One Wish

Remember when you were little and some kid in your class would ask everyone, "If you could have ONE wish, what would it be?" And all those kids who think they're so smart would say, "I would wish for more wishes," and one kid always says, "I would wish to fly," and some other kid wishes for some toy or whatever.

Well, when I was little, I thought long and hard about this question. If I could have one wish, what would it be? It wouldn't be to ask for more wishes, because once you stop asking for more wishes you're still left with the exact same thing--one wish. It wouldn't be to ask to fly--although I really would love that--because if I could fly there would be all sorts of problems with adults not letting me fly and me needing some sort of special license or people wanting to put me in a circus or something like that. And why bother to wish for any material thing that you could just as soon get without wasting a wish on it?

No, my wish had to be better than that. I only got one, remember.

After much deliberation, I decided (I distinctly remember thinking this in third grade, so I was 8 years old) if I could have one wish, it would be, "I wish I knew how to do everything."

That way, all my problems were solved. I would be able to fly because I would know how to fly. If I didn't have something I wanted, I would know how to get it. I would be able to speak to anyone because I would know how to learn and speak every language. I would be able to always be happy because I would know how to do that.

What an easy solution. If I only knew how to do everything, I would know how to do everything.

Twenty years later (or so), that is still my answer to that question.