Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
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  Y1 v1 c7 A/ v) P1 S> 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
, G6 h/ g2 n+ t  p2 L4 U( Q> same choice?
>
& a% k; X6 U. p> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
' k! n. e1 X& l> the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be
. [8 W! e0 E5 O4 |> 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
3 Q# V% s9 B0 c7 n% j0 E, Z> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
/ u. [- c: b# a6 P+ o4 f; {$ ^9 x9 K> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
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> The audience was stilled by the query.
>
8 @* |; ^" }8 \& m% m1 w2 R> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
, z7 ^6 G5 D  p( S> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
> treat that child.'
>
- ]+ h' |- c# B8 z# d! R9 j> Then he told the following story:
>
' N) }4 p9 a6 |, _$ Q> 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
/ D7 |9 j6 Q& j  Y/ }  y1 w> 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,
) m" R- Z( u3 m; g, k> it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be
" I  Z  w( P- Y) g& B) e3 A, `( S> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
>
> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
' F' P- X: p) R- i9 n1 L> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
6 H( T2 m: y8 B. I! m0 \- Z& [> 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.'
>
> 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
" L# ?- M7 O" w- u7 o7 f. _> bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still
/ T# Y5 f4 J6 e; m> 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
/ B9 Q& W6 @3 I9 x+ c# L/ c> obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from
% ~! y: s( a& [( Y> 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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3 R5 n6 u9 z7 Y- b1 c4 J> 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 I  a7 L" s% V$ N# S& t> other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved
3 @2 m, S/ m; D  m5 N8 `> 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
3 e7 i+ w( `- _0 ]* W& p0 B> pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
/ Q- C3 J# s6 v: i6 q  A+ K& W3 i. U> As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
1 |9 N+ e' z4 R2 _! T: u, e: X> right back to the pitcher.
>
> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
" u: E8 P" M. J5 e4 f> 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
> 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
9 a! M" o# g* c7 b# C: K% ^> run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline,
) B3 G/ U9 D# F3 ~+ e; L) y9 n> wide-eyed and startled.
>
> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
' y% g1 [! ~; ~3 L> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
/ O! K. c/ X% P0 k: J$ m; C> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
  _5 j5 W+ o9 a/ Z  |: c' m> the ball ... The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to
5 |1 q% d. r- J: i8 H. i8 _> 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,
4 X1 T4 x3 a) x# o: W% @> 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.
>
. i8 ~. i( j; r9 `> 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!'
>
0 y' E1 d, F* T6 O' ?& {3 m> 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
! M; C- R' Q. T. X" m> on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the
> game for his team.
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> '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
# I- \/ M8 R  T- d1 g> into this world'.
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> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
2 z4 O3 s& ]3 d# }' d$ o4 k> 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
9 m$ V6 I( C+ K% l3 t# \5 `3 G> 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
: l! V8 R3 I; z  O2 U> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
  T7 r. P# m1 w# ^7 V> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
1 T' ^$ s1 |# _/ a1 H> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
) C4 K- `+ S* K- N# x3 o. v> '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
: Q& ^0 v- |+ l: s% D. {> 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
$ Z/ b4 B; N- i, V0 q6 L' {> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
5 r$ ~1 o$ x# ?  e9 G* j> bit colder in the process?
>
> A wise man once said every society is judged by
5 F; L1 n: x! y9 b5 K# y; j. G. a> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
, X( ?/ D8 a: z- S% x' V>
> You now have two choices:
; B) Y3 S1 ?/ _% L& {6 B! N6 G) g> 1. Delete
> 2. Forward
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/ T. e$ \7 `  s! h> May your day, be a Shay Day.