Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
: D0 @% u% j) J. `> 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
( _0 y) Z5 c& J1 l* T> same choice?
* {8 x( \* ~& }9 Q" Q; o' C: `* J' f>
8 q  P; |% x+ V- |- y- C6 x: z> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
! l! v, k& N; R; h> 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
( f  P3 f% e8 [! n9 p> staff, he offered a question:
) a* h5 m0 |( i/ b" c>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
) N& ~9 M' ~9 ?+ z> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
% p, I, V4 P* }> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
$ W6 M+ J( z3 v  M: W  ~* P1 @5 b> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
- `- u0 ~+ I+ m+ J1 B" Y> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
1 X0 D  P) b9 W! Y2 ^( D> 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
8 L& K9 G* [- x7 N> 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
  j' U  x2 M1 `( `& l) Y> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
2 Z0 Q4 a5 s0 h5 m9 X% J0 S! @>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
. K; j, F5 a! R- R> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
4 @' Q/ W5 C* c" M! @, [# @' [> 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
: a' `6 q  w) R: m/ H> inning.'
>
+ N" {: W- c- @8 C/ ^> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
9 \5 \. R. S# M- t2 k/ p> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
2 u# b+ N( d2 B2 G* K> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
3 _# o6 }( I  p1 h( E- _> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
1 `6 e0 Y5 m+ b! [; j; @9 @2 Y> 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
> 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
- x' t2 y) w1 J> 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.
>
1 ]$ t' ?7 s9 m' m> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
: k& ]( ~9 ]; z& n( q> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
* i, F% f* q! J. p) w> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
( s% [' G+ L# |> much less connect with the ball.
( x$ U1 R9 y- R& j& O, q4 V: m- Y> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
& \# U. P* @# k7 @, Q# b> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
: U( O8 _. h& O0 [3 ~  A> 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
% ]3 E$ H# d2 G> 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.
>
  i4 C( N$ q- }5 m% ~( L: l> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
& z  Y7 Z* R' s, f' |3 e) Y> 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.
, Z+ W0 `. o1 R7 @/ e* s( s>
> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
: d+ K3 A/ K1 R6 D$ P> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
% e7 \# \; u& S> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
, T* f7 @9 N9 ^4 Z> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
# h. Q* @1 u" }& u> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
> 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
> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
- j+ p( W, Z- {5 j: E> 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.
>
4 J: J( V3 W+ ]> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
> 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!'
>
% Q. y& z) c( `) k0 ~> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
$ H$ c" T) [2 n8 g" q> 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.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
7 l) @$ M' l  Z- U> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
/ t  e& @, h, _> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
& t% c+ G6 i# g: ^- W5 l% G> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
, f8 x8 s1 T/ D4 B+ ^> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
! t1 C$ S' J/ i2 P, q> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
7 Z) `0 c8 w/ \> 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
( H4 r9 C0 c4 a) n6 _* Q# g> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
$ q7 s7 e% s  [1 c> 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
/ W% a% Y) u% N4 R% B/ |6 e> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
. ^% ?+ p6 r1 h* s) _> 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
7 c  F1 \/ P4 r7 W> bit colder in the process?
: k4 f+ x: x. V( _>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
% b' A' ^* T5 j6 a( p8 g> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
% E; k' u1 g6 v+ P$ s> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.