We get a lot of spam mail. I imagine most people do these days. Thunderbird moves most of them to the Junk folder immediately, but one or two slip through. The latest barrage are headlined I RECORDED YOU!, and proceed to tell me about the compromising images they have of me and threaten me with... umm ...exposure. They obviously think I have a far more exciting life than I actually do, and I sometimes wonder what would happen if I asked to see the footage of my imaginary self. It does lead on to the question : what is the spamming success rate? Do people actually feel guilty enough about their behaviour to pay a complete stranger untraceable currency to prevent loved ones from seeing it? Won't you let me know if you have been scammed like this ?- you don't need to send the salacious details, just the broad strokes. Call it research.
Not all scams are that obvious. I remember someone coming up to me at a pay machine at Canal Walk parking. She got chatting - told me how she remembered me from before, and I had helped her with some information. This is all possible, even plausible, as I worked at an information public library, and that was my job. She liked my new hairstyle (she said) and asked if I was still working "there." I am generally polite, so I replied to her questioning, and although I have a good memory for faces, I didn't recognise her. But I did interact with very many people over the years. The request for money - notes rather than coins- came soon after, and I suddenly saw through her. I declined her kind offer to relieve me of my cash, and told her she was very good at this scamming thing. She smiled and thanked me, and moved on the the next person.
Recently I listened to a Derren Brown YouTube video (Ironing and watching is hazadous, but listening is just as good). He is described as a illusionist, mentalist and entertainer. These days he spends quite a lot of time exposing fake "truth" tellers, or scammers. Whether it is people communicating with your dead loved ones, or someone telling you your future, he educates people about the cues and methods these people use, and the damage they can do. But the programme I want to draw your attention to is about Luck. In a social experiment (in 2011), he sent a reporter friend to the small Yorkshire town of Todmorden. She started a rumour about a lucky dog statue, which would bring good luck if you patted it. It only took about a week for this made up idea to become a sort of folk lore owned by the community, with several locals trying it out. And indeed, lucky things did start to happen in the town. The sceptics were not swayed of course, and Derren decided to see if he could change their minds by creating winning opportunities for them to take up (a sure win scratch card, for example. Or cash in the road.) It's a fascinating programme, which shows that those who want to see good fortune, make themselves open to experiences that create so called luck. As an example, a well known comedian "needed car assistance" in the village, near the two pubs. The owner of the first pub (a sceptic ) decided he was too busy to help. The other landlady said she didn't know how to help but went to fetch a mechanic who did, and sorted the problem. She invited them all to pub for a pint afterwards. To say thank you, the comedian did a free gig that evening, and the pub made a fortune. The landlady described herself as lucky. After that, people came from all over to pat the dog, until after 6 weeks, Derren held a community meeting and explained all. If you have ironing to do, or a spare hour, you can google the whole experiment.
The point is, there are no lucky dogs. Or lucky anythings for that matter. We see and create opportunities that help us, or are open to experiences that create positive environments. Somehow that gives me hope - we can all "be lucky." We just have to pat our own heads and believe in ourselves rather than mysterious improbable scenarios of luck being presented to us. Those just might be scams.
While I have been writing this, over sixty I RECORDED YOU!messages have been dumped on the computer. I am hoping our non response triggers the sending algorithm to stop.
Junk can be very clogging.
I am going to try to be more aware of, and open to, the multitude of opportunities for happiness that are all around me, and cherish what I have. I am going to try to live purposefully, rather than waiting for things to happen by chance.
That should get me to the end of the year...
This is the lucky Todmorden dog........
