But if you try sometimes.

I recently posted some thoughts on wishes versus dreams, framed within the pleasant context of canine excrement. On today's bike ride, it occurred to me that I could make the same argument about wants versus needs.

A want is like a wish. It's about gratification. A need is more complicated. Let's dispense with Maslow's work on the subject for a moment. I'm not talking about basic, human needs. I'm talking about a want that takes hold and becomes a driving force inside our heads. Or perhaps our hearts.

We may enter into the process with great self-awareness. We may recognize the exact moment that our want shifts--mentally, anyway--to what we believe is a need. And my question is this:

Does the willful nature of that shift make the resulting need any less valid?

I have no answer. This is a mental exercise for me. It's a part of my writing process that I thought I would share. It has relevance in my current work. Some people have asked for insights into that process, and I've had a difficult time offering any.

So, here's one. I told you guys it doesn't make much sense. Now you'll see why.