The Parable of the Optimist and the Pessimist Observing Spring

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, why does a sunny spring day fill me with melancholy?”

Josh spoke thus:

A pessimist and an optimist were strolling down a street in early spring.  The sun was shining, the flowering bushes and trees were budding, and the non-flowering bushes and trees were full of bright-green miniature foliage.

“It’s all going to die,” the pessimist said.

“It’s nature,” the optimist said, “The cycle will bring rebirth next spring.”

“That’s a whole year away,” the pessimist said.

“In the meantime, you’ve got this year to enjoy,” the optimist said.

“Spring is so short,” the pessimist said.

“Summer is long,” the optimist said.

“Winter is longer,” the pessimist said.

“Spring, summer and autumn combined are longer than winter,” the optimist said.

“There are more days when frost is a possibility in a year than there are days when frost isn’t a possibility.  There’s frost in spring and there’s frost in autumn,” the pessimist said.

“Frost stops the flowers from sprouting too early in the spring,” the optimist said, “And frost brings fall colors.”

“Frost doesn’t bring fall colors,” the pessimist said, “The change in the angle of the sun brings fall colors.” 

“But the fall colors are brightest when highlighted by frost,” the optimist said.

“If you like that sort of thing,” the pessimist said.

“I happen to know that you happen to like that sort of thing,” the optimist said.

“Fall fits my mood,” the pessimist said, “It reminds everybody that things die.”

“Why is it so important to know things die?” the optimist asked.

“Don’t try that trick on me,” the pessimist said, “Don’t say that knowing our time is limited makes us appreciate our time all the more. I’d just as soon appreciate my time forever.”

“But you know you won’t appreciate your time forever,” the optimist said, “And yet you still appreciate autumn.”

“It’s because I know I’m not dead,” the pessimist said, “Seeing all those things dying in the fall, I know I’m not dying.  I like that.”

“And spring tells you that when everything died in the fall, you didn’t die,” the optimist said.

“Exactly,” the pessimist said, “Every year, it’s born, every year it dies, then the following year, I’m there to see it live and die again.”

“So why are you complaining that it’s all going to die?” the optimist asked.

The pessimist replied, “Who’s complaining?”