“Is wishing ever a good thing?” I ask.

“Sure,” the small voice says.

“When?” I ask.

“When you wish someone well,

for example,” small voice replies.

“Oh,” I say. “Well, when I stood in line

behind that woman with her cart piled high

as she casually chatted with the slowest moving

clerk in the known universe,

I did not wish her well, but

I did wish her well on her way.

Does that count?”

“Sadly, no,” the small voice says, “but

you are making progress.”

“I am?”

” Yep,” the small voice says. “You noticed

your response to the situation

and you didn’t wish you were different.”

“True,” I say, “but I did wish

that woman and the clerk were different and I did wish

I’d chosen a different line, and…”

“Yes,” the small voice interrupts.

“Simple awareness is not simple, is it?” I say.

“Ah,” small voice says,

“You’re beginning to sound like me.” 

                                                                                                                                                           JDG