Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
, _/ ~  L4 _1 S1 N1 {8 D: d> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
& X4 d6 y6 ~4 m# a> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
( Z- X' h2 R% E> same choice?
' p$ W" f# a5 X>
> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
) ?" {# n0 O0 |* J8 v> 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:
( s5 q$ Q( p  Y* }" B>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
0 J. l& ]; _5 \% y* c: S> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
# ]# S# Q/ ?  o% R2 b> natural order of things in my son?'
>
> 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
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
& K% K% h' a" l; z> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
9 a% Q# L+ N8 Y4 K> 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
> 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
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
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5 k( k6 k$ U" b# g% c> 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
  `$ ^5 V% Z  p0 [( k3 c: c> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
1 Q$ l# b# U! ?  |> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
> inning.'
>
# P: p8 S" Q, Y# K; n- Z( ^3 t' u> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
- L4 z. {5 m: e8 {> 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
5 r' n3 j, H8 q+ b- b2 j> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
1 |8 Z& l' }" |" D0 y. B0 x  E3 d5 y> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
! o0 C4 R' a$ N& l; d/ P) Q6 U/ R> 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
> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
0 @1 A( u; X2 ?- Y9 }! ^" Y> 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
: Q' s6 X) O8 }% l, c; t> 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,
) j8 U; g9 {+ n2 Y. k5 B> 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
> 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.
' J( L5 ?* L* {. R+ b. _> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
> right back to the pitcher.
>
. ?, K3 z- D; m7 Z> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
7 v! |* e9 a; s9 f: I> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
& \; B4 E" z% p! @! z2 f> 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
. V# C6 k( }; a* w; s0 ]> 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
> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
0 ~% o, u" V5 d) T& P> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
# {2 i/ D- n# s, B4 `4 G$ {> 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,
  o6 O8 c1 Y- l/ r: u$ U> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
' M9 X$ }1 V5 t+ d# e9 r5 k9 I# H  {> 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'
>
> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
) C. H' Z5 }; }9 R$ m& F6 V> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
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; Q# M6 k# I3 C) R0 I; T> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
, f; D' m) o, a0 E1 f( E4 ]) F# ^> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
5 L" U  l$ h  M3 t% Q  S  b> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
4 r# t) u; p: R2 X3 z# H1 o> game for his team.
>
& E1 ~* X/ H- s2 Z, }# M+ }1 u> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
! Q5 ?# w9 Y( U7 ?. p> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
& b+ `8 A& E+ D0 W( A! A6 `> into this world'.
>
> 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
0 X# w8 q0 B6 R  h> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
>
1 g$ ?; H  y9 x5 u> 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
8 R+ f2 `9 V  {0 E> 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.
>
> 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
; K8 i) G% w8 g3 \% B/ y  e# W9 o, n> '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
> 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
/ H; [& K0 y  ?> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
6 B4 F% Q( K( S1 ]* S6 S> bit colder in the process?
6 h% L3 e- u2 O( k5 B8 w>
! P& l0 V/ \$ n> A wise man once said every society is judged by
$ P8 J) r: X0 k( U. A> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
) d3 _, X  O, `/ h6 O/ ^> You now have two choices:
( @& u6 M, O9 k  X- Q& W- k" C> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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( G# o0 O* j2 M; {2 N> May your day, be a Shay Day.