The Parable of the Last Ten Seconds of the Year

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, as a new year begins, what is good to take from a bad year into the new?”

Josh spoke thus:

A factory foreman was watching the second hand on the factory wall.  The second hand was approaching twelve.

“Ten,” the factory foreman said, “Nine, eight...” The factory foreman counted down to zero.

“Happy new year!” the factory foreman shouted when the second hand reached twelve.  No one else shouted “Happy new year!”  There was no one in the factory to shout.  The factory was empty except for the foreman.

The factory foreman continued watching the second hand.  When the second hand approached twelve, the factory foreman again counted down.  

“Ten, nine, eight...” the factory foreman counted.

“Happy new year!” the factory foreman shouted again when the second hand reached twelve again.  Again, no one else shouted “Happy new year!”  There was still no one else in the factory to shout.  The factory was still empty except for the foreman.

The factory foreman continued watching the second hand.  When the second hand approached twelve, the factory foreman again counted down.

“Happy new year!” the factory foreman shouted again when the second hand reached twelve again.  No one else shouted “Happy new year!”

The factory foreman continued watching the second hand.  The factory foreman’s focus was so strong that the factory foreman did not hear the door to the factory opening and closing.

“Ten, nine, eight...” the factory foreman counted.

“What are you doing?” asked a factory worker the factory foreman had not heard entering the factory.

“I’m counting down the year,” the factory foreman said.

“The year’s done,” the factory worker said, “New Year’s Eve ended a long time ago.”

“I know,” the factory foreman said.

“That clock doesn’t work,” the factory worker said.

“I know,” the factory foreman said.

“Only the second hand moves,” the factory worker said.

“I know,” the factory foreman said, “Ten, nine, eight...”

“Hey, someone moved the minute hand and hour hand,” the factory worker said.

“Happy new year!” the factory foreman said.

“They say it’s one minute to twelve,” the factory worker said.

“They say it’s ten seconds to twelve,” the factory foreman said.

“Did you move them?” the factory worker asked.

“I did move them,” the factory foreman said.

“Why?” the factory worker asked.

“Because those were the last ten seconds we had a job,” the factory foreman said, “Those were the last ten seconds before the factory shut down and our jobs were outsourced.”

The factory worker looked up at the clock.

“Ten, nine, eight...” the factory foreman and the factory worker counted together.