[Come summer heat, much of my blogging momentum melts away. Hence an experiment until Labor Day: fifty minimalist posts about whatever.]
I want to eat everything. The whole carton of chocolate ice-cream. The whole cheesecake. The whole box of blueberry muffins. The whole family-size bag of potato chips. All the candy the kids collected in their hollowed-out pumpkin on Halloween and couldn’t finish. It doesn’t matter that it will make me sick, and later fat.
I want to buy everything I like in Vogue or at Pret-a-Porter — coats, dresses, sweaters, pants, boots, shoes, sandals, bags, scarves, hats. It doesn’t matter that I don’t need, can’t afford, wouldn’t know where or when to wear any of it.
I want to live in France, Italy, Spain, Greece — without moving away from home. I also want to see Scandinavia, Germany, Japan, South America — without moving away from France, Italy, Spain, Greece. It doesn’t matter that unless someone figures out how to access multiple parallel universes before I die, this is impossible.
I want to be young, adventurous, and sexually attractive to all men I find attractive, while retaining everything I now know about youth, adventure and sexual shenanigans and without relinquishing Bill, social security, or the privileges of age. It doesn’t matter that this would make me a dirty old lady who can work miracles.
I want to take piano lessons, relearn French, enroll in a Shakespeare course, lead a meditation workshop, tutor English as a Second Language, do Pilates, participate in two reading groups favoring long books because I like the women in them, play Scrabble once a month, pet the cats, and go to New York once in a while without giving up my blog and long luxurious afternoon naps on our new bed. It doesn’t matter that there aren’t enough hours in the day for all this or enough energy in me, doesn’t matter that I’d collapse, despite the naps.
I suppose you could say I want to be God. (God can have everything.) But I’m still asking “Is there a God?” and coming up with “No.” So it looks like I can’t have it all. Bummer.
ON BEING OLD 
Wow…Nina, I need a nap after reading this! Your brain energy is amazing! Thanks for the chuckle or two. I can relate! Christine
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Glad you got a laugh out of it, Christine. I always was a greedy girl, and I guess I still am!
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well said, Nina. My list is very similar. The good news is that we are alive enough that we can still make such mental lists and even enjoy some of the physical activities.
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Well, it’s not exactly a list, Isabelle. I’m limiting myself to 400 words (or less) in these summer posts, or I could have gone on and on and on. My greed is limitless! But you’re right, we can still enjoy cheesecake, even if not the whole thing. (That’s what you mean by “physical activity,” isn’t it? 🙂 )
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What is so wonderful is that you wish for all these things. Some you can do, some maybe not…but the desire and drive are there. Personally, I’d start with the bag of chips. ☺
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In their secret hearts, Van, doesn’t everyone wish for everything, all the time, always? Although chips are a good start. Me, I’d begin with the cheesecake, except I’d probably not know how to stop.
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I’m not so sure, Nina, I think a lot of folks just settle, give up on their dreams and wait for the end, sadly.
Ditto for me on that bag of chips. ☺
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Ah dear friend…that is the beauty of the wonderful gift you have for writing…we can experience all of these things for a brief moment in reading and leaping into the fantasy of the all of everything!
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What am I going to do with all these compliments, Rita? All I can say, besides “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” is if that’s how you feel, leap again, and again, and again! 🙂
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