I've gotten some e-mail addressed to me but that doesn't belong to me. Someone assumed that one of her relatives (her mother, I think) had a Web-mail address that happens to be one of my addresses. From there, that address has been entered into a few other people's systems so I get even more mail. I've enjoyed photos of possible vacation-cabin rentals (I would have gone with the one with the pool), news about work at a big-time, college-sports Web site, a few personal messages telling the intended recipients to just trust God for various reasons, mildly amusing cell-phone videos produced at work, pictures of a weekend in an upscale community that's fequently featured in gossip columns, even the complete credit card details of a stranger (a third party who has no idea that I now have everything I need to pay for that liposuction). Oh, and her Facebook password (she looks very nice, but her boyfriend is cuter than she is). Today was a message kindly and gently telling the recipient to quit being a clingy, whiny mother and let her daughter (the one with the cute boyfriend and weekends in the upscale community that is geographically far away from said mother) live her life. And to trust God, of course. I'm sure the daughter would be pleased to know that her aunt (that's what I've gleaned from context - I'm in the process of constructing a Venn diagram so I can sort out the relationships) is taking her side.
Because I don't check this address often, there were about ten misdirected messages the first time I noticed. I wrote to the sender to inform her of the mistake and she apologized (no need to, though - I just wanted her to know that her messages weren't getting to where she thought she'd sent them). A few months later I started getting the messages again. I've done my part, haven't I? I'm not under any obligation to not read the message, right? I won't be buying European headers for my car off eBay.de with the credit card of a man I don't know. I won't take credit for the ideas e-mailed back and forth about the upcoming NCAA fencing-coverage campaign. I'll never meet these people. But I want to write back that, yes, you are so right: If your sister doesn't scare up a life of her own, your niece will forever resent her mother. Or write to the guy and assure him that I haven't stolen his identity, even though I could. But then they'll all know that they are using the wrong address. And I'll have to get my vicarious kicks somewhere else.
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