My Three Emergency Wishes (And Yes, That's What I Call Them)

In my opinion, being closer to thirty has made me a little better at accepting things I can’t control—like what people say about me, for instance, or why there’s no hotel channel with a 24-hour MasterChef broadcast (which, for some reason, helps me sleep soundly at night!). I call my hopes for things like this “emergency wishes,” and here are my current top three—if you’re interested:

I wish people would stop smoking in public places. Since I usually walk as part of my commute, I find it really bothersome when people smoke on the street. I know it's a public place (and it's their right to be a smoker—I don’t condemn that), but I really don't want to be subjected to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. I didn’t sign up for that.

And smoke smells awful—especially when it sticks to my hair!

I wish for world peace. I hate seeing people suffer. I hate seeing people hurt each other. Why can’t we all just live peacefully as human beings on this earth? Why all the violence?

As someone with OCD, I've found the current state of the world incredibly triggering. I truly apologize for never talking about this before. I don’t mean to be tone-deaf, and it’s not that I don’t want to raise awareness—as hard as it is, I try to stay informed about current events. But I need a safe space focused on positive things to stay sane—and that’s what I try to create on this blog.

I wish more people at work would take responsibility. I find it unreasonable when people shift their responsibilities onto others and are quick to point fingers when something goes wrong. It’s hard to own up to a mistake, but I believe it’s a necessary part of growing up.