I'm a sensitive guy.

A true story and a true lesson of the wisdom we may gain from the choices we make in life:

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, 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 if Shay could play, not expecting much. 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 put on a team shirt with a broad
smile and his Father had 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 the other team 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 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 game would now be over, but 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
head of the first baseman, 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 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 second
base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base,
the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on
their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his
team for the first time. He could have thrown the ball
to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood
the pitcher's intentions and 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, the opposing shortstop
ran to help him and turned 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 those watching were on their feet 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.

Shay didn't make it to another summer and 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!

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it
treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

Footnote:

This left an impression on me.