Subject: maybe it would be a good idea if you

a) stop pining after completely unsuitable boys
b) remember how much fun you had with xyz today
c) try to forget about the fact that xyz is called xyz 
d) stop sending yourself so many ridiculous emails
e) figure out what you're going to do in New York
f) edit this review (attached)
g) get some work done on the education chapter
h) buy a pair of white tights before Milan

The above is an email I sent to myself (from my personal email to my work email) last night. Underneath the list I wrote a brief note about how it might be rather amusing to write a blog post about emails I send to myself. This is the sort of thing that happens when it's late and I'm feeling sleepy and silly. And I don't mean a-h above, for that sort of behaviour is perfectly normal for me, but the 'maybe this would make an interesting blog post' addendum.

I've always made lists and jotted down interesting things in my hipster Moleskin, but it's really since I've gotten a Blackberry that I've started using emails as notes to myself, the modern version of geeky academic types and dictaphones (or at least the cinematic cliche of geeky academic types and dictaphones). Not only is this method surprisingly practical, but it's also a way for my present self to amuse my future self. My present self doesn't find the emails very funny, but it knows that my future self will laugh hilariously when it finds an email with the subject line, 'i is very tiny ruler of tiny, tiny tower' or 'if it looks like a cow, it is a cow', hidden among the forest of emails when clearing out my inbox three months later. 

I send myself things that pique my interest or things that inspire me: those poems on the underground that are often surprisingly good, notes about strange things that people do when they don't think anyone is watching, ideas for stories or poems or books to read. The notes to self are usually the most interesting as I'm just quickly typing up a stream of consciousness about whatever it is that's caught my eye. Here's an amusing example of something I wrote to myself after reading a piece in the FT (completely unedited, might I add):

From Thurs 25th about Greek economic crisis and the Markit index - why isn't this illeagal? The same sort of thing as companies like WalMart taking out life insurance policies against their own employees. It's fucking corrupt and morally wrong. When have we as a society allowed corporate institutions to roll all over us. I'm sorry people, but capatilism has failed us when we allow the profit making of companies to take precedent over the economic welfare of an ENTIRE country. How fucked up is that. 

Genius, ain't it? 

Please do not worry. I promise I am in most excellent mental health.