Hate is a strong word. Some things just irritate me. I try not to blur the line between the two. However, I’ve decided that I hate chain letters. Yes, hate is the right word. I don’t just mildly dislike them. I hate them!!!!
It’s been over forty years since I received my first chain letter in the mail and they have kept coming in one form or another ever since.
Chain letters promise everything from riches to good luck to “whatever.” Just follow the directions – send a dollar, send a postcard, send a recipe, send good wishes, send “whatever” to the first person on the list, copy the letter and send it to 10 of your friends. Then in short time $50,000 or 50,000 postcards or 50,000 recipes or 50,000 “whatevers” will be yours.
It doesn’t matter that the claims being made are mathematically impossible. Who wouldn’t like to be a millionaire overnight? We like to believe these things will happen, so we pass it on. Or we fear the dreaded bad luck we are told we will experience if we break the chain and don’t pass it on.
Forty years ago chain letters took a real commitment of time and money. You had to literally write out ten copies of the letter, place them in envelopes, address and stamp, then mail them out. Being basically a lazy person, I could never bring myself to do all that. So I would either toss them and wait for my bad luck, or write back to the sender saying, “I would rather make one enemy than ten, so I’m returning your chain letter.” This did not set too well with my sister-in-law, but she got over it.
No one gets chain letters via snail mail anymore but they abound in email inboxes. “Pass it on” has become a red flag that magnetically pulls my finger to the delete button.
Some chain letters want you to help Disney, Applebees, or Nike test an email tracking program. If you forward the message on to others you could receive $1000, a trip to Disney World, a dinner for two, or a new pair of shoes for your trouble. Believe it or not, companies just don’t use chain letters to give away money or products.
I especially like the emails that say, “I did not make this up!” I’m so thankful. Yet, some bozo with a great deal of time on his hands did.
Altruistic chain letters are sent for the benefit of others. You are not sending money so you won’t receive anything, but you need to pass the message on to help the Make-a-Wish Foundation fulfill the dream of a dying child. Never mind that this foundation has stated repeatedly it doesn’t operate this way.
Or perhaps some child has a school project where you add your first name to a list to see how many people have the same name. The sender knows you will “pass it on” because you are so nice.
Well guess what? I’m not all that nice and most of my real friends know it!
A new form of chain letter wants you to pass around prayers, I love you notes, poems, and tidbits about Jesus. I received a lovely message from someone who said he was passing it on to me because I was one of the five most dynamic women he’d ever known. I noticed he copied 50 people – men and women – which made me feel real special.
I especially hate chain letters accompanied by guilt trips like the following which I actually received:
- “If you believe in God and in Jesus Christ His Son …send this to all on your buddy list … if not just ignore it. If you ignore it, just remember that Jesus said, ‘If you deny me before man, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven.’…”
- “Just in case I haven’t told you lately… I LOVE You!!! Please pass some of this love on to others….suppose one morning you were called to God; do all your friends know you love them?”
- “If you are too busy to witness, to pass on this email about Jesus, then God’s too busy to write your name in the Book of Life…”
Well, folks, I agree that God is busy. He’s far too busy doing other stuff than to blot my name out of the Book of Life because I didn’t pass along an email message. If you are so inclined, feel free to send that to 100 of your very closest friends. If you get it back then you will know they truly are your friends. If not, count your blessings!
