Choices That We Make!

[OLD PIRATE]

Old Pirate says we all have choices,

What would you do? .... you make the choice. 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, 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 my son, 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:

My son Jay and I had walked past a park where some boys Jay knew were playing baseball. Jay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Jay 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 Jay 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.'

Jay 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, Jay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the top of the ninth inning, Jay 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, Jay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Jay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Jay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Jay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Jay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Jay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Jay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Jay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Jay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Jay.

As the pitch came in, Jay 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.

Jay 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, 'Jay, run to first!

Run to first!'

Never in his life had Jay 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, Jay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Jay 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.

Jay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Jay, Jay, Jay, all the Way JayJ

Jay 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!

Jay, run to third!'

As Jay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Jay, run home! Run home!'

Jay 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'.

Jay 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 messages 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 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 Old Pirate 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.

 

May your day, be a safe and injury free experience for all.

[BluBellz]

Well now dang it .. you made me weepy .. just be glad I'm not all puffed and fluffed, puttied and spackled yet .. I'd have to hurt you ... it takes some doing to look this cheap .. lol .. all joking aside .. very moving .. you have to love a man that loves his child like that .. ty for sharing

[sportman]

Wow what a story!!! I guess those young kid's that did that were more grown up than some of us adults who get on here and think that if out team doesn't win it's the end of the world. OP you ole softy!!!!

[mtnvol1]

I have seen that before, and it still brings a smile and a tear.

[Grunt]

Great post, OP. Always knew you had some talent, but danged if I could figure out what. LOL

Finally surfaced. Thanks!.

 

Congrats on the game, BTW.

[newguy]

WOW

 

Very moving.....hard to type and wipe my eyes at the same time

 

Great post

[TennesseeAtHeart]

Thanks Old Pirate, Being a Mom, and having a child mentally challenged, I could relate to this experience. He is grown now, graduated High School at 20, and is still surprising us with his perserverance and courage. This has encouraged us all to be more like adults on our threads and respectful of each other. We never know who we are talking to. What a beautiful story! I'm sure slinger is proud of you today

[McKRebelDad]

Wow what a story!!! I guess those young kid's that did that were more grown up than some of us adults who get on here and think that if out team doesn't win it's the end of the world. OP you ole softy!!!!

So true, so true sportman.................Awesome story OP.

[jbhsdad53]

op that was as good of a post as i have seen and so true we as man kind should really stop and reflect somtimes before we speak what have we let our world come to

[chs4life]

From a disabled adult you made my day with this story.

[pujo]

OLDPIRATE ,You could have kept that you to yourself. I couldn't read for crying. Makes a person really understand how fortunate they really are.We just don't count our bkessings nearly as much as we should.We had a simular situation one time in youth club football, we allowed a handicapped kid run a long touchdown, our kids would have killed someone if they had tried to tackle him. Thanks for shareing

[91LANDERS]

If I'm not mistaken, that kid was blind. He just ran straight ahead until a coach caught him in the endzone. Our defense just stood aside and applauded. I was so proud of everyone involved in making such a proud moment in that kids life. He was tickled to death. The recollection has me choked up right now. As a father of 4 children, I feel so blessed! I hope my sons, who were there that day, can oneday understand the true meaning of what took place.