This couple had identical twin sons -- identical that is, except for their personalities. They were very concerned about how different these two were... one was unrealistically optomisitic and other was so negative: a total pessimist.
They took the boys to be assessed at a leading research university. The psychiatrists put the pessimist in a room full of the most incredible selection of toys imaginable. The boy carefully made his way through the maze of toys (careful to touch nothing) and settled in the corner and sat not moving with his head down for the entire hour that he was in the room.
When he was removed from the room he was asked, "Why didn't you play with any of the toys?" The pessimist replied, "I just knew that if I touched one toy it would break, and my parents would have to pay for it, then they wouldn't have the money to pay the mortgage and we would end up homeless, etc." He burst into tears at just the thought of this potential disaster.
Next, the researchers placed the optomist in a room filled with horse manure. The optomist stood there for a moment, took a deep breath and then his whole face lit up. He dove right into the massive pile of sh*t and started tossing it in the air, running around the room, digging though it, etc. This went on for the whole hour!
When he was taken out of the room, he was asked, "What were you thinking? You were playing in a pile of sh*t. You are covered with it. You've ruined your clothes." The optomist replied, "Can I go back there? Please! I just know with all that manure... there has got to be a pony in there somewhere!"
Lily,
I hope that you feel well enough soon to start digging through all the sh*t in order to find that pony!
Mel
