Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
( W( @8 S0 M% Y* p; [6 @: U% M, ]> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
! d" m9 f9 h* O: ~! M> same choice?
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> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
7 e* B3 p, B( ~% g# q6 E> 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:
>
( `' T  ~6 `6 d. o/ `  A! c1 s8 n4 A> '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
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
5 A, b6 O: G7 ]> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
3 G0 c- G* B! x0 e  c> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
+ m' |. y- `( c: Z: [> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
>
> Then he told the following story:
>
) B" ~" x% \8 w> 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
" O8 @6 x% o* A5 @% h3 {> 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,
4 o0 E; Z9 \# b5 f* Z> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
1 d$ Z* L/ f$ t+ T) S; B$ t> 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
/ H6 z% n% p# i' R, l6 h* I7 s> said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I
9 h) Q  M( c* j% a7 Y  ?' ^( t> guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth
% L, y* N5 j: _& [8 \, k0 _5 {0 S> inning.'
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> 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
> 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
- `% ], }6 I0 Q  t( ?> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
' Q+ P  P; F, D9 i* D> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
( v" T1 L; N0 C# V> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
% G0 D( a( G- x> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
- ?8 n# ?! t7 r- l4 x. r> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
- W  w) ?. D. V6 K1 U) O9 m* s> next at bat.
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* }" N+ g- ?0 p/ t8 v9 h> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
) |( I; _! B# w. @5 C# W> game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat Everyone knew that a hit was all
# K0 U3 M6 p* N* n! ~% d( ^- I5 o> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
& p4 m5 F. _+ H  `/ P/ t3 G" d> much less connect with the ball.
, \7 C; `7 M* S9 M/ t5 ^5 i, I> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
* G) q  ~! ~. z: j5 [  P" R> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
) J6 r% _+ i1 \+ b> 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.
> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
" @3 q' f+ m5 R9 T8 V> 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
> out and that would have been the end of the game.
2 r% m, c' x8 t0 r* T7 g>
> 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
  i3 O0 u# k' Q, {8 F# `; H> yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever
0 i7 e& F4 Z# r* u; j$ e% L  N> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> 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
2 R3 g/ A' [: d9 ?9 ?0 }% o$ R9 b> 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
- ~" d. e, ^$ x6 V> head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him
+ W8 U6 W1 ^" X( G% R> circled the bases toward home.
% C6 N" R! v( W& g( i1 r# ]>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
6 W& R% H# M$ c; t3 P>
7 z# d' a5 p! u$ ]8 e5 @, F6 L5 F> 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!
$ R, X5 L. h) p% n7 Y6 |: p1 r5 y; P> 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
' L; Z( b8 s* _8 H. d$ l> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
> game for his team.
>
> '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'.
>
8 }& Z) p! k- }$ `+ q* z' b3 ]8 F> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
, s$ q! y+ d( t7 v# a: R> 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
0 o' f) H+ |# X+ J: S# ?> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
& L6 U( M5 ~5 Z/ {4 w> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
; [, C2 y! G8 D/ ?! s6 z2 \> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
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6 T7 O4 x; n6 V8 z/ R> 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
> 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
; w, h4 p( u* ?& j) J> 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
0 M  _, d6 a2 t% n6 n* `5 W+ O% M5 V> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
> bit colder in the process?
>
, N- h% |$ i' ?* h4 B$ h$ E' G> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
! c7 m  B$ Y2 _4 E" b>
> You now have two choices:
3 h0 S; g7 O# N. z' B8 a5 ]> 1. Delete
/ G+ x7 f- X5 k> 2. Forward
4 ]3 S; p& M3 A3 i2 M' C6 s>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.