v1 {4 p! I( @2 a3 K> natural order of things in my son?'
>
  B" [9 y6 b  X) v7 j# H/ F> The audience was stilled by the query.
9 I0 [! c& y: ^* j>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
4 y& a  C7 X9 M0 L$ F" g, m> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
) _. |$ R2 F  }' m> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
1 I! F: ^5 G$ V> treat that child.'
>
0 S; L$ U6 D( Q/ [2 N2 {! r1 m> Then he told the following story:
>
> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
$ j% \3 }% g' \> 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
/ D5 B+ h/ U* R4 L; H0 W; l" i$ A> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
/ j8 f+ Z) L# k8 y) d( ~$ d) \> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
9 T  o1 W: X/ |, E4 R" u1 o$ g> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
1 q. N7 A" v$ i* U  d9 o1 g: i> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
8 Q$ w+ C2 ~7 H+ Q, v( ]: ~3 G6 X& A" y> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
> 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
; D& W/ ]: g/ g- G( W> inning.'
6 D, [; N& {6 K; _/ {1 E9 f>
> 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
; |: n) e  [: G( k> 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
4 i$ A! ?8 ]1 Z$ i> 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
+ |. j. ~+ b! \  _> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
% a3 f9 _8 d. m# E0 L> 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
" P! S3 d8 X0 V> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
" [/ Q; {) T+ X- S> next at bat.
>
) O$ J9 s; e. x- |/ l! L> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
; h8 d/ s" u1 T> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
- ~% e; m0 X5 N+ {3 q& {> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
0 [4 x4 c" z0 z/ g> 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
" H- e8 y# |) b6 C8 I. J> 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.
>
> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
- q' a. d& F4 p$ g> 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.
>
> 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
> 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.
7 t% C. ^8 y7 C- p: L>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
: \0 {: M! R9 U" H6 Z$ F! I1 z( b> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
9 D- p2 \  S6 S+ Q> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
! i8 V! t3 X, [5 I4 F> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
  z6 A/ L) J  `: E> 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
# i: k' K, H9 x* ^$ }> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
( D0 i/ B, _4 b> circled the bases toward home.
) E( e5 w9 F' W4 }, H>
' E; ?7 U% `# I* r3 B. h> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
: O. i( {/ M0 P7 T6 R>
, I' c* D8 ]1 Q+ d' ^> 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!
$ K) D: ?$ H+ g6 {) N' z> Shay, run to third!'
>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
9 Z$ _6 [1 k0 ?8 f5 S> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
- a+ d5 a& P0 s; K0 V, P% X7 h> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
% U% s& [9 G; b+ n+ x> game for his team.
4 Q, a: @4 l& `( F0 u) o6 b>
! C9 K; Y6 ^7 R+ r> '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'.
>
; T7 ?0 \5 n  x& R1 E> 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
> 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.
( _# p+ U3 m. I0 [/ Q>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
9 r; n# L7 `( i1 L, z> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
7 n( {" b+ n' J> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
2 `1 d' ^. y$ O, {4 [> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
. T8 x5 z: f$ W' a0 D+ y> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
# K( }, M6 m2 P& V: Y2 ]8 f> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
( n2 L& z1 N: a, Q2 ]> 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
) A+ Z0 p8 K/ x# F& C3 {, ]) S4 L> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
9 h) F' i6 T! @9 v! W% y! A2 a, h  }> 1. Delete
3 j' S. b4 r* A0 i- c> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.