Two Choices

sweetspot

Two Choices
>
> 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
* S$ X* n3 v, S) J# v1 f: `> same choice?
: f1 b( Y" V' T- F9 A' F$ E>
3 w+ Q4 y* |& e( Q) d> At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children,
6 ]! C; @8 r1 _> 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
2 P0 `7 c9 C: D' M* Y. ~> done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
7 K" ~  p1 D; a6 {6 g  c# b  B> children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the
> natural order of things in my son?'
>
> The audience was stilled by the query.
+ @+ Z" b- ^" X' u>
> The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, physically
' p$ d- @+ |- n, Y6 L- F' P  P& `> and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize
> true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
; p4 c. R0 @3 x4 K> treat that child.'
>
- B% O# \  i, ~1 `! d! u6 ^# ]> Then he told the following story:
>
> 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
' R: Y/ U6 P0 X% ?4 Z> 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
> accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
. v; D: E: G5 I>
( z( \9 D& W- Q> Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not
$ q, t3 N0 |) S8 y) O& C> expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and
+ b/ [/ c$ I2 c> 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
' [, ^0 U7 g( Y' U1 U0 t> team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in
4 E# s4 i6 O# y' W> 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
* O' z/ }. i- r$ [# \% O& v> behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and
4 N" A: `* C8 I) g( B8 F' `, ~> 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
% t7 O2 y' ^( P( `" S> 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
% B" Y# a# @1 _> next at bat.
>
> At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
- \$ m) H* c, S/ s+ v> 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
" U4 P" x* j( G5 C5 g> 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
0 m- ?6 ^! D. Z& t3 p  h( B> 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
& V! r% r$ N3 h$ P1 h> right back to the pitcher.
>
$ [  U% x7 m, W+ }3 D> The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and
# m3 Y% ^5 Q% P1 r& {> could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been
* O* I8 z- U3 s: Y> out and that would have been the end of the game.
+ Z2 L% D3 x; z, O7 ]>
> Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out
) o4 V5 u2 U5 K+ E, p. o> of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
* k. L8 D8 g4 H2 s2 N$ L> 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,
6 {7 K) P1 a8 x( m> wide-eyed and startled.
# `1 e3 u# g6 R" @, e>
9 q! b: ?$ E/ U  u> Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay
> awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the
& o! d. F# G1 M> base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had
" \; L, ~3 L* l" \0 A1 ?$ i( _> 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.
* a8 s' l2 i6 k* K3 W>
> All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
# Q3 J9 q7 O+ d! c. M1 e: G>
> Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by
/ e5 s; n- X% f5 e; i) O> turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
> Shay, run to third!'
2 \( c2 g% g; o' Q>
0 F- o, ]5 ?  Z> As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on
  O+ g4 h- y7 g7 O> 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
> game for his team.
& n$ C. C+ s: T' B- u>
> '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
! T+ i- @. @, T> into this world'.
>
> Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never
7 |5 f) |% _: {# y> forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and
  Y( \3 i. p' E> seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
0 Y4 _" B3 d% E$ f$ k>
> 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
# ^$ ^7 N$ ]0 b% B9 Q> obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency
, d& x) U  t' M3 X% R' m1 R' M! d> is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
$ T+ y: S3 @9 x4 ?5 |( z; h>
> If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're
* ?2 ^" Q" V/ t0 i; _6 |0 K> probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the
4 x2 V( B* |: v( P7 O% W. ~> 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who
$ M) x+ h: e! P- j! u> sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have
+ y& P# x' V5 N+ \* k3 a> thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural
> order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people
7 Q/ P- [6 U: H5 p; s3 C> present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and
& s: e/ J$ M& b2 ^/ g> humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little
9 d) u1 Z3 ^$ O8 [) b> bit colder in the process?
3 D* d. A& s5 L8 W) b. u3 A1 f>
* {% Y3 }+ P# E. I0 ]> A wise man once said every society is judged by
> how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.
6 B' J% v! F% Z4 Z( j! J7 q/ b' a2 w>
; S% q% w; k* z> You now have two choices:
- x  R( K* q2 V; _: J2 q/ c> 1. Delete
8 q- W2 Z1 k& t+ j7 \& ?' Y> 2. Forward
% o+ g+ f4 }+ i8 ~- j7 d/ M>
> May your day, be a Shay Day.