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Interesting-however sad

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Interesting-however sad

Postby DANGAMAN » Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:11 am

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 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, who was
> > > > 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 I had walked past a park where some boys
> > > > Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do
> > > > you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most
> > > > of the boys would not want someone like Shay on
> > > > their team, but as a father I also
> > > > understood that if my 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.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I 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. I watched with
> > > > a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.
> > > > The boys saw my joy at my 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 I 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.
> > > >
> > > > B y 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 me so
> > > > happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother
> > > > tearfully embrace her little hero of the
> > > > day!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE
> > > > 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.
> > > >
> > > >
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Postby FragnaticDeath » Wed Jan 13, 2010 2:07 pm

Had this read months ago it's truely touching what the boys on both teams did. God bless them
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Postby Raymanoff » Wed Jan 13, 2010 4:13 pm

fake but touching...
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Postby beverley10 » Wed Jan 13, 2010 5:58 pm

Oh if only the world could be like this.
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Postby beverley10 » Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:00 pm

Oh if only the world could be like this.
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Postby fig head » Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:16 pm

awww
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Postby lioness 2 » Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:20 pm

Bloody hell that made me cry. :cry:
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