Story: Two Choices

A little friend of mine forwarded this story. Instead of forwarding I chose to post it here.
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> 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 fund raising 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
> 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.
>
> 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!

PlayPumps

Extract drinking water from underground while kids are playing. Superb idea.

http://www.playpumps.org/