Two Choices

[dave nz]

>
>Subject: 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 to all of you is: Would you have
>made
>the 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
>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?"
>
>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 true
>human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat
>that child."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
>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.
>
>Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay
>could play, not expecting much. 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 inning."
>
>Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a broad
>smile and his Father had 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 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 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.
>
>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 'cause 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 the
>other
>team 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 be able to 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
>right back to the pitcher.
>
>The game would now be over, but 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 head of the first
>baseman, 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 ran that far but 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 second base. By the time Shay rounded towards
>second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their
>team,
>who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time. He could
>have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood
>the pitcher's intentions and 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"
>
>Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned
>him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run
>to
>third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those watching
>were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, 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.
>
>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.
>
>Shay didn't make it to another summer and 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
>through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending
>messages about life choices, people think twice about sharing. The crude,
>vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public
>discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and
>workplaces.
>
>If you're thinking about forwarding this message,chances are that you're
>probably sorting out the people on your address list that 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
>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 that opportunity to brighten the day of those
>with
>us the least able, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
>
>A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least
>fortunate amongst them.
>
>You now have two choices:
>1. Delete
>2. Forward
>May your day, be a Shay Day,sunny today tomorrow & always!
>
>