Three Wishes

   I was at a warehouse show with some friends, and after the second band finished their set we were all milling around the parking lot. Ryan grabbed me to go smoke a bowl with him and his friend who had a backwards hat on. The car was in the lot behind the venue, next to an emaciated tree being held up by posts in an industrial island. I got into the back passenger side seat.
   As we passed the pipe around, Ryan posited a fairly straightforward question, as far as stoned inquiries go anyway: If some kind of Aladdin scenario were to ever befall us, were a genie to grant us three wishes, what would those wishes be? What do we really want?

   His friend answered pretty quickly, "unlimited weed." We all agreed that that was a strong answer but Ryan pointed out that such a concept should be expanded to general multiplicity, so that one could not only have unlimited weed but also unlimited food & drink, whatever. Point well made.
   Traditional superhero-type 'powers' like flying, invisibility, transportation, etc. were being bounced around the car, and believe me I would have no qualms with any of those things being bestowed upon me, but somehow none of those things felt like the right answer to me. Those are physical attributes, mere characteristics; what is a 'power' beyond a means to an end?
 
   What value does ability have without purpose?

   It's not something I've never pondered before. Surely, that laughter in the university hallway held some weight, right? Reading of the universe, beholding the absurdity,
   Feeling the unimportance...
   Surely.

   As the chatter continued in the front seat I stared out the window towards the tree, withering in a concrete holster and being force-fed nutrients so it will stay alive. Why should it stay alive? As a reminder? A condolence to those paved? Do those futile leaves desire their existence?
 
   Forever in the stone.

   "So what do you say, Ian?"
   I had no answer.
   "What's your wish?"

   I had no answer so I changed the subject so I wouldn't have to think about it but I couldn't stop thinking about it because when a knife cuts into your heart it's best to just leave it in there; if you take it out everything is gonna spill and you're gonna have to clean it up. Just turn the knife until it fits.

   The smoke was gone and we got out of the car, and I never had to answer their question.