2020 convo with my 2019 past self
Aug. 15th, 2020 10:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blue_mouse(Referencing this post and this follow up post. Also cw? discussion of current events)
Me: *Travels back in time, moseys into kitchen.* Hey hey past self WHAT'S UP.
Past self: Wait, which past self am I.
Me: Uh... IDK. Maybe us who did the traveling back and reporting, from the fanfiction event. So about a year ago.
Past self: Oh. Got it. Ok, what's up, future self. (continues cutting up vegetables)
Me: Ok so Trump got impeached --
Past self: Seriously?
Me: He's still around, though.
Past self: Oh.
Past self: By the way, did you come to tell me about your year's fanfiction theater event, then?
Me: Nah, that didn't happen this year, because of the pandemic.
Past self:
Past self: what
Past self: What are you talking about, what pand-
Me: By the way, about the tomato plants.
Past self: "Tomato plants".... Oh, you mean, tomato plants I'm keeping. You're keeping.
Me: Yes, those. There's more of them, this year.
Past self: Uh. Thanks for the info. (beat) Ok, that's really not the most important thing, why are you telling me about tomato plants --
Me: There's a LOT of tomato plants.
Past self: ...How many tomato plants.
Me: Sorry, future stuff, can't disclose too much. Time travel rules.
Past self: You just started talking about a pandemic. Which I still can't tell if you're joking or not. But tomato plants, that's where the real butterfly effect is? (pauses to put down vegetables and knife in sheer annoyance) ...I did this to my past self and I should not be surprised at how annoying this is. But it is.
Me: Anyway, I gotta run. Gotta dig out my mask so I can put it on and safely interact with grocery store people. Also there's widespread protests and stuff was on fire, buildings and stuff. And Trump is trying to stop elections.
Past self: Are you pulling my leg right now, this sounds like a caricature written in 2016.
Me: Oh so much more is happening. That one journal entry or this other journal entry? We had no idea what was around the corner. Also... the GOP is seriously trying to shut down the US postal service.
Past self: ...I don't know why but the bit about the USPS really makes me sad.
Me: Yeah.... I didn't really want to alarm you, and I'm probably breaking all time travel rules. But... the number of Americans dead is rising to 170,000 and more now, and there's rent eviction, election turmoil, past structural inequalities worsened by pandemic, race riots, police violence, and police forces are kidnapping people and stuff.
Past self: WHAT THE F-
Me: Mutual aid societies are forming, citizens are joining together to protect their vulnerable, and some cities have committed to getting rid of their police forces. And what seems to be a civil rights era like movement has been happening.
Past self: Oh. Wow.
Past self: Wait what's happening in the rest of the world.
Me: well the pandemic is a pandemic, so everyone's struggling with that, and there's ripple effects --
Past self: I though you were using "pandemic" as a metaphor, but you're serious about that.
Me: Very. But some countries have it more under control. Also U.S. BLM protests are affecting other countries.
Me: Also, it turned out that a good chunk of the books and stuff we read and posted about, 2019 ish on this journal? Zeitgeist material. We were actively citing and using them a year later.
Past self: That's... kind of cool and alarming.
Me: I feel like I should say some good news.
Past self: People banding together sounds good and the historical movement.
Me: That is good, you'e right. (beat) There's just a lot happening and I can't quite tell what's going on, I'm too mired in the middle of history.
Past self: How about something small-scale and good news?
Me: Why are you the one coaxing and egging me on? I came back here to bother you. This wasn't the script.
Past self: I'm not the one with mass protests and historical turmoil.
Me: ... yeah okay. (pause) So, a new writing project. I'm having an interesting time. Also, the tomatoes, so many tomatoes.
Past self: .... I know you're just goading me into a reaction, but fine, why do you keep talking about tomatoes.
Me: There's a lot of them and it wasn't by design.
Past self: how many tomatoes are we talking about. Why are tomatoes such a big point.
Me:
Me: oh no the future calls I must return. farewell!
Past self: Again, there is no way tomatoes are the nexus of a butterfly effect. After everything else you've disclosed. This is silly. Just tell me the tomato intel.
Me: Alas... I am being called back to the future...
Past self: You're just walking backwards out of the kitchen and -- Hey! You're not even taking out the trash, as you leave! At least I took out the recycling for my past self!
