A man pulled into a gas station on the outskirts of town. As he filled his tank, he remarked to the attendant, “I’ve just accepted a job in town. I’ve never been in this part of the country. What are the people like?”
“What are the people like where you came from?” the attendant asked.
“Not so nice…in fact, they can be quite rude,” the man replied.
The attendant shook his head. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll find the people in this town the same way.”
Just then another car pulled into the station. “Excuse me,” the driver called out. “I’m just moving to this area. Is it nice here?”
“Was it nice where you came from?” the attendant inquired.
“Oh, yes! I came from a great place. The people were friendly, and I hated to leave.”
“Well, you’ll find the same to be true of this town.”
“Thanks!” yelled the driver as he pulled away.
“So what is this town really like?” asked the first man, now irritated with the attendant’s conflicting reports.
The attendant just shrugged his shoulders. “It’s all a matter of perception. You’ll find things to be just the way you think they are.”