Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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$ L' j# b3 ~9 u6 O. G8 t$ x> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
1 P& Y7 E* j' Y2 k- w8 y: q> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
/ o+ Z' k9 @' K2 G1 S8 A> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
  W1 n# H/ V3 n' D5 i+ ~> 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
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
* {( y2 G8 p- P$ s% Q  p. g$ c> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
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2 X: {. l( Q: h, n: m, W> 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
2 k4 W8 X% U. t# S8 X( w1 t> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
) x  M5 k8 l# g: o# J9 R> 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
0 @- ]. J0 ~+ ?> 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,
1 N6 P. \' v# }0 N> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
7 s8 k+ w% j) F> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
" m1 K" p2 Y. X& D% L& b4 q' u> 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
1 j  J3 u/ @7 |5 s9 b5 R! V" F> 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
9 O6 l9 W- c( u5 ~> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
4 e" ?; k! k; l0 G0 c- {> 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
% ]+ r1 a7 z6 \> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
) y# z3 h: |4 L2 m  d% s> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
4 h) X- r9 T$ Z0 h> 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
8 x: f5 @) g) B9 k& }% C. Z> 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
% j  Z* U/ K6 Q4 G6 z> 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,
( j. p8 K2 O8 I; X> much less connect with the ball.
% e$ o3 G9 |% z( J7 v$ M# W$ I> 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.
1 F; H" z1 G4 Q( V> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
1 f/ w: K. _! T2 @> right back to the pitcher.
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! k- Z3 M/ i4 W> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
> 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
( _) q$ F) B1 q' N3 d% \> 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,
# G  Y2 O% ^: a' V4 }' T> wide-eyed and startled.
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$ Q! r# Z# m7 B6 Y9 S3 }> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
) r/ W4 F: T; ]/ l" j> 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
> 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
  g, L: _$ z$ H& F> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
" v+ g% I2 ?5 m> circled the bases toward home.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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7 L. O  _' y& c: D/ a& v1 l> 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!
) @: N0 m! n  j' W9 g1 h# d> Shay, run to third!'
>
& M) I' m1 u  y& y  A- z> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
( D$ _! {; t7 ?" Q9 Y6 u* ~4 ^> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
" j( l+ W$ ^9 D* N* Z& e7 t> game for his team.
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8 \6 ]$ l, z1 w0 ]7 Y> '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'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
4 J8 L$ Q- y" h1 v. `: R8 ?> 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
4 s7 H; m1 j% S4 j> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
7 J3 C$ l4 p0 V' [' _) l> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
; s* D/ f- X- @6 c1 D- |6 u> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
7 _* u1 N! T' a5 e8 O- l% M1 j' M> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
3 t) I! S& K4 [! n9 z> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
5 C1 U3 J( `% W. D) O2 ?" f+ W# R> 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
3 q  z" e5 Y, U7 ]% p0 F+ o% D> 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?
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> A wise man once said every society is judged by
$ d6 k5 V/ |* P3 I' V> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
% ~' i5 Z4 a. a6 p2 Y) y) C. ]# E> 2. Forward
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: Z' D9 g' S1 L) I> May your day, be a Shay Day.