Me: *Travels back in time, moseys into kitchen.* Hey hey past self WHAT'S UP.
Past self: Wait, which past self am I.
Me: Uh... IDK. Maybe us who did the traveling back and reporting, from the fanfiction event. So about a year ago.
Past self: Oh. Got it. Ok, what's up, future self. (continues cutting up vegetables)
Me: Ok so Trump got impeached --
Past self: Seriously?
Me: He's still around, though.
Past self: Oh.
Past self: By the way, did you come to tell me about your year's fanfiction theater event, then?
Me: Nah, that didn't happen this year, because of the pandemic.
Past self:
Past self: what
Past self: What are you talking about, what pand-
Me: By the way, about the tomato plants.
Past self: "Tomato plants".... Oh, you mean, tomato plants I'm keeping. You're keeping.
Me: Yes, those. There's more of them, this year.
Past self: Uh. Thanks for the info. (beat) Ok, that's really not the most important thing, why are you telling me about tomato plants --
Me: There's a LOT of tomato plants.
Past self: ...How many tomato plants.
Me: Sorry, future stuff, can't disclose too much. Time travel rules.
Past self: You just started talking about a pandemic. Which I still can't tell if you're joking or not. But tomato plants, that's where the real butterfly effect is? (pauses to put down vegetables and knife in sheer annoyance) ...I did this to my past self and I should not be surprised at how annoying this is. But it is.
Me: Anyway, I gotta run. Gotta dig out my mask so I can put it on and safely interact with grocery store people. Also there's widespread protests and stuff was on fire, buildings and stuff. And Trump is trying to stop elections.
Past self: Are you pulling my leg right now, this sounds like a caricature written in 2016.
Me: Oh so much more is happening. That one journal entry or this other journal entry? We had no idea what was around the corner. Also... the GOP is seriously trying to shut down the US postal service.
Past self: ...I don't know why but the bit about the USPS really makes me sad.
Me: Yeah.... I didn't really want to alarm you, and I'm probably breaking all time travel rules. But... the number of Americans dead is rising to 170,000 and more now, and there's rent eviction, election turmoil, past structural inequalities worsened by pandemic, race riots, police violence, and police forces are kidnapping people and stuff.
Past self: WHAT THE F-
Me: Mutual aid societies are forming, citizens are joining together to protect their vulnerable, and some cities have committed to getting rid of their police forces. And what seems to be a civil rights era like movement has been happening.
Past self: Oh. Wow.
Past self: Wait what's happening in the rest of the world.
Me: well the pandemic is a pandemic, so everyone's struggling with that, and there's ripple effects --
Past self: I though you were using "pandemic" as a metaphor, but you're serious about that.
Me: Very. But some countries have it more under control. Also U.S. BLM protests are affecting other countries.
Me: Also, it turned out that a good chunk of the books and stuff we read and posted about, 2019 ish on this journal? Zeitgeist material. We were actively citing and using them a year later.
Past self: That's... kind of cool and alarming.
Me: I feel like I should say some good news.
Past self: People banding together sounds good and the historical movement.
Me: That is good, you'e right. (beat) There's just a lot happening and I can't quite tell what's going on, I'm too mired in the middle of history.
Past self: How about something small-scale and good news?
Me: Why are you the one coaxing and egging me on? I came back here to bother you. This wasn't the script.
Past self: I'm not the one with mass protests and historical turmoil.
Me: ... yeah okay. (pause) So, a new writing project. I'm having an interesting time. Also, the tomatoes, so many tomatoes.
Past self: .... I know you're just goading me into a reaction, but fine, why do you keep talking about tomatoes.
Me: There's a lot of them and it wasn't by design.
Past self: how many tomatoes are we talking about. Why are tomatoes such a big point.
Me:
Me: oh no the future calls I must return. farewell!
Past self: Again, there is no way tomatoes are the nexus of a butterfly effect. After everything else you've disclosed. This is silly. Just tell me the tomato intel.
Me: Alas... I am being called back to the future...
Past self: You're just walking backwards out of the kitchen and -- Hey! You're not even taking out the trash, as you leave! At least I took out the recycling for my past self!
(Fin.)
