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Why I Will Never Wish Again

I will admit to very few I have been a member on eHarmony. In my quest to find Prince Charming, I have endured many toads. On eHarmony, one is asked a number of questions, my least favorite being, “If you could have three wishes, what would they be?” My response always included a reference to The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs.

In summary, a family receives a monkey’s paw that is supposed to grant three wishes. When the father wishes for money, money is received due to the death of the son. The old couple, grieving desperately for their son wishes him alive again. Days pass with the son not appearing. Then there is a knock at the door. The father hastily makes his third wish as his wife opens the door only to find no one there.
 
Just for fun, write down three wishes you would love to have granted—no matter how silly. Read the story. Go back to the wishes and try to determine what the negative consequences might be if your wishes came true. This exercise is fun to do and oftentimes eye opening as to how even granting a silly wish could create negative consequences and may not be worth the wish at all. The story stresses one must give up something treasured to gain the wish. What would you be willing to lose to gain?
 
Looking back on my own life, I can see times when I have tried to interfere with fate and experienced a negative consequence. When I hear someone make a ridiculous wish such as “I wish I had more hands!” I think of that monkey’s paw and laugh to myself wondering if the consequence would be a set of triplets or hands growing from the body. I have oftentimes retold the story of the talisman when I hear a silly wish or hear myself begin to wish. More than once I directed a well-meaning suitor to the story of The Monkey’s Paw to help explain why I no longer believe in wishes.
 
To learn more about storytelling, go to www.carolknarr.com.