From your first post it appears your Apple ID is also your @icloud.com address, not some other non-Apple email address. If this is the case you cannot change it. However you can add up to three 'email aliases' - these are additional addresses (not accounts) which deliver into the same inbox as the main account. (In fact it's a good idea to give out alias addresses, rather than the main address, because if they attract spam you can easily change them.)
You should be aware before you start that once you've created an alias you cannot turn that address into a full iCloud account or move it to another account.
More information on aliases here: http://help.apple.com/icloud/#mm6b1a490a