Saturday, January 21, 2006

Talk to yourself in the future

In my travels this week across the Internet – OK, I lied…I saw it on CNN Headline News – I was introduced to a neat new resource that should be fun at parties. It’s called FutureMe.org, and it allows you to e-mail yourself in the future.

Now, I have no idea what happens if this organization ceases to exist in the near future. One surmises that all those cached messages would be released to oblivion as well. But if you dispense with the cynicism for a brief moment – as I am patently unable to do – it may prove to be an interesting new resource.

An interesting side benefit is the ability to see the public messages of others. This further confirms my contention that the world is populated by many oddballs.

Find it at http://www.futureme.org/

Your turn: What would you say to your future self?

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am in HR with a specialty in training and change management. During goal setting sessions we often have participants write letters to themselves, which are given to them at some point in the future. Either at the end of a three month course or even a year or two later. Sounds like this site could serve the same purpose. Very interesting!

One year from now I would ask myself if I had gotten off my butt and written one of two books trapped inside my head.

Jon the Intergalactic Gladiator said...

Man I don't know what I would tell myself. It would be nicer to tell my past self stuff...

Robyn said...

Probably something like "get over it! and move on". Unfortunately, my cynism that it will be around in the future precludes me from particpating.

Anonymous said...

Probably the same thing I keep saying to myself now, which is: RELAX. Stop taking things so seriously and enjoy! I need a daily reminder, actually.

Suzanne said...

"you...look...mahvelous dahlink! simply mahvelous!"

Heather said...

Cool! I guess I would make predictions and see if they came true.

YellowRose said...

No regrets!

That's what I'd tell myself!!!


Michele sent me!!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I.m not sure I even get the whole concept...but, in considering this for 5 secinds, I'm not sure I have anything to say to myself that I haven't already said! (lol) I talk to myself all the time....and I'm not one to go too far into the future and write a scenerio,you know? So...I guess, as of this moment I have nothing to tell myself. If that should change, I'll let you know.

Unknown said...

I would probably say "Hey, DW, you still the biggest procrastinator on the face of the earth?!?"

I never like to be serious when emailing myself.

btw, Michele sent me! Always a pleasure to come here!

Lisa said...

I'm not sure what I'd say, but I hope the future me finally has it all figured out. Which I doubt.

And I change e-mail addresses WAY too often for me to send an e-mail to my future self. It would get returned! LOL!

Unknown said...

Dear FutureMe, I've worked on my "overnight success" for over 20 years. Must I hum the song "In the Year 2000" with a flashlight pointed vertically in my face with the lights off as Conan O'brien does on TV?

Sincerely.
Michael Manning

P.S. I seak for the disenfranchised fed up at morons who become millionaires and called "Moguls". HELP!

Paste said...

Tricky one, I have enough problems coping with the present!
Here from Michele's this morning.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Hi Carmi..Michele sent me back this A.M. And I'm always happy to visit you...Shold I write the future you, too?? (lol)

kenju said...

What an interesting idea. I will give it some thought and go look at that site to see what others are saying. If I were to write today about my esperiences yesterday, it would be totally negative, so I won't do that....LOL. I am sure I won't want to be reminded of it in the future!

kenju said...

What happened to the comment I left earlier? I promise I was here - and now Michele has sent me back. I sent myself a message. That site is interesting, but I wouldn't imagine it to be around in 10 years - so my message is to be sent on 1-1-07.....LOL

Jessica said...

Hi! Michele sent me!
I saw something about that website on the news too. I'd have to send myself an email that said "I told you so" or something like that.

Prego said...

I'd say... "Who were you kidding? You couldn't write the word 'dust' on a venetian blind."

I might give it a go.
p

Here via Michele this morning, bro... after an awesome game of pick-up hockey.

HRH Courtney, Queen of Everything said...

What would I say to my future self? Are you running the show somewhere yet; if not, what have you been doing with your life?

utenzi said...

Michele sent me to see you, Carmi.

That's an interesting concept. Of course most web based greeting card sites have long had a feature that allowed you to dictate when the card would be sent, but this has more of a time capsule feel to it. Weirdly enough, the first thing that comes to mind is to Email stock projections (guesses) to myself to see how close I come to making money!

MaR said...

Oh, I think I could use it to remind me of important appointments, dates, etc. LOL

Mike Wood said...

I used it in mid summer when I first came across it. After not knowing what to say, I decided to ask myself what happened to the woman I was interested in at the time. I totally forgot about sending it. Then when it showed up exactly 5 months later I first thought it was spam. Then it made me smile. It is a novelty, but it was cool.

Beanhead said...

I would tell myself that I knew I could do it that I am proud of myself for sticking it out when it got tough. Oh and I would tell myself that I did a great job raising three amazing children!!

Here from Michele's

The Mistress of the Dark said...

I would probably say, "Whatever you think is the best thing to do, don't do it"

Here via Michele's this time :)

Anonymous said...

I would say open your eyes, this was a bad idea!! love your blog!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Well, Michele sent me back omce again! I still have nothing I want to ask myself....sorry about that...!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Why are you still doing the same job I am?

Michele sent me here.

Anonymous said...

then I must need what Surcie said.
to learn to relax..
Thanks for the really nice comments about my pictures

Valbee said...

I'd say, "Gas prices are over $2.35 per gallon, it's costing you double to heat your house this year, your car desperately needs to be sent out to pasture and your kids are driving you insane with their lack of control over spending their money. So... how's your life NOW?"

:)

Natsthename said...

How cool for a geek like me.

I think I'd just write up a playlist of the music I'm listening to right now, just to see if I still like it in about 20 years. (when I'm rockin' away in the home!) ;)

Thanks for the nice comment at my blog, Carmi. :-)

Panthergirl said...

"You really WEREN'T fat! See???"

Here via michele today!

Anonymous said...

Dangit! I went to the site, wrote myself a letter and forgot to save it to repost here lol

At any rate, I sent myself an email when I turn 30 in 3 years, saying basically, I hope I'm still alive, hope I'm still just as in love with my husband, and I'm sending myself hugs and love from 2006.

Thank you for the AWESOME link, I really enjoyed that. Here from Michele's again!

Sandy said...

I remember having to do this for a few peer education groups in my 'student' days. It's always amusing and yet amazing. There is such a mixture of growth since "then to now" and wonderment over how incredibly naive I had been.

Sleeping Mommy said...

That site was a just a little bit addictive reading the public ones. I of course wrote one to myself. I kept it private though. :)