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 children with learning disabilities, 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
understan d 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, who is
mentally and physically disabled 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.
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