My Zoom Meeting – part 2
Those of you that read my blog, may have read about the Zoom meeting I once had where I was Zoom bombed by multiple me’s from my past: https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=2566
As I stated then, I tried to reconnect with them again, but with no success. I had so many more issues that I wanted to discuss, but I gave up trying. Little did I know what would happen to me when the topic for this writing piece was to be “Meetings”.
When I got the topic yesterday I decided to brainstorm with members of my writing group for ideas to write about. I opened up the Zoom app, when all of a sudden I got an invitation to join a meeting. It was coming from me. I thought to myself, “Great, which one of my old selves will I get to talk to?” I did not get what I expected when I accepted the invitation.
A hoarser, older voice spoke out to me rather gruffly, “Well it’s about time you accepted my invitation.” Then I noticed the image on the screen and the name attached to it.
I replied, “But I just got it a minute ago.”
“Dang that stupid gmail,” he retorted, “I forgot how slow it was back then. Why, I sent you the invite at least 15 minutes ago.”
“I see what your screen name says, but are you really me 20 years from now?”
“OF COURSE I AM! You dimwit, who else would want to talk to you. Oh yeah, that’s right, people don’t stop talking to you until 2030.”
“What? Why would people stop talking to me?” I questioned.
2041’s answer was quick. “Because they were tired of you getting to go first all of the time.”
“Wait a minute, you mean my writing friends?” I asked.
“Of course, your writing “friends”, I zoomed you at a time you were doing a writing assignment, didn’t I?”
“Hold on,” I said, “You mean that you contacted me all the way from 2041 just to let me know that going first in writing groups, makes people not talk to me in 2030?”
“Yeah…no.” was 2041’s quick reply. “It might have been about the thing you wrote.”
“And what would that have been?” I asked.
“According to the rules, I’m not allowed to tell you, it might change your future,” he answered.
“Then why Zoom me?”
“I can’t tell you,” he continued, “I just figured I’d warn you without telling you.”
“Okay, so go ahead.”
“The thing is,” 2041 said, “you’re going to get a number of books published. I’m not going to say by who, or about what, however I will say, be careful when you write the sequel to your third book. It has implications.”
I began to wonder about 2041’s location. “Where exactly are you right now?” I asked, being the curious type and wondering how if he is not supposed to let me know anything about my future, how he happens to be able to Zoom me.
He replied, “Let’s just say, we’re at an undisclosed location so as not to be found and on a secure encrypted line. Christina is here and David and Lara are all safe also at another witness protection site.”
“This is where my future is heading?” I questioned rather nervously.
2041 responded, “Yes…maybe, no. You see, if you follow the path I took to get here, then yes, in 2041 you will probably be here Zooming yourself. However, if you change something that happened before now, like maybe that 4th book, not that I’m telling you to do that, something else may happen. That’s the thing with your future, whether you know what happens or not, you really don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“Well that really cleared things up,” I said sarcastically.
“Good luck,” 2041 said. “I have to end this now before my 20 minute free Zoom time is up and I can be traced.”
And before I could say anything the Zoom session ended. As Zoom meetings go, this one was one of the less pleasurable ones. I’m pleased that I found out that eventually I will get some of my stories published, and that Christina, David and Lara will be with me when I’m in my 90s. Not too pleased with the rest of the stuff. I guess time will tell what path I take when the moment arises to make a decision about a 4th book about…whatever it’s about. Hopefully I’ll remember this conversation with 2041.
So today’s story spark is “Meetings”, I wonder what I should write about? And whatever it is, I’ll make sure I don’t go first.
