If I were able to wave a magic wand and change the world however I wanted, I would probably do similar things to many other people: eliminate all the evil in the world (not by killing anybody, but by transporting them to some distant world where they could bother each other, not the rest of us), eliminate all weapons, cure diseases, automatically sterilize everybody after their second child survives a year, heal the world’s ecology, impose a fair level of taxes worldwide and distribute the proceeds among the finest charities (certainly not give the money to the governments).

Those would be easy decisions to make. But what if I could wave a personal magic wand and make changes in my own life? I pretty much have everything I need in my life: a wonderful family, enjoyable job filled with delightful students, all the material comforts I can use, a passion for reading and writing. What else could I possibly need except guaranteed health?

Well, two things: I wish I had the writing talent of Robert Silverberg or Roger Zelazny; and I wish I had higher intellectual capability. Those are the two regrets of my life and it seems unlikely either one of them is going to change at this point. *sigh*