Wish

August 15, 2016

Greetings from beneath the arc,

“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”  Eleanor Roosevelt

One of the beautiful things about summer is being outside under the night sky filled with stars.  I was standing under the sparkling dome this week, trying to see the only collection I can name, the Big Dipper, when I saw a falling star.  And without thinking I made a wish.  Which really is the only way I can.

I found out later that this was probably part of the Perseid meteor shower, the tail of a disintegrating comet that swings into earth’s path every so often.  For some reason understanding the science makes it even harder to make a wish.

You know the rules; I can’t tell you what I wished for or it won’t come true.  But I can say, and this will surprise no one, that it was a silly one.  Which in retrospect was perfect. 

There is something foolish and naïve and childish in making a wish.  As if by some magic, or luck, or the fates smiling upon us, we might be granted what we want.  It’s different than hoping, or praying or dreaming.  Right?  Implied in ‘wishing’ is that something out in the universe is granting these random requests for ponies or chocolate or love or lotto numbers, and that if we hold our breath just right, it could be us that wins.

We are given a few magic portals to wish through.  The falling star, the birthday candle, an eyelash, a dandelion puff.  Throw a penny down a well, if you can find one.  Of course the wishbone split, which is a competition for wishes, where the one with the purest heart wins, or something.

A man of my age and experience should know better than to wish for something.  Like Mrs. Roosevelt, I have come to believe most of what changes in our lives comes from actions we take.  Don’t hope more than you hustle.

Most of what gets added to our lives we get by deciding we want it, and then figuring out how to get it.  And then applying whatever gifts we have, and our determination and hard work, to achieve it. 

You can wish for good grades but it is unlikely that alone will do the trick.  You can wish for more money, a closer relationship, a better job, a vacation in Italy, and it is possible it will come your way, but if you asked me I would advise to sandwich your wishes between a plan and action.  So don’t ask me, if you want to bet our success on who wins the wishbone.  Don’t wish more than work.

And a man of my age and experience knows that life is not just one thing.  It is a mosaic of the tangible and the thought and the magic and the mundane and the hope and the hard knocks.

There is a very thin semantic veil between wishing and dreaming.  For many of us, before we ever take one step on an adventure, we spend time with a desire, an itch that leads to a vision of what might happen.  Dreaming.  A certain amount of time in preparing to act is spent ruminating in this way, supposing options into our live to see if it appeals to us.  And a path opens up.

Then it’s up to us to turn the wish into work. 

Some lives fill up with unchangeable circumstances and the wish, the dream, is how we tolerate it.  Some days reality is more than what we are equipped to contend with, and finding balance and peace can only be achieved in watching clouds go by and dreaming of another time, whether it is in the past or future.  There are times when a moment of happiness comes in the simplicity of looking at nature, including the stars above.  And maybe we wish.

Many wishes are silly, frivolous dander we scatter as we go charging through our lives on the way to more important, serious actions that will build tall buildings and wealth and bring desired outcomes and tangible results.  There might also be a wish that is the turning point from daydream to reality for our deepest desires.  I’m going out to blow an eyelash off my hand.

Hope this finds you wishing,

David

Copyright © 2016 David Smith