Perspective is Everything...

A man lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing so he had no radio.  He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers.  But he sold good hot dogs.

He put a sign on the highway telling how good they were.
He stood by the side of the road and cried 'Buy a hot dog, Mister.'
And people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders.
He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.
He got his son home from college to help him.

But then something happened....

His son said, 'Father, haven't you heard the news?
There's a big recession on.  Times are tough. The unemployment situation is terrible.'

Whereupon his father thought, 'Well, my son has been to college.  He reads the paper and he listens to the radio and he ought to know.'

So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders.
Took down his advertising signs.
And no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell hot dogs.
And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.

'Your right, son,' the father said to the boy.
'We are certainly in the middle of a great recession.'

Written by Jimmy Pattison.  1987