The fourth ‘Chinese’ curse

I imagine you’ve all heard of the three ‘Chinese’ curses:

1. May you live in interesting times.

2. May you be recognized by people in high places.

3. May you get what you wish for.

Have you ever thought, though, how nicely these ‘curses’ fit into the outline and structure of most stories?

Think of Harry Potter for example.  Or To Kill A Mockingbird.  For that matter, the start of Dragonflight (which is really the novelette, Weyr Search) has all three coming together in a marvelous confluence.

In my teenage years, I came across what I thought should be a fourth Chinese curse and then forgot it.  I’ve been spending the odd decade or two lost in pursuing the lost curse and tonight I think I might have stumbled once more upon it.

Here it is:

May you all your dreams come true.

(Another possibility and perhaps even more daunting would be:

May you find the final curse.)

Anyway… just thought I’d share.  After all, May you share your blessings. 🙂