Saturday, July 25, 2009

My old self

The following is an e-mail from the past, composed on Friday, July 25, 2008, and sent via FutureMe.org
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Dear FutureMe,

Happy 41st Birthday. You are now a tenth of the way to 50. Are you still working at the same job? Are you taking enough time to enjoy life and your family? Your wife is pregnant as I write this. How did things work out? Are you enjoying life with two kids now?

I can tell you that a year ago (As I write this) that you were finding a happy balance between work and the things that you are passionate about - your family, music and fishing. But of course work always encroaches on that, doesn't it? I hope that you have found a way to spend even more time doing the things that you really care about instead of the things that you need to do to survive.

But alas, we are not living in vacuums, are we? There are dark clouds on the economy and high energy costs. A gallon of gas today costs $3.69 but it has been over $4.00 as recently as a few weeks ago. Housing markets are in a free fall and a lot of people are out on the street. There is a lot of uncertainty right now due to the presidential election.

Speaking of the election, remember that I said neither candidate was going to be able to fix what is wrong with America. If I was right the previous president is still being demonized for our problems and the new one is also in the hot seat. The very notion of one man being able to screw up or save the country is demonstrative of American ignorance and our inability to take responsibility for the consequences of our own appetites.

Does that sound about right?

Anyway, I hope that things have improved by the time that you read this. Try to remember yourself and what you were like a year ago. You were stuck at work on your birthday, wanting nothing more than to go home to your family, grill some steaks and boil some corn on the cob.

Take care, FutureMe!

Sincerely,
Your old self

Friday, July 24, 2009