I WOULD BE REALLY HAPPY IF:

• All DACA young people received ten-year green cards
• An increased number of professors liked teaching more than doing research or writing
• Aaron Judge led the Yankees to a World Series championship
• All the families and WKBJ alumni who have welcomed me into their homes and hearts knew how much I value being part of their lives
• Amazon and pornography were not so readily accessible
• Acceptance of alternative lifestyles did not seem to require actually liking them
• A Universal Basic Income policy received more attention as an alternative/modification of our current welfare system
• Angela, Juan, and Camilo find happiness in Houston
• Babies were born to two equally committed, loving parents
• Barnes & Noble is serious about having more books and fewer toys and games in its stores
• Colleges reworked their model to sharply lower their cost of attendance
• Capital punishment was abolished, replaced by a mandatory life sentence and a requirement to listen for 10 hours every day to Christmas carols and WFAN sports legend, Mike Franscesa
• Christian Pulisic becomes the leading goal scorer for Borussia Dortmund
• Claudia and Patricia never lose their smiles
• David Wright retires from active status and reappears as a major league manager
• Daylight Savings Time was abolished
• Dealing with the country’s systemic poverty would be the task of all of us
• Distinctions could be drawn between accidental situations and malfeasance
• Damaris finds joy in her new job
• English remains the official language of government at each level above that of county
• Every student being helped by the WKBJ Foundation accomplishes his or her goal
• Former United States Congressmen were barred from being lobbyists or deriving financial benefit by associating with lobbyists for ten years
• Faith is always Faith, the most unique young girl I have ever met
• Fewer people found solace in both legal and illegal drugs
• Fundamentalist religion stations were not disproportionately represented among the nation’s high powered radio outlets
• Facts mattered and the “New York Times” labeled more of its “news” stories as op ed pieces
• Grace was not reserved for special occasions
• Hillary’s geography advisors had identified middle America and contacted people there
• Isms were never used as word endings in describing complex philosophies
• Immigrant advocacy organizations publicly supported the deportation of undocumented individuals who have been convicted of felonies
• It was as difficult to get a gun permit as it is to get past the security desk at JP Morgan
• In the next presidential election, there was somebody I could vote for
• JJ, MZ, and KM get their books published
• Jay is successful in beating back the GEICO advertising onslaught
• Kindness was a habit, not an occasion for a photo op
• Katie’s extended stay in South America is as rewarding as hoped
• La Sierra, which sells coffee for $1.45, would expand and Starbucks would contract
• Local job-creating entrepreneurs received as much attention as lottery winners
• Lionel Messi comes to the MLS to finish his career
• Mariana is able to put Mindfulness into Action in Ecuador
• More than 1/3 of full-time employees were engaged in their jobs
• My family, whom I love completely, forgives me for my past transgressions and realizes they had nothing to do with parental love
• Marijuana was freely available to everybody suffering from cancer
• My small town newsstand had so much demand for the “Wall Street Journal” that it had to stock more than one copy
• My adherence to MyFitnessPal does not wane
• More social value decisions were made at a level of government below that of Washington
• My basketball assist to turnover ratio does not dip below 2.5 and my shooting below 45%
• Non-profit foundations had automatic closure dates 33 years from inception
• Nora gets accepted at a college of her choice
• One day per week, chosen by the individual, was dedicated to not buying anything
• President Trump selects which of his residencies he would like to occupy long term as a private citizen, beginning immediately
• People regarded their iDevices as means to various ends, not ends in and of themselves
• PW, CG, and DO learn enough English to pursue their careers
• Pete Rose is inducted into the newly-named “Scoundrel” wing of the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, where he is joined retroactively by Ty Cobb et al
• Parents put their phones away when eating with their children
• Queries elicited answers
• Religious/media/entertainment/political hypocrites were publicly stoned
• Somebody had a plan for confronting the country’s numerous financial and social challenges
• Soda beverages were seriously taxed
• Some inspirational topic besides jobs would be a co-centerpiece of a political platform
• Schools had no governance labels, there was universal transparency and complete school choice
• Somebody would devise a healthcare plan with valid accounting principles
• Tax reform would (a) treat all types of income the same, (b) institute a wealth tax, (c) increase the number of estates subject to tax, (d) mandate a minimum cash rate for corporate taxes, and (e) ease the way through a three-way split among company, IRS, and stockholders for the repatriation of American corporate cash currently held abroad
• There were fewer lawyers, especially in Congress
• Tweeting was restricted to birds and emergencies
• True environmentalists began their proselytizing by selling their second homes
• The word “like” could not be used by teenagers
• The Door offered even more value-added programs to its young people
• The “f” word was treated as a valued component of dialogue and therefore reserved for situations involving exceptionally strong emotions
• Those I love – heck, even those I do not love — have a healthy 2018
• The United States could not enter a war without each supporting Congressman having an extended family member in the military or National Guard
• Tom Brady, Roger Federer, and LeBron James could play forever
• Uncommon Schools finds and trains enough teachers to continue delivering a high quality education to its students
• Vanity was restricted to those who have accomplished something; actually, it should be avoided
• We judged people on the “content of their character,” not their pigmentation
• We ceased adding car lanes when the whole approach to transportation is changing
• XYZ gets more work done on “An Outlier Individual”
• Youthfulness was recognized as not being exclusive to the chronologically young
• Zzzzzzz: sleepy at last; enough 6am creativity