The first time I was willing to let it go. Dan and I had roasted a chicken and when I found the wishbone I made sure we put it up on a shelf so that it could dry out, and several months later, we each made a wish and pulled on it. He won, fair and square. After grumbling a little about my loss, I asked him what he wished for, fully expecting him to taunt me by keeping it a big secret. To my surprise (and dismay upon hearing the answer), he told me, “I wished to die in space.” Die in space? What? Huh? Seriously? What does that even mean? According to Dan, it means that while some hope to die at home, in their sleep, and/or surrounded by loved ones, he wants to die on a spaceship (Did I get that right, babe?). Ok fine. My wish would have been good for both of us, and actually could happen in this lifetime, but ok. It was his wish to make so I let it go. And by let it go, I mean I made fun of him every chance I got, including several months later when I brought it up at the wedding of one of his college friends and everyone agreed, in between hysterical fits of laughter, that Dan had not changed a whole lot since his days as a physics major.

Just last night, on a picnic. we found ourselves with a carrot that had a very wishbone-y shape to it. Not one to waste an opportunity for a wish, I seized the moment and told Dan to make a wish and pull on one end. I closed my eyes and concentrated for a moment. A house in Table Mesa for under 400k. ( with four bedrooms and stainless appliances). One, two, three….
Dan won again!
“What’d you wish for??” I asked. Maybe he wished for a house in Table Mesa (Martin Acres would be ok too) and it would be a win/win!
“Nothing.”
“Nothing!?”
“It just happened so fast!”
“Happened so fast? You could have told me to wait! You wasted a wish!!!!”
He apologized. I munched on my measly half of the carrot. I shook my head.
Dying in space was one thing, but nothing. Oh my. I am not sure which is worse.