A gas station attendant is working at a full service gas station in a small town. A family pulls up in their car and asks for gas. He fills their tank. As they are paying for the gas, they say to him, "We have been thinking about moving. We like your town and are wondering what it would be like to live here. Can you tell us, what are the people like?"
He pauses, and then says, "Well, that's a great question. What are the people like where you come from?"
They respond. "Well, the people where we live are really friendly. They say hi to one another on the street. They look after you if you need something. We really like it there. We don't want to move here if the people are not going to be as friendly as where we are now, because we like them so much."
He thinks for a moment. Then he responds with 'Well, I think you will find that the people here are very much like that."
The family thanks him and drives away.
About half an hour later, another family drives up in their car, looking for gas. He fills their tank. As they are paying for their gas, they say to him, "We have been thinking about moving. We like your town and are wondering what it would be like to live here. Can you tell us, what are the people like?"
He pauses, and then he says, "Well, that's a great question. What are the people like where you come from?"They respond. "Well, where we come from, the people aren't very friendly. They are rude, and they wouldn't lift a finger if you needed help. We don't like them at all. We would like to move away."
He thinks for a moment. Then he responds with, 'Well, I think you will find that the people here are very much like that."
The family thanks him and drives away.
I really like this fable. It is an excellent reminder that point of view - and attitude - affects everything. Which is great news, because that is something we have total control over over. We get to choose it.
Photos courtesy of stock.xchng (grceva: rotten apple; Stefan Gustafsson: red apple)
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