Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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9 r; y0 @, i1 P2 C. t) r8 n4 o> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
2 C8 T( E2 r) [> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
> same choice?
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> 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
7 a. W: ?6 ~) T, ]8 H& ]% `> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
> staff, he offered a question:
>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
7 p& I; T% S' G' h: }> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
# P5 Y' a; H, s$ C2 d* e> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
2 t+ @  g* c0 [> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
- r, }/ \* i  y  @: l: o" |1 y> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
( {4 x* y- d. l/ G: X> treat that child.'
>
+ W9 v3 ^: x6 J& g( H  l5 j$ O> Then he told the following story:
>
> Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
7 L7 p- G- O; w) ^; }4 I0 L% C> 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
2 ~  W# S8 K; R> team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
- ~) S  f3 |- P# q> 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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+ y% G5 T6 J" O- Y3 t> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
. I# B( Y# j- _" B) T9 x: O> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
# z) Y3 [6 P. Z: J> 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.'
>
* O9 w, u! U* Z> 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
8 `/ {) K' \8 E9 N> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
) s7 L5 [! {# H> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
4 E. Z6 x1 I& q6 x: ^- d1 g' b> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
  B- t( q" w: I) v4 r> 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
$ D5 D) F: G# w" v# Q> next at bat.
>
- v0 V- ]- k! e8 o* K3 G* k> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
: W+ j8 u& K! H. {  u, u# h( I0 v> 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,
> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
( E$ J% E5 u; ]2 f' j0 F> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
4 x) v! V, F2 u6 W$ V* {> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
! r& O# p, s( ?. @! g5 l> 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.
> 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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& E" w7 G7 |+ `) z% O& W, N2 D$ G> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
' H9 x% b& l+ s) O' v" B, {> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
' j3 }5 ~5 O8 |6 E8 x0 k0 ]> out and that would have been the end of the game.
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* q5 Y& e1 h- X4 k& V6 o> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
  ^! \% Q1 s6 u' b0 P9 V, g# J1 P& {> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
, b" h& @7 J$ f/ E> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
( R( i  z* _. u: [4 e) l( W> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
2 e$ N/ t: q: H6 a% N, L1 m; B> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
: W0 Q" c, k' {0 P> 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
; K$ A& u$ S/ I5 t. M> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
) L6 N5 z2 ~2 v3 T- P; f+ ?/ @> 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'
>
> 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!
4 [" h) V4 F) H  r5 K5 Q& A# C4 _1 p# g> Shay, run to third!'
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> 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
> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
> game for his team.
>
# i9 h* x8 Q+ r. i. `> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
5 E+ R: P1 u6 J> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
8 L* p* C& F. s% n- `6 Y4 G> into this world'.
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> 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!
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> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
9 J* S: J# c6 \/ f> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
  h2 T& b5 g: b' \& C& J* b+ \> 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
( F1 j/ r5 \6 v$ |4 l> 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
2 k! d* p. W* k2 x: I7 d( l) ?, w> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
( w' G! I" o* C' W> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
, m5 S, K' J7 J# X% \- \! G> 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
3 `7 J4 P# o  ]1 z> bit colder in the process?
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> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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> You now have two choices:
4 W: X: q" z+ G/ `> 1. Delete
* p* c2 z$ A! ?, d/ @% G8 N> 2. Forward
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> May your day, be a Shay Day.