Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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" p' j1 b; K, X+ j> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
+ V3 o' ]$ K' _> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
4 [% ?% A/ k0 X, }+ Z$ L# _) k> same choice?
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. I+ X) r3 p- }- N! v6 R: B> 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
> 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
! k1 b! ^$ r% l1 y> natural order of things in my son?'
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3 U" T1 J" E3 _8 J9 C, m3 A> The audience was stilled by the query.
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7 A+ m8 f+ J. ~4 @, h4 @7 n; B8 S> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
2 }2 G& L9 }3 r1 |  ]7 l  v> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
; ?6 E: r) l# B> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
: \' i* a* Y3 Y4 Q9 @- Q- m+ g> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
4 \1 f; ^6 `) G& j4 E3 {> 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
> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
; E" C. Q2 A& {0 N" H& C" v( F> 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
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
; R4 q9 Z- D5 G5 k! Y> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
# T$ {# C4 E& D> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
( P: B2 T; l+ N; @) I7 |: p> 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.'
>
* ~$ j8 @0 Y  X> 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
  P' h7 ^$ |% d* w; }> his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the
4 _/ ~& X9 k7 j! a9 Q6 E+ a4 q> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
2 u! M0 S: I5 V) ]: Y& F: g> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
$ N8 Y0 S' a! o- j; F% Q+ P# [> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
" G1 V0 ]/ r2 A. P> 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
> next at bat.
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5 J# u+ i  d: `: A> 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,
> much less connect with the ball.
> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
3 ^' Z9 X( `1 g* x2 I> 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.
- t% C: Y" j9 C5 _1 \* P, f2 ]> 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
> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
& Q5 ~* V2 [9 p* Y/ C> 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
/ w' V* r5 p9 v6 \# Q( t$ C3 \> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
( y$ T) ^6 l9 ^3 F( U> 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,
! l1 p+ P* ]+ e4 J1 p5 g; a> wide-eyed and startled.
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> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
  X3 f; S( A* b, [- T  O6 M> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
* i5 P9 n3 l) h> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
- x8 ]! W9 q( y' t+ W% v> 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
> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
> circled the bases toward home.
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> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
% v" G: `9 i6 c> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
$ C2 ?( ?* G5 M6 f# m3 }> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
>
$ u0 Q( F4 a2 s> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
, V. Q: b3 O9 _: R* f> their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped
, o$ x3 l- ]- J) R+ k% m; j3 m> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
( i1 L8 p2 P  J> game for his team.
>
# X3 |  A6 K7 j> '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'.
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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
) [# H, J7 S% _# I/ K8 A> 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
9 }! m* P9 I& V> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
6 y1 Q0 t! U, j" W> 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
> 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
5 m: X) j" ^  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
" Q! [8 n! L& X/ v" q- e> 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
6 w! Q: ]% h: Q4 e. p6 f$ i> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
+ b* A: f6 c7 c7 _! j> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
>
# R3 s# d( V4 u8 L- n> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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3 m) n0 w8 v+ _- I$ A8 t> May your day, be a Shay Day.