I Wished

The alarm rang. I slapped the snooze button, rolled over, and snuggled against my
wife. Over-and-over, I did the same thing; I slapped the button and rolled back to my
love. It was Monday morning. After each ring, I thought, “I wish it was Friday.”

How many times have I wished for something in the future? The snow fell, the
wind blew, I wished for summer. I was a kid, small and unnoticed. I wished I was older
and bigger. Fall came; school started; I wished for the next summer. I was a teen; I
wished I was an adult and on my own.

Throughout my life, I wished for the future. I wanted the future to be the “Now”. I
wanted to be where I thought I was headed. I wanted the life I dreamed of having.

The alarm went off again. Instead of hitting the snooze button, I got up. It was
Monday. I had a whole new week to explore. I had to go to work, meet new people, take
on new challenges, and live my life.

I wished away those carefree days of childhood. I had little to worry about back then.
I sure do now. I wished away winters with snow to play in. Instead, I grumbled
about shoveling it and driving on icy roads. I wished away my school years. I didn’t
know my school years would be the best years of my life - learning, meeting new
friends, summer vacations and playing. When I was in my 20’s and 30’s, I wished for the
days when I could afford the good things in life. I wished away the years,

I’m more than halfway through my life now. I’m still not financially stable. I
wished away all those years, and I am still not at the place I wished for. I could have
enjoyed what I had then, but I wasted it wishing.

I know it now. I have a lot to worry about these days, but I am not going to wish
it away. I will make it through. I am not going to wish time away again. I can’t afford to.
I am going to make every day a Friday and make it summer vacation all year round. My
new goal is to stop wishing and start living.

Michael T. Smith

Story ID:	5849
Written by:	Michael Timothy Smith (bio, link, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Musings, Essays and Such
Location:	caldwell ID USA
Year:	2010