Incredibly moving - DPChallenge Forums

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

09/27/2005 06:49:45 AM · #1

I receive a lot of forwarded stories in my email. Political essays, jokes, rants, nostalgia lists and so on. Sometimes I read them, occasionally I enjoy them, always I delete them.

I very seldom forward them on.

This one was sent to me by a friend yesterday. At the top she added that it had made her cry and, before reading it myself, I scoffed and said to myself, "purleeeze, enough with the exaggerated emotion". But at the end of the story, I found myself all teary-eyed too.

I hope you'll understand why I had to share this with you too.

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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 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 him a much-needed sense of belonging.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on t! he field an 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 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.

Should they, 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 'cause 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 2nd base-man 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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AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE 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 think twice about sharing.

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 on your address list that aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realise 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 that opportunity, and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

You now have two choices:

1. Ignore?
2. Forward?

Message edited by author 2005-09-27 06:50:14.

strangeghost

Canon EOS-7D

09/27/2005 07:54:27 AM · #2

Originally posted by Kavey:

You now have two choices:

1. Ignore?
2. Forward?

IGNORE.

Nice story, but I still choose to ignore. I choose not to fill other people's mailboxes with unsolicited stuff, even if the stories have a genuine human interest component.

smilebig4me1x

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6

09/27/2005 08:10:28 AM · #3

I say "help bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world."
FORWARD it to everyone on your list....the world needs to be reminded that compassion is still a good thing every now and then. :o) ~~Cher~~

deapee

Kodak V803

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

09/27/2005 08:18:06 AM · #4

Well, I think it's a good story. It would be nice if something like that really happened...but anyway, I liked it. Thanks for sharing. If someone doesn't like it, they don't have to read it heh.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM

09/27/2005 08:18:23 AM · #5

The story quoted above is Perfection at the Plate, a work of Rabbi Paysach Krohn which appeared in his 1999 book, Echoes of the Maggid. Echoes is a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" type work, described by its publishers as "heartwarming stories and parables of wisdom and inspiration." It is the fifth such tome in the Maggid series. Rabbi Krohn says that the story is true and that he was told it by Shaya's father, who is a friend of his.

~Snopes says it's a true story. So that's cool. :)

lwkimages

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS

09/27/2005 09:18:53 AM · #6

Originally posted by Kavey:

You now have two choices:

1. Ignore?
2. Forward?

Kavey, we really have three choices, the third being to read and digest the story, letting it touch your emotions and psyche, ...but then not to pass it along as unsolicited (e)mail. It annoys me to no end when I receive email purporting to sell me or teach me something - when I haven't asked for it. There are forums (virtual and otherwise) where I can go whenever and for whatever I wish to learn and discuss (like here!).

...I just hate when people feel it would "do me good" to read some long message that may have touched them.

Your intent and your approach here are right on. I just think there's a third way.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/27/2005 09:45:44 AM · #7

Yeah I must admit, I decided to share it in a couple of forums where I've met some great people rather than send via email but many of my friends don't belong to such communities so email is a valid way for them to share it.

I don't mind too much if individuals OCCASIONALLY send me something because they have actually thought about it and think it might genuinely be of interest to me.

I hate it when friends automatically forward every last one of the thousands of things they get sent indiscriminately and without thought.

I read this a few times and found that it really did touch me. I'm totally cool that some won't find it touching or moving - different strokes for different folks. Just ignore it and move on, no problem!

I appreciate the info on it's origin, thanks for that.

Apple iPhone 5

09/27/2005 10:04:55 AM · #8

Originally posted by Kavey:

I don't mind too much if individuals OCCASIONALLY send me something because they have actually thought about it and think it might genuinely be of interest to me.

What, you mean you don't appreciate the "It's Friday!" work emails with the dancing figures?.... *Every* Friday.

riot

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Helios 40-1 85mm f/1.5

09/27/2005 10:20:46 AM · #9

Why don't people realise the internet has a lot of this stuff around... if someone wants to read this kind of story, they can find it themselves easily enough. Great, it's quite touching, but this isn't really the place for it imo.

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 for Canon

09/27/2005 10:31:05 AM · #10

Originally posted by riot:

That applies to the majority of the stuff shared in the DPC forums.

