...You know how you always wish for certain things and how much easier or cooler life would be with those things? Well, did you ever think about the downside of them? There's always a downside...

Think about it - how cool would x-ray glasses be? You'd always know what your birthday present is ahead of time. You could always tell where people are hiding when you play hide and seek, or where your kids are hiding when they've been bad. You could always see the people hiding in your house for a surprise party, and you wouldn't lose a couple of years off your life when they jump up and scream 'Surprise' when the lights are on. You wouldn't walk into your house if someone was there robbing it or lying in wait with a knife or a syringe (because that happens to everyone on television). I'm sure there are thousands more ideas that x-ray glasses would be supreme for.

And then there are the downsides. You'd never be surprised again for parties or presents, which for some might not be a downside. Unless you lived in an area populated with supermodels (men and women alike) you might be traumatized by what you can spy under clothing - some people are never meant to be seen naked. You would probably be heartbroken when you find that person you're crushing on at work is in the supply closet with someone else. Some things are better left to the imagination.

They can't be all great, right? Dentists would be frightened to death of them. After all, you sit in the chair to have x-rays taken and the dentist can't get out of the room fast enough. So there would be a natural dentist repellent...

Oh wait, that might not be a bad thing for some folks.

Flowers. Flowers and gardening. That's another one. What is the big deal with flowers and gardening? The upsides are easy for many - beautiful flowers. Lovely garden. Lots of compliments and awe that you have the loveliest front yard in the development/on the street/in the universe. Your ego will soar at the fact that *you* have the prettiest yard that ever existed (at least that's what your ego will think).

I can think of thousands of downsides. Bees. Bees like flowers. Bees also sting when you mess with the flowers that they're stealing pollen from. So one downside is bees. Another is pollen. Pollen makes lots of people sneeze several times in a row and then retire inside to the house until all the pretty flowers die. And when the pretty flowers die off the garden doesn't look so pretty anymore because who wants a yard that's filled with ugly dying flowers, right?

Don't forget gardening in general. People spend lots of money on gardens that could be better spent buying allergy medicines for when your flowers start making you sneeze. And it's hard work in the sun - you could get a sunburn, and you're more susceptible to that when you've taken certain medications (sometimes ones that help keep you from suffering from your allergies). You could hurt your back *and* be sneezing, which will just add insult to injury and keep you from healing quickly. And you get dirty - your clothes will have permanent dirt stains on them depending on the soil you're working with. There are also bugs out there that you'll dig up, and you never know when you might screw up and hit an anthill and then all sorts of hell breaks loose.

So see? There are downsides to everything out there. Even using a computer - because while this is a great source for entertainment and information and communication it's keeping you from cleaning the house, or reading a book, or going out and getting some sunshine...

...which might be a downside in itself if you're not wearing sunscreen on a particularly hot day.