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 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
(not
>> 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
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 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 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 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 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
>> 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 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.
>>
>> 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 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
intentions 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"
>>
>> 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!"
>>
>> 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 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. 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!
>>