You've Got Mail, Again

I'm probably not in the best position to tell you to be careful what you write in e-mails or online, but here's a cautionary tale that might send chills down your spine. An old co-worker of mine -- with whom I have not worked in more than five or six years -- suddenly got a bunch of ancient e-mails I had written re-delivered to him yesterday at the office. (I'm not sure how many other people there got them too) Obviously, everything I ever wrote -- even via my personal account -- lives on forever on my old employer's server. (I wonder if they can fire me again?)

Here's the recap of the e-mail exchange that made my old pal chuckle the hardest: It seems in the days following Sept. 11, my brother Bill had sent me a message that pointed out how close he and I live to two of the places planes struck on 9/11. (As I recall, living in Washington and New York it was a frequent question from friends and family members.)

Subject: Distances
According to Yahoo Maps:
World Trade Center to xxx W. xxth St: 2.7 miles, 6 minutes
Pentagon to xxx xxxxx xxxxxxxx Ave. SE: 3.4 miles, 5 minutes

I forwarded this note to my best friend Mark:

Subject: Re: Distances
From Kenneth Walsh on 09/21/2001 05:53:57 PM
my mom will feel much better ...

Who then replied with this sensitive gem:

Subject: Re: Distances
so they were after you two queers all along and mistakenly hit 6300
innocent people?!! ;)

I, naturally, responded in kind:

Subject: Re: Distances Date: 09/21/2001 06:01:04 PM
bitch, party of one, bitch. your table's ready

I fear to think what's going to pop up in my old co-worker's inbox next ...