Dreaming of Genie

Okay, so we've all done the "What would you do with 3 wishes" thing, but somewhere along the line, I got this idea: The Fair Genie a friday daydream by jami I find the magic lamp and the genie pops up, "You get one wish, anything at all, BUT you have to come up with the 'catch' that makes it a little more fair." I say, "Fair? It's not about 'fair'; it's a wish!" Genie says, "But to get your wish, you have to also make the caveat. You can be gorgeous but, say, if you get married, you lose your looks. Or I can make you the smartest person to ever live, but, hmmm, take away your legs. One man chose to have incredible musical talent, but he'd also lose his hearing slowly. Get it? Something that balances out receiving this wish. Oh, and none of this self-sacrificing 'do what you want with me, but bring world peace' stuff, either. This is your wish and it's got to be about you." So I think about it. It's tough. I could be wealthy, but, what, ugly? Then I could use the money for plastic surgery, but I bet that won't work, since the Genie's pretty smart. Perfectly healthy my whole very-long life, but uh ... what? Give up some IQ points? Nah, I love being smart. Oooh - how about luckiest person in the world - things always go my way, but, um. That's hard, making up a "but" for yourself that you can live with. Then I get it! "Genie, I want to be super-talented. At everything. I want to be able to do whatever it is I want to do." Genie: "But . . .?" Me: "But, I have to work at it. Not nearly as hard as I would now, but let's say I want to play piano. I go get a book and by the end of the day, I've gotten through the first half. If I practice the next few days, just an hour a day or so, I can play concertos. In a month I could be the pianist for the Philharmonic. Once I learn a skill, I only have to practice it, say, once a month. Also, I promise to remain humble about it. I won't win any world championships or enter talent contests. That's not part of the caveat, just my word to you." The genie ponders, but I can tell he's impressed. This wish shows serious thought and understanding of his rule. He's not just handing me a freebie, I still have to earn it, but the wish means I learn it at super-human speed. Genie: "Yes, yes, I like that one. You are wise beyond your years. I will grant you this wish and even make it better. Practice each skill just twice in a year and you will preserve that talent." He does his genie-thing and I don't feel different, but I just know it worked. I go home and pick up a guitar and within an hour, I'm playing along with the radio. And the world is a whole new place for me.