So this morning I’m reading through the book I have about Oscar Wilde and I’m thinking, mmhhh, this is interesting, the period between his release and his death wasn’t quite how I thought it was. First off, his health was not broken, and neither was he in terrible poverty. He received an allowance from his (ex) wife, as well as money and generosity from friends. Had he not spent so much money on pretty things and pretty boys and good food and restaurants, he would have managed just fine.
This is not to demonize him in anyway, nor is it to diminish the terrible injustice of his imprisonment. But he was neither poor nor friendless after his release, and continued to behave with a fairly healthy sense of entitlement. His was verbally grateful to those who stood by him, but at time his behavior was shockingly ungracious. I actually wonder if he was not also alcoholic. He was certainly co-dependent—a virtual doormat to Lord Alfred Douglas, who basically was the cause of his downfall.
So I put the book aside, feeling the need for my daily nap. And when I woke up, what follows was on my computer. It’s not an email, mind you, it was just on the screen, in Word.
“Dear Marc:
You’ll probably be alarmed wondering where these words are coming from. I guess you didn’t really think your message to the future {See "Oscar and Me" - February 16th} would be read. But, just as you hoped, someone (I’m your great-great-great-grand niece, actually) was doing research on early blogs, and found yours. How I’m managing to create this document on your machine is rather pedestrian from my point-of-view, but probably intimidating from yours. But don’t worry, it’s not voodoo. (Although what you’re reading is being put through a “timeslator.” I’m afraid you’d find 22nd century “Eurglish”--that’s what it’s called now--rather impenetrable!)
This is what I wanted you to know. Present-day explorers have, indeed, figured out to travel through time. However when it was first achieved about a decade ago, one of the first journeyers actually altered something that caused the disappearance of scores of individuals from the future—our present. As painful as is much of the past (and present—it’s still a very screwy world, let me guarantee you) everybody now living sort of likes being alive. So you can imagine how controlled such journeying has become.
Obviously, If I’m writing you I know something about how to travel through time. And I could get in a lot of trouble for doing so even via a letter. I certainly would never have considered it but I was so struck by the originality of your request! Trust me, I’ve done a lot of research, and no one except you from your era thought of it! I figured I could write you without you “off-tracking” and thinking you were becoming schizophrenic or something.
Plus I LOVE Oscar Wilde (you’ll be glad to know his only gotten more revered with time).
To get back in touch with me, just blog your reply…which I imagine will mean you also post this letter. Don’t worry, I am quite sure everyone will assume this is nothing more that a product of your fertile imagination. What’s the expression: “Hide in plain sight?”
Affectionately,
Silmorn Dolfana
From the year 2164
Obviously, I was blown away by this. I swear my roommate was not here and my dog sure can’t type. There are only two possibilities: 1) I wrote this sleeptyping; or 2) This is a legit communication from the future.
Right now, all I can do is post this and think. Just think.
MCO 2006
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