Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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" s+ x  ]3 q5 s5 `> 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
9 n* ~7 ?$ v' m7 h$ b2 K( c8 B2 m> same choice?
>
: h) |. Y# l# u, J4 x/ _> 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
6 k9 N8 t( q8 s2 }; z> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
: U8 z0 c3 I& x* {  Q1 L> staff, he offered a question:
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; m9 y8 L0 i% F* r: r> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
. B, I5 A" `6 U9 [8 Q; g0 b> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
+ p, r0 |7 T0 H0 {6 Z% h> natural order of things in my son?'
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> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
' W0 d% Z0 `; R, W" ]7 ]  G> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
$ r1 H. L8 ^) ^; B) W: b9 y> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
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2 H, G  ^0 u8 f% r! D) Y> Then he told the following story:
>
; h8 q: \% b% {* {) h> 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
+ p; `/ O5 e7 _& x> 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,
% A! f/ E' A4 M, P> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
2 I, U' ]4 U' J  f/ |> 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
$ ~* U. H' r8 G: C> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
% ?6 p0 g, r" ~% D( R> 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
> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
( |6 [- p( f9 f" s> 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
> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
4 t# |; T# ?1 X2 u1 X- j: M> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
1 S$ X% G/ ^+ v$ p> 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
+ i8 A3 B# Y( S  t& i> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
> next at bat.
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> 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
> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
' R# k5 _& Q/ P5 W  @> much less connect with the ball.
) [, X3 o9 x; I3 G1 u+ d2 c  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
& \& h' Y9 t: V7 s" {> 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
* R9 C5 [) X+ C+ ~  V2 K# z* w0 L> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
1 {4 o6 F5 j5 C* M> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
" r4 a6 u; r& p. ?5 E> right back to the pitcher.
>
1 M8 L; i2 u8 X. J: w6 b# z2 ?> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
$ N# f, ]4 `" ]# ^$ [: A> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
8 B4 H8 P* P( F" \> out and that would have been the end of the game.
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1 S& P* V! F+ `0 G> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
  y' N1 b0 Q/ O$ Y% B> 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,
$ f" d3 k  Q1 b/ T' l1 u6 H> wide-eyed and startled.
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, A  H5 f. ]0 X: d) F, _> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
+ \- x: ?6 g7 O- c/ _> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
7 j/ T: c& u+ C4 X> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
4 Q& F5 {* @* o/ x: A. \! }> 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
> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
) v( A; H* v7 [& o/ p' ^( f6 N* {  d5 |> circled the bases toward home.
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> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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> 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!
> Shay, run to third!'
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4 n" o* r, Q$ l* t> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
2 W% \: ^) z8 m" L> 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
! v! ]6 q) \% d: w1 P3 X: \* f> game for his team.
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  W( H5 m8 X* C. U  a1 P! X> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
) Q) N, \# C! ]9 p> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
9 `) T0 P" `% _2 z# I> 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
> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
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6 @. v2 g9 i/ ]: c9 S> 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
5 v4 h5 e* q) @$ J) p  s/ q> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
) Y4 M* N7 v+ u% a, m) W> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
" W2 o& y0 @: l> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
* Q# J9 |  h  K' C0 O$ h+ u& y) S6 @> 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
> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
. b( F5 `9 n1 n2 O" ?7 B> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
- L* m; p4 w1 T. u> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
6 X* s$ r, h. U- f7 B> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
" e+ e4 u7 K" `' {, l) A> bit colder in the process?
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$ y+ V) I: W! |# t' `> A wise man once said every society is judged by
# z, }! s* [: D4 L1 R. c" j> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
0 J/ R" P; X9 z/ L> You now have two choices:
$ J) `+ h" e9 H8 T0 @0 h> 1. Delete
. k5 T1 h6 V$ [% j+ C> 2. Forward
>
8 A5 @+ i1 w, z6 T  M# l> May your day, be a Shay Day.