There are plenty of places to discuss and read political debates, plenty of places to talk about one's kids, one's jobs, one's lives. Plenty of places where people can share jokes and anecdotes.

And yet we continue to share all those things here at DPC because this is a unique community with it's own sets of friendships, just like any other. Many of us enjoy sharing more than just photography and that's one of the very things that makes DPC a vibrant and warm place to hang out.

I shared this here because there may be people here, friends and strangers alike, who a) haven't come across it elsewhere and b) might find it uplifting. Nothing sinister about it!

If DPC forums were streamlined to only serious photography talk and nothing else that would be, IMHO, a sad day indeed.

mfairbanks

Sony DSC-F828

09/27/2005 10:45:49 AM · #11

Originally posted by Kavey:

And yet we continue to share all those things here at DPC because this is a unique community with it's own sets of friendships, just like any other. Many of us enjoy sharing more than just photography and that's one of the very things that makes DPC a vibrant and warm place to hang out.

I shared this here because there may be people here, friends and strangers alike, who a) haven't come across it elsewhere and b) might find it uplifting. Nothing sinister about it!

If DPC forums were streamlined to only serious photography talk and nothing else that would be, IMHO, a sad day indeed.

Bravo, very well put Kavey!

Mike
//www.mikefairbanks.com

riot

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Helios 40-1 85mm f/1.5

09/27/2005 10:46:03 AM · #12

Originally posted by Kavey:

Originally posted by riot:
Why don't people realise the internet has a lot of this stuff around... if someone wants to read this kind of story, they can find it themselves easily enough. Great, it's quite touching, but this isn't really the place for it imo.

That applies to the majority of the stuff shared in the DPC forums.

There are plenty of places to discuss and read political debates, plenty of places to talk about one's kids, one's jobs, one's lives. Plenty of places where people can share jokes and anecdotes.

And yet we continue to share all those things here at DPC because this is a unique community with it's own sets of friendships, just like any other. Many of us enjoy sharing more than just photography and that's one of the very things that makes DPC a vibrant and warm place to hang out.

I shared this here because there may be people here, friends and strangers alike, who a) haven't come across it elsewhere and b) might find it uplifting. Nothing sinister about it!

If DPC forums were streamlined to only serious photography talk and nothing else that would be, IMHO, a sad day indeed.

Don't get me wrong, i wasn't saying that just because it isn't about photography. I agree with what you're saying - however, the message you posted was just a copy and paste from a please-forward-me email, which imo makes it of little relevance to anybody here, even those connections you're talking about. Just my opinion on the matter, not trying to oppress anybody :)

RKT

Canon EOS-60D

09/27/2005 11:02:25 AM · #13

Thanks for sharing Kavey...I have never heard this little story, so glad you posted it...sometimes we need little stories like this to remind us of what is truly important, what is good and right.

Forum threads are just like e-mails...we can choose to ignore them or to read them...I'm so glad I chose to read this one.

: }

Message edited by author 2005-09-27 11:02:51.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM

09/27/2005 11:04:16 AM · #14

Originally posted by riot:

Actually, it wasn't just a copy and paste. The bit at the top I wrote myself. I also took it into word and cleaned all the >> and extra paragraph characters out of it. There was some effort and thought put into sharing it.

Pretty much every joke I have ever seen posted here is a cut and paste. We post silly links that we find here all the time (I remember posting Llama Llama duck cheesecake and Weebl and Bob ones here myself) and people are more than happy to read those.

It's true that people seem to have less time for uplifting stuff and find all kinds of excuses such as the material not being original (little that is shared on the net is) or not being relevant or whatever.

I appreciate your opinion, I just think it's kind of sad to suggest that there's a place for all the rest of that copied stuff - the jokes, the links, the silliness - but not for the occasional uplifting tale.

Message edited by author 2005-09-27 11:05:00.

Niten

Canon EOS-20D

09/27/2005 09:33:02 PM · #15

That story is far from an example of anything natural. Someone would have had to teach those kids.

For all the stories like this you find I can tell you 10 that I have personally experienced that show the true "nature" of people.