To Wish

“The wish to acquire more is admittedly a very natural and common thing; and when men succeed in this they are always praised rather than condemned. But when they lack the ability to do so and yet want to acquire more at all costs, they deserve condemnation for their mistakes.”–Niccolo Machiavelli

We are creatures who do a lot of wishing. We wish for nice things; we wish for good health; we wish for peace on Earth; some of us wish to stop wishing; and some of us wish to live the best we can. We find ourselves wishing almost as an automatic mode of thinking. We wish to return to the good ol’ days and we wish for a lovely future. We wish we could experience more in the present moment.

Sundays are a day of contemplation and reminiscing, yesterday was no exception. I remembered friends and loved ones who have died and wished they were still alive. It would be great to have more adventures and tender moments with them. I wished we could have one more family reunion potluck picnic in a city park.

I wished I still had my old VW Quantum station wagon so my ex-boyfriend and I could take another camping expedition. We used to sleep in the cargo area as protection from bears and pesky insects. Road trips in that car felt safe partly because it was large and partly because it was all-wheel-drive.

Such wishes are in vain because they stem from regrets. Of course, there are a few things I’d do differently and say more mindfully. It is impossible to travel back in time and redo those actions. I do what I can to learn from the past mistakes and successes and continue to thrive in this world–even when it doesn’t feel like it.

“Do you wish people to think well of you? Don’t speak well of yourself.”–Blaise Pascal

A former manager at the radio station told us to never be shy about “tooting your own horn”. This always felt a bit “off”. His recommendation was understandable given that our business is the business of promotion. After all, we had to keep the transmitters fired up and the studio lights shining. That said, I have few regrets about my former career. Spinning records brought some measure of joy to the audience and myself. I sometimes wish I could return to the old studio one more time just to spin some vinyl. I wouldn’t toot my own horn though.

“The last thing you want to do is finish playing or doing anything and wish you would have worked harder.”–former player for the New York Yankees baseball team, Derek Jeter

Meanwhile, my present wishes are for the peaceful existance of people and our harmonious interaction with animals, plants, and the planetary environment. I wish to encourage this way of being in being enlightened, intelligent, thoughtful world citizens. I know this is a lot to ask, but it would be great if we could be nudged in the direction of being a more compassionate species.

Ciao

The Blue Jay of Happiness quotes Ancient Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. “Be content with what you are, and wish not change; nor dread your last day; nor long for it.”