Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
" ?: \: n( r! Z, X+ U/ U; x$ W> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
8 }  }$ p4 ]: x. Z0 O9 I1 n. h> same choice?
>
> 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:
>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
8 |0 d( ^8 h9 y: S' P. ^: \> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
$ w* f5 S, x& L+ A4 v> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
8 z1 G$ S6 E6 D7 I* t1 j> natural order of things in my son?'
>
7 {# X* @. T" T" {$ ?> The audience was stilled by the query.
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> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
- A$ P) o5 a1 n; R> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
6 O7 V( m% P( f4 X+ r7 J: S> treat that child.'
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> Then he told the following story:
>
  \4 @$ I1 a- _8 L> 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
> 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
/ [3 Q; F+ T6 w> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
! Y" t7 R- z( b+ n8 }> 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
# r( H2 @1 g. K( o> 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
1 x- r* w9 `8 ?5 r- P1 b> 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
+ }# R& Y( r! S: p9 l: T> 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
> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
* ?( J+ y9 \+ V6 a# _> 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.
7 u% m  N0 t8 [9 o5 g$ _$ {0 k, 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
$ _8 N* T3 H) m3 M/ u4 j- v> but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly,
> much less connect with the ball.
5 A( C$ I) |# d) p' _9 U$ q> However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the
$ o& ]/ ]2 t$ p> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
0 U2 Q" t7 n, {, z" z' s0 B> in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make
- f1 {- n* u' T. _> contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The
' T' L  f2 d" F5 q  H3 P9 D+ i> 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.
>
> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
5 K* }' N4 }& {> 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.
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> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
) v, v7 K' t4 f7 H. [+ ~" `- Y> 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
4 S; Z7 ~* |* ?$ v+ V5 S! \> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
9 I0 B/ c1 v0 `+ s/ f. t* s>
* U# s7 `7 ^' b' D) Z3 Q> 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
' J2 [9 a# @/ a. a  t> 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
# U% I! ]% }1 V8 ]* }6 j> second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intention So he,
; ]6 ~6 f  F- ?$ a: s" ~> 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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9 g) b( z. {* ~8 B3 r$ C> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
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% v) n. e# i' i4 d, f) V7 |2 ]/ d> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
/ D! V# p: F& r( e+ a" O3 g> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
1 }+ w% a6 p! W! T>
8 J: _- }3 F3 r% G2 h5 q# G# z> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
1 V. B! Q# f% m' _7 N> 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
6 r+ R& C4 X1 P' Z% r> game for his team.
# Y; G( r* d* W>
! z3 y% F0 c4 b) g# c# @+ h1 N> 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face,
' }  p1 q! r. O/ X7 z> 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity
, E  }7 k7 f8 }( v3 A> into this world'.
>
, |+ u: L; m- A/ q7 |) h8 T7 c> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
: A7 d- z" x1 S  P5 X/ N) R6 X> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
- o& F8 K& H% e> 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
> 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.
4 k- H$ K( {* Q+ N, j, j* z( ^8 {>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
6 ?. G/ v, G* r# ~> 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
6 Q8 \7 H. Y9 k6 A$ M( c$ m+ m9 v> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
7 e7 |) U: D7 g& S> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
  C6 J; W2 W. X' u> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
5 I# y/ j0 P. I% \1 l! C0 L- m$ X' N+ E/ U% S> bit colder in the process?
, v/ V$ }7 h" y, u- H# _>
+ S: n4 [+ P: w4 P; w- E5 ?7 F> A wise man once said every society is judged by
" |; Z6 {2 I7 f1 ~' p> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
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> You now have two choices:
3 g) \$ a) O' ?+ `6 N> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.