nobbynobbs
1st June 2007, 09:22 PM
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
> toplay,
> >>>>> 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 andwarmth
> 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!
> >
> > 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
> 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 in your address book who
>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 those opportunities 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.
>
>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
> toplay,
> >>>>> 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 andwarmth
> 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!
> >
> > 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
> 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 in your address book who
>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 those opportunities 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.