There is a story of identical twins. One was a hope- filled optimist. "Everything
is coming up roses!" he would say. The other twin was a sad and hopeless pessimist.
He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy's Law, was an optimist. The worried parents
of the boys brought them to the local psychologist. He suggested to the parents a
plan to balance the twins' personalities. "On their next birthday, put them in separate
rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give
the optimist a box of manure." The parents followed these instructions and carefully
observed the results. When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly
complaining, "I don't like the color of this computer . . I'll bet this calculator
will break . . . I don't like the game . . . I know someone who's got a bigger toy
car than this . . ."
Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist
gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. "You can't fool me!
Where there's this much manure, there's gotta be a pony!"
(Answer: Germany, Andorra, Ethiopia, Greece, Madagascar, Norway, Romania. Yemen)
The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say
a word, then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.
Things We Learn From Dogs
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
Delight in the simple joys of a long walk.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
