Holy crow...another thought...

My life is pretty great. I have a roof, albeit a crooked one, over the heads of my dearly beloveds and sweet pooches; I am gainfully employed in a position where I am able to help individuals less fortunate than myself; and we are all of us healthy, with loads of quality reading material and Bond movies, a park nearby to catch outstanding sunsets over Georgian Bay from the swings, and fresh lake air for deep sleeping and dreaming. We also always have enough to sustain our appetite for good food, including enough wish chips to sink a ship, as evidenced by the last bag of kettle chips I have just devoured.

Wish chips are those slices of potato that have somehow folded themselves together in the chip cooker, coming out of it crispier than their flat brothers, and harbouring the mystery that is an unmade wish. It used to be that finding a wish chip in a bag of Lays was a rarity, an event that could stop the fervent munching of the finder just long enough for him or her to believe in a wish and telepathically set it out into the universe, before consuming said chip to seal the deal. There might be only one or two in a bag, if any, and one might actually miss these wonders in their haste to satisfy hunger pangs.

I never miss them. This is probably because I take some perverse pleasure in examining my chippies in full view of the dogs, just in case I find a burnt one to give them. And they are always ready to receive. They hover, eyes on the chips at all times, just waiting for that judgment that renders the chip their very own. Isn’t this the definition of good luck? Pay attention, be prepared and when your opportunity comes, you will be ready to reap the benefits of your diligence.

As I said, my life is good, but on those grey days when it feels I am missing something, I buy myself a bag of kettle chips. These are full of wish chips, almost every one folded over itself and deliciously crispy, with wishes inside waiting to be set free. I eat them thoughtfully, taking my time to send cosmic wishes for health and happiness out to my family, more to the friends who have graced my life with their thoughtfulness and presence, and a last one just as a general thank you to the chip god for reminding me of how very lucky I am.

Actually, that last one was quite dark, so I gave to Rusty, my golden retriever. I hope he wished wisely.