A Wish Come True

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. March 21, 1998. This was the day my whole life changed. Years have passed since this day, but I still hold a vivid picture of my last moment as a normal man. It was a Wednesday, garbage night, and I had endured another awful day of routine. My morning dragged on as I sat through three boring classes. I was unfortunately enough to have to follow this morning with an eight-hour shift at the deli where I had been working for the last year. I had just wanted to go home and relax, but couldn\u27t keep my mind off the several papers that would fill my small amount of free time for the next week. After searching for a parking space on my street, I sat in my car for a moment and watched the rain pour down like a floodgate had just opened in the sky. I flung my bag over my shoulder and hurried for my house a block down the street. Soaked to the bone, I flopped down on the plump cushions of the green couch that filled our living room. It was my night to take the garbage out, but I figured l\u27d take a short nap and wait for the rain to let up. As I lay there, I couldn\u27t shake the picture of the smiley face on the bumper of the car I had followed home. My irritation drew greater with the idea of this everlasting smile. I dismissed my wish for a constant smile because of its mere impossibility. So I closed my eyes and snuggled into the cushions, hoping to rid myself of troubles for a brief moment