Invent The Future

It was the day after Halloween in about 1995 these basic cards came into being. For the first time ever, I saw Christmas decorations up in stores on that early date. I determined to do something as an 'act locally' countereffect. Within a couple of days I designed these cards, laid them out in Pagemaker to fit letter-sized paper, printed 500 onto cardstock, and spent about half an hour cutting them out at a Kinko's. Then, I gave them all out before Christmas, with a request that if the recipient could find a way to pass it on soon, it would have a chance to get used yet again before Christmas.

Reactions were great, and I thought the idea warranted continuation. So, I've started another thousand or so on their way since then. I try to always carry a few with me, especially when I travel. I've found that if I have them, they're easy to find situations to get one into the world. I also try to remember to hand one out with all my transactions. Maybe you've even gotten one, yourself.

If I'm not actually doing an anonymous something for a recipient, I just tell people it's a card I'm giving away, and that on the front is an idea, and on the back it tells how to give the card away again. And then throw in a reminder that "anonymous counts," since I know it does.

If you'd like to print some cards of your own to hand out, I have a pdf file online that prints out 10 cards per 8.5 x 11" sheet. They are formatted to fit Avery's business card template, though it's just as easy to print the file onto card stock and then cut the cards out along the lines shown. If you don't have Adobe's free Acrobat Reader program (most current browsers are capable of reading the file; try that first), you can download it at Adobe.com.

Mr. Turquoise also gives out similar cards when he goes to parades and other events. If you'd like, you may also see that card or download his template file. Although in all other respects identical, the color of the words is slightly more, shall we say, turquoise.

Perhaps someday you'll find one of these cards under your wiper blade, left by someone who put a coin into the meter for you. At this point, I've heard a number of good deeds that have been done by cardholders, that one included. My favorite so far was from a couple who couldn't make it to a Friday night party of old friends, but thought to surprise them for breakfast next morning. The surprise turned out to be on them, since, as they found out later, the whole gang had gone out for breakfast because the kitchen was such a mess from the night before. Not knowing this at the time, the folks with the card decided to clean up the kitchen as a surprise, and left their card in the middle of a spotless countertop.

Last I heard, they still hadn't confessed to having done the deed. I guess they understood about the anonymous part, too.