Rebuilding Rob

As WordPress continues to recycle old prompts, I pulled another prompt from The Coffee Monsterz Co to respond to today

What are some things on your wishlist?

The “Wish Book” ritual

As a child growing up in the 1980s in Metro Detroit, I remember getting the department store catalogs just before the holidays. I can’t remember if it was Hudson’s or JCPenney, but one of them used to call their annual book the “Wish Book.”

For those of you too young to remember life before the internet: department stores would send out these massive catalogs, and you would either go into the store in person or call over the phone to place an order. This was how it was done in the days before Amazon. Of course, Sears was the company that literally wrote the book on this business model.

Chasing a Legacy

I’m not going to lie: I wish that wishes were still that easy. Of course, it would be nice to have a fancy car and a huge house, but the truth is, the one thing I really wish for right now is peace. Call it stability, call it tranquility—I’m just tired of stressing.

I also wish I could be every bit of the father to my sons that the “old man” was to me. I feel like I’m always chasing his legacy. I know the world is a different place than it was in the ’80s or ’90s, but I often feel like I’m unable to give as much to my kids as my father gave to me.

Two Years of Growth: From Books to Peace

I looked back at a similar prompt I answered exactly two years ago today. Back then, my “wish” was simply for more time to read—specifically to get through Dune or finally finish Anna Karenina.

It’s funny how time changes the scale of our desires. In 2024, I was wishing for “more time” for hobbies. Today, I’m trading that for a wish for “more meaning.” I’ve realized that the books in the cart don’t matter as much as the peace in the room or the world my sons are inheriting.

The “Add to Cart” Dilemma

I wish I had a partner—a 100% “ride or die” partner. Someone who would fully integrate into my life while I fully integrated into theirs. To be honest, I’m not even sure how much I actually want this. I hate the version of myself I become in a sustained, long-term relationship. When your track record is as rough as mine, it doesn’t leave much room for encouragement.

Most of all, I wish for the good guys to win. I’m sick of the country being run by old, rich guys hellbound on maintaining their status at the expense of everyone else. I’m tired of waiting for midterms; I’m tired of waiting for the next election. Let’s see Amazon try to stock those goodies. I don’t even need a catalog and a pen; I’d be more than willing to just click “Add to Cart.”

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AI art created with Google Gemini.

The article “Three Wishes” first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.