What would you do?
ou 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 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 hi! m a much-needed sense of
belonging. Shay's father approached one of the boys
on the field and asked if Shay could play.
The boy looked around for guidance and,
getting none, he took matters into his own hands 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."
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 outfield.
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, 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 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 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 took the ball and turned
and threw the ball on a high arc to right field, far
beyond the reach of the first baseman.
Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first!
Run to first!"
Never in his life had Shay ever made it to
first base. He scampered down the baseline,
wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to
second!"
By the time Shay rounded first base, the right
fielder had the ball.
He could have thrown the ball to the
second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the
pitcher's intentions and intentionally threw the
ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward second base as the runners
ahead of him deliriously circled the bases toward
home.
Shay reached second base, the opposing
shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of
third base, and shouted, "Run to third!"
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both
teams 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."
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