This afternoon Lydia and I were sitting together on the couch leafing through one of the spring catalogs When I moved to get up, I felt the pain in my knees start up and I said, “You know, I wish I could walk on my hands.”

“Do you?” she asked.

“Yes, because then I wouldn’t have to stand on my legs and my knees wouldn’t hurt so much.”

“If I were you,” she replied, not looking up from the catalog, “I would just wish for my knees to stop hurting.”

Well, yes, I suppose that would also work . . .