Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
" h2 {0 r0 o" M>
> 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
' p6 o5 w; @; E, \! I% Q3 b> same choice?
>
> 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:
: N' j( _8 U6 f# A4 O; d>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
1 _6 T/ m  X" a+ _; F0 q> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
. o" g6 m: D0 l2 O) Z$ B( d- \" t# b>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
0 v. O3 v/ t8 U, Z9 r8 {> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
( J' D7 c; J" Y  f; c> 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
9 y2 T* y: q* K. D3 e( f+ 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,
> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
) a: H3 _, @$ g> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
& J" {( S1 j" ^* X8 M> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
2 ^2 X2 T" n. P+ ]5 r: \4 N> 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.'
>
> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
1 g5 p/ o3 \1 @% F> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
" \# u) d) Z" T# ]. P7 ^5 Y( V8 a> 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
> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
: g9 C4 \0 _$ z& E4 L1 q! b> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
6 O+ J: w) ^) Z( Y9 o> 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
# M2 O/ Q* |. J* u> 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
* ]$ N/ p  p& s  }0 j> next at bat.
, b; [# x6 V. t8 @6 Q0 o2 y>
/ g$ z0 m/ M& @9 t> 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
5 A9 V9 a- m* b4 L> 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
5 H: Z2 T- G2 F6 y; S2 z> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
/ k9 P: s' E  ]4 z> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
0 f8 M, L+ y# ]' M. Y> contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
$ s# n1 T3 G4 K2 e9 ~3 j> 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
8 R! ]. l* _7 y: U> right back to the pitcher.
>
6 d; o$ u" d5 s> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
% m8 a4 z8 S6 W! t6 M# V> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
  Q+ Q& T$ c" }  `% }4 G> out and that would have been the end of the game.
. x* [6 U5 G$ D9 G# m# {) W& Q>
" u/ Z/ ]# |+ J1 d( U! e4 P> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
" _6 t: G8 V7 N$ c> 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
5 M- ?$ p! }; u. \% \% h> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
, [3 n# @# p7 U" z' L" s: ?0 Z1 a> 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
> 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
, l6 @7 ]5 p" a, d+ D> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
( ~  Y  }( r% }+ `  L7 U> 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.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
' S- L; H- K3 \. C>
5 e* s* v  B! T7 C" S! I7 Y> 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!
! h: k3 y- D; o2 I6 I& t' k1 s9 O4 m> Shay, run to third!'
>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
3 s5 r* }$ C  o# g& _' \7 O> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
( w1 k; C3 T9 y0 t+ f, |) k> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
5 R, k7 K! |+ O  ?& V( N. r> game for his team.
1 }6 E% D2 n5 f3 B4 S! C* u* Z0 \>
" t6 U6 k  C6 G" T> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
8 }; T8 ~7 ?/ m0 x+ f) k" h7 ?7 v> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
: g! ~- L; @0 G1 u" W7 \> into this world'.
>
  X/ p& M; G! V+ J> 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!
: a4 x8 y0 }/ E>
> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
/ l# X8 x! X# g' b3 a> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
+ e0 G( t" s; \: n) I* e6 T8 y> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
6 |4 W3 S7 i0 n7 s) u6 l* _> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
$ n' m# J6 T. G2 c>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
( o5 S" ]* b6 A3 ?% `! V> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
+ B% @4 h) S; x6 A4 P7 @4 i1 \> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
( ^  A: X$ K! X  P1 P> 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
> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
, U& C7 f9 \1 \9 j/ d6 L>
; S1 Y9 m0 ]7 c0 {6 Z- g> A wise man once said every society is judged by
* a% B$ A2 Q! W% R( |4 C& @/ H0 k8 |> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
% |: j1 \4 c, s8 k1 b  |7 K> You now have two choices:
1 V  v" o$ o! ^' P> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
  @& L* `. W6 n6 O6 m" }>
! _, W6 v9 }- A6 B7 u> May your day, be a Shay Day.