Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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7 q: P6 u6 W( \> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
% E: ?4 L  x+ s6 o" a0 @# x> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
> same choice?
>
) t  o0 p/ b9 T5 T9 e7 w% [> 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
9 c* \! j+ B5 l( W) G( ]9 |> 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
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
. \+ B$ b  L) f> The audience was stilled by the query.
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- T* }1 w. Y% p9 [* ^, C( Z* x, }> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
# o0 U( H3 i; c6 S% X, V. C1 n- r& }> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
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1 q; G+ x, s' G* y3 \0 X4 u2 O> Then he told the following story:
>
> 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
. A5 R1 e2 h: l. H9 N+ `3 h6 g) u> 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,
- r% z( v, k# i: k# }' r> 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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> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
2 m3 x; U: S+ k; j0 }' c# D& Q, S> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
& H, L8 {0 [# P; v> 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
7 D% t4 d5 r" f/ k% q> inning.'
>
> 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
0 Y' t( n3 N; s4 x0 L9 M! o> 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
3 R8 z# K7 k( Z6 m! R% K> 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
> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
9 f  j( Q: B9 X% L7 c3 g' Y$ u> next at bat.
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- \  G% S9 j2 M4 g> 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
% @6 l/ t% H5 @$ k$ S/ x, c> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
* Q+ P- M) ~8 F8 U$ y> 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
0 R  \9 l3 f5 C  s" t> 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
( m7 S0 y' q6 F& `9 T$ Z7 e> 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.
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> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
5 F0 c& _  ]: m> 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.
>
$ w; i4 B. {  P7 H5 J> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
8 [- C* X7 b* i# S" I1 |> 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.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
8 D3 V/ p- W: P+ g( I> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
7 z( X- [- R1 R4 |$ S% ^4 A: _: A> 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,
3 M6 J0 K6 c8 n' u> too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's
- x" z" w0 s3 f+ d- B: y) a> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
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4 @: w& }. D+ ^6 s" X2 e% ~. K2 q> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
+ `, W" V& e, J/ ]> 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!
- ^$ S/ c& L* E2 r0 R$ S) c> Shay, run to third!'
>
+ i* U* b+ I& u0 _0 ~1 m  D, B6 p2 X; W> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
- I) y, d% U; L' W; E> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
! I1 v  b& b) h5 T  f0 V& V> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
9 l1 m% l9 t3 f> game for his team.
>
> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
% V9 m$ D0 X% L; W) M- g4 B0 m" ?7 R> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
  }2 v/ _5 X8 D) d& a> into this world'.
>
( @! t2 I, }# d% i) u> 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!
>
> 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
( M! \% Z, K1 {* W) D> 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.
>
+ L7 Y, a: J" g9 J. F; J> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
$ l, P  J& C' T5 v% O0 X0 o> 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
" ]; y2 ~+ ^/ P/ V: z! S5 z$ U6 }> 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
5 ~$ e' _: L. B8 @> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
, h) o4 \8 s& Z4 V8 Q> bit colder in the process?
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6 g0 w5 r/ v. P2 I: N> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
  o& W+ F6 Q6 U> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
>
: b& O9 ~7 S' `* m3 i; r> May your day, be a Shay Day.