Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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$ Z* A2 j" v+ }0 t  T2 W> What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line,
+ e* C9 |$ C+ k8 N. U- Z1 m> there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the
8 Z2 M6 K9 H. N: D; B> same choice?
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2 w& a% y/ I$ t# h* _; k  N) ^/ t5 i. F> 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
: s. A; C( H6 v. O> forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated
8 T& d4 P+ H4 Y; I> staff, he offered a question:
>
> 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is
7 a* B" ~) K* f2 @6 B> 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?'
>
; f" F# _% |' c/ h/ Y> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
6 I2 L7 P# w' Y; m7 t5 l: @& g> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
; I5 p0 s( M; j/ R" [; L> treat that child.'
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% y: z, P- g; R; A; ^% [2 e> Then he told the following story:
>
* U2 |5 N# M; ~6 U- X; s> 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
/ k% h$ h) c5 Z. G> father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their
+ Z- B4 @' y6 }' C9 N0 |> 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
1 @, r- I' c9 ?; p" G; f# A. H! H> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
) L) ~/ _: T$ z3 a8 S: T> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
6 {$ G. x" s% h& s5 n> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
> 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
! o% u4 l. H$ S/ P# F( l> inning.'
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> Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a
" K; }* H  v; b8 K$ V$ ]6 J/ Z; U> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
# \: p. b& _. e2 x0 z> 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 {" b' _* s  X- u( L9 x( U> played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was
* ]& D& x. N* ~5 z( A2 Y/ V3 W> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
+ n4 k: e: e  E- |  a> ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the
+ v# O. Y- h  j0 f, I& E> ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases
: M# H+ t) _9 A* W+ ^> loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be
, ^  [! n/ V0 f/ Q+ f3 H- h* n2 s2 H4 M> next at bat.
>
> 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
7 I5 K. V+ t$ _; P# y! Q, L> 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
8 q6 y* _# I; W> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
7 X5 H* z) B1 Z  |> 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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* m! J$ N+ Z8 q2 K. D9 [> 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.
>
> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
2 h3 K8 J8 D. e; 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
> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
> wide-eyed and startled.
>
7 t3 ^$ O) [# W* @) x> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
" q: J/ {  m2 r> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
% l7 m+ g# B3 v; `, l) w> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
$ a: C% f2 k6 x& P0 P> 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.
>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
>
! h2 T( U( k1 Y( [6 f* J> 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!
, \$ X+ K5 c$ {$ O( K3 t0 t> Shay, run to third!'
>
> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
! V" M. |& U; T> 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
/ i! q$ |6 U( u7 ]( \> game for his team.
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6 L; ]9 W/ d. O- g0 }& L! G, _$ P> '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
' p: `( m, p6 `& U& {> into this world'.
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- t' Y3 ?5 h1 c- h* g# V> 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!
>
> AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes
7 w0 d- N/ |* b. x1 I# X> through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
- B" d8 t2 M/ ~* O+ e; v> messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often
% _4 @3 S  h5 g* b: @$ _8 z+ a> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
, i- I% a' a" @# l" r. e2 p>
> 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
8 c+ J  ?4 G1 T7 \> 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
> 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
> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
2 V0 a* U* C$ R+ A2 i> bit colder in the process?
>
* w( U) p  x4 I& V> 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:
> 1. Delete
" y" e7 G+ o2 H' R0 X# q> 2. Forward
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. f1 d1 |6 f) d6 i) H) r& k: e; X> May your day, be a Shay Day.