The first thing that you had to say about Wally was that he was an optimist.
So much so, that his continual quotes about optimism would eventually wear down anyone unfortunate enough to have to spend any length of time in his company. He would talk about how, as an optimist, he feels that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and he would tell you that he had developed the habit of looking on the bright side of every conceivable event. In short he was a person who believed that everything was perfect, even the stuff that isn’t.
Anyway, Wally was strolling to the office one morning with a colleague, rabbiting on about how one should always have a positive attitude towards one’s life, about how an optimistic attitude enables one to ensure that one’s life is lived in a way that draws the best results; and how one can do anything one thinks they can.
The traffic was busy and the noise allowed the other to miss a lot of what Wally was saying. He was grateful for that.
Wally went on saying that a true optimist always believes that the best is yet to come; that with optimism one can solve every conceivable problem. He was saying that positive thinking is the key to success in all aspects of life.
Listening to Wally became even more difficult as they started to negotiate workmen repaving sections of the footpath. Wally was unperturbed.
He was explaining that he, as an optimist, makes the best of his opportunities. With this attitude he is able to meet daily challenges with complete confidence. He was saying that taking the optimistic point of view gives one the confidence to know that any truly awful event can always be postponed indefinitely, because an optimist’s glass is always half-full.
The foot traffic was building up and his colleague could only just hear Wally behind him saying that a person who was genuinely and constantly optimistic would see an unexpected opening and go for it without hesitation.
They were getting close to the spot where they usually crossed the road. His colleague turned to check that Wally was still close behind. He peered back down the crowded street, but couldn’t see him. He scanned the other side of the street in case he had crossed early. No, not there.
He could see a commotion back along the path and turned back to check it out. Several workmen stood around looking down at something. As he drew closer he saw that one of them was shouting down an uncovered manhole.
Wally, the eternal optimist, had found his unexpected opening, and true to form and without hesitation, had gone for it!
