Optimism And One Of Dad's Jokes

     If you just want to read my late father's joke and skip my monologue, then scroll down to the bottom of the page.
     I've learned this past week that if one doesn't stress over the challenges in life, then circumstances often turn out to be somewhat bright. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Of course, it helps to have divine intervention in one's life, for those who are people of faith. In my situation this past week, I've felt there was a shield around me, protecting me from my enemies and those who would attempt to bear false witness about me.
     (If you are unaware of my personal situation this past week, then I would refer you to read my blog entry from six days ago, "Much Ado About Nothing," for background information.)
BLESSING NUMBER ONE: I was prepared for an onslaught of negative phone calls and e-mails this past week. I didn't receive a single one. Instead, I DID receive a phone call from a former campaign donor who had read about my incident in the newspaper and he wanted to donate money, if I run again for Douglas County Commissioner this spring!
BLESSING NUMBER TWO: I discovered that a radio station had incorrectly reported that I had been arrested. But the person who heard the report didn't believe it, and told me the allegation was so out of character for me, that she burst out laughing when she heard the report.
BLESSING NUMBER THREE: I bumped into another person who knows me and didn't speak a word about the incident until he said, "You should have run them over, Monte. Man, what a joke."
     While I may not agree or approve of that last remark, it reflects the sentiment of everyone I'm bumping into around Douglas County. Without even talking to me first, people are deciding that I'm being railroaded on false charges. I, obviously, agree with that assessment.
     It's times like these that I wish my father were around. A solid rock who always saw the practical side of life, my father often used humor to make light of a situation. My father told the joke below more times than I can remember. I've attempted to tell it word-for-word, to the best of my ability....in memory of Milo Edward Muirhead;
    
A TALE OF TWO BOYS
     There were two boys with opposite personalities, one always optimistic, the other was pessimistic. The optimistic boy was always laughing, playing, and enjoying life, seeing the good side of every circumstance. The pessimistic boy was always sad, depressed, and crying, seeing the bad side of every circumstance.
     A psychologist, or some official of the sort, decided to break the mono personalities of the two boys. So the psychologist conducted an experiment by placing the boys in separate rooms.
     He put the pessimistic boy in an empty room with nothing but a bright, new fire engine toy on the floor...a toy that would be the envy of any child.
     He put the optimistic boy in a room filled with horse manure.
     After leaving the two boys alone in the rooms for several hours, the psychologist decided to check on the results. He opened the door with the pessimistic boy, and discovered the child was standing by the untouched fire engine, crying.
      "Why are you crying when you have a brand new toy to play with?," he asked.
      "I'm afraid might break it," sobbed the boy.
     The psychologist then went to check on the optimistic boy, whom he discovered to be running around the room, playing, throwing manure into the air.
     "Why are you so happy when you're in such a filthy room?," he asked.
     The boy replied, "With all of this manure, there's bound to be a pony in here somewhere."