Make the right wish
Like Stefania, Valerio and others, I would probably choose good health. However, I may extend that to something else. Allow me to explain.
My grandmother, who was very wise and kind and beautiful (like everyone’s grandmother!) taught me something very early in my life. She asked me one day, “Lance. Do you know what the word ‘wealthy’ means?”
I replied, “Yes. Of course. It means having plenty of money.”
She told me that I was very far from the truth and that the word “wealthy” was an amalgamation of “well-being” and “healthy.” If you are living a happy life and you have good health, you are wealthy.
She told me that she knew of many people who had vast fortunes, yet were extremely unhappy. “They are not wealthy, Lance.”
My grandmother had hardly any money, but she was very wealthy. She was not at all materialistic, but she was very happy with her life.
So, if the genie were to appear before me and would grant just a single wish, I would wish for, in my grandmother’s terms, wealth.
Footnote: a quirky thought occurred to me while I was writing this introduction to Stefania’s blog post. What would be the consequences if one were to make a wish to swap lives with the genie? Interesting!
If you could rub the Lamp of Aladdin and ask the genius to make one wish to come true, but only one, what would you choose? Love, success, fortune, health or what else? Are you sure you will be able to take the right decision with no regrets afterwards? I actually wouldn’t know what to pick, maybe health, however, I’m going to give you a couple of examples in literature to demonstrate that this is a question that has to be pondered carefully, before giving an answer, otherwise the consequences could be devastating.
Sibyl of Cumae was a prophetess in service to Apollo and a renowned beauty. Apollo wished to take her as his lover and was ready to offer her anything she desired. Unfortunately she didn’t ponder on her answer and instinctively asked to defy death: she wanted to live forever. It was easy for Apollo to grant her wish, he was a powerful god after all…
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