Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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8 d( c" z" a/ p6 N- o# u& a+ E5 {> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
9 T, K5 k; x' }# k# }8 @9 @2 N6 ?> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
* z/ M8 M; e9 R> 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
3 J0 y: ?$ x6 a/ W. @> 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
. I0 M4 k( h! f4 g> natural order of things in my son?'
>
$ m; g3 p0 }+ ^+ r$ [' k+ G> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
$ B0 ^8 @0 h) D  Z> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
# r, Q. R% w; P. U" N' F$ A> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
& X3 z, j- k2 x8 a1 a> 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:
>
5 P& R6 g( p1 N& y$ f" t> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
( |9 s. Z& k; L; b8 o& Y- k; [& q> playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' Shay's
# c0 E; `9 \: r( Q> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
, c/ ]& B* i4 {$ p> 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
5 \. A8 {+ G( z# x> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
3 e3 }' f9 Q/ q4 {' \> 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
> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
7 n: |" q+ u" L5 h> 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
> 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
, j* J: D4 p! O, L3 `: i. u6 f& c> 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
7 d: j  Z3 q* \. d/ E# r> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
' Q# u8 y$ k7 Y/ L> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
. s( P& J% d$ K! I. s: p> 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
> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> 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.
. B, L+ y/ F1 {' t6 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
% r8 ~4 R( s% @( F6 e> 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
7 _# [0 g0 H6 I& @> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
- `( x0 I9 ?5 M0 C$ _" o> 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
( L' T+ J2 r( [6 e9 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
6 C3 _2 z5 b7 r9 `% q9 H: Q> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
2 o9 x1 n1 P" W# U8 o1 J: i# ^> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
7 y* D. U! e9 @0 k. ^> 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
& ?/ H4 [# d  h6 D: k0 I> 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
- \1 ?2 I  L" [( X> 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
7 p6 G: N7 X& Z* P* Y8 `0 s% i- N> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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' q; Q+ [. ^* b; O: S" x> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
' o) R) \1 y! t7 G# U0 Q, O> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
* n7 G) C0 K" k: ^% I' R4 z! \> Shay, run to third!'
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0 z5 |) n& s; e6 w> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
2 c* n1 D4 b0 j5 h! j/ m4 {> 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
- `9 V* v" r# O4 P> game for his team.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
2 n3 H* ?7 k6 z4 m> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
  D1 L5 X- p1 V9 F1 N, N0 `> into this world'.
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> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
5 Q  Q* j# P. Q5 d: M5 \> 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!
>
! J8 [8 q' r. H- M1 L  k" L; d) O> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
) f0 X: Z, ]* }+ _: I( b> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
3 I  X, D  j" g, ~# V7 _4 x> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
0 a' Z8 ~8 R' [5 ~# K> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
$ I$ O. _7 a& i7 c> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
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> 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
> '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
' D& Y/ l/ @% G6 X/ |% y6 W" L> 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
> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
" W3 y5 ~" x3 K* T7 |9 Z7 r  [> bit colder in the process?
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1 u$ V/ ?6 h5 k0 B& j# E> A wise man once said every society is judged by
' s8 |8 p! u/ f+ ]> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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# ?& y2 e+ _; |* N, G> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
' i& D0 p5 u7 [" t* O> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.