#byocask

Can I have a fortune? Can I have a fortune? Can I have a fortune? Can I have a fortune?

If you have had 3 or more fortune responses in the past, I may have skipped over you. I have a limited number of unique text responses and want as many people as possible to receive fortunes. I might have had to set your fortune request aside because you already have several responses.

“I have not had 3 responses! You skipped over me!”

Are you sure? Check your tag on the blog. You might have missed a response. (fortuneaday.tumblr.com/tagged/[your name here])

HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY--

When I am able to reply, fortunes are queued an hour apart (so we can be kind to your dashboard). If you have sent multiple requests over a short period of time or have flooded my inbox, I probably set one or all of your requests aside!

“Give me a fortune.”

No. I don’t appreciate demands. Phrasing like this is rude, so don’t be surprised if there’s no answer.

“Fortune.”

If your request was just one or two words or was otherwise rude, no, I didn’t answer it.

“Please reply privately.”

Nope! This is a community of sharing and caring, buddy!

“I would love it if I could have a fortune about my love life and I’m a musician, so if you have anything with that theme it would be great, thanks.”

I do not choose your fortune. Ever. Your fortune chooses you. Everybody gets to hear from the ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*universe*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ just like you!

“Who will it be?”

Psychic blogs work like this. But this is a fortune cookie blog, not a psychic blog. I don’t know what you’re asking about and I’m not going to pretend to know. Maybe Steve? See, I really don’t know.

“I know I’ve had 3 fortunes but it’s [insert special event here]!”

The main point of the 3-fortune rule is that I’m trying to be fair to everyone. It’s not like I don’t want you to have a happy birthday/sober anniversary/last day on the job, etc. Maybe you can take yourself out for a celebratory dinner and you’ll pick up a real fortune cookie that you can enjoy. If you do, please do stop by and brag to us about your good fortune!

Note on icons, usernames, and inappropriate content:

[Image is a screenshot of an ask sent to the blog fortuneaday with the username and userpic blocked out. The message reads: hello! do you think you could give me a fortune about a past event? something like a repressed memory? and if you think its not possible... can you give me a fortune about uncovering the source of my trauma? sorry if this ask makes you uncomfortable injust feel desperate :-( ]

Hey, everybody. I’m going to take a moment to seriously address this ask I was sent and asks like it that we have all seen sent to blogs all over Tumblr.

Please learn that it’s not cool to foist intense personal issues on others, especially when you don’t know them.

This blog is just an art project where I answer people’s requests for fortunes for fun. Aside from seemingly not bothering to read the rules, content, or take a moment to absorb the context of the blogs they message, asks like this go far beyond making people just uncomfortable. Forcing obligation for your emotional well-being on a complete stranger is a desperate grab that needs to be answered with sincerity - I am not being flippant about this ask and my intention isn’t to mock this person. Behavior like this needs an honest answer: Redirection.

If you are in a tough place and you feel ready to reach out, please get in touch with friends or relatives, people who are familiar with your situation, and get their support in seeking professional assistance.

It is inappropriate in the extreme to throw what appears to be a genuine plea for emotional support at a random blog, forcing others to take on a mental burden they might actually not have the capacity to bear. Blogrunners are not obligated or qualified to be encumbered with the well-being of a stranger when they express thoughts this personal and troubling and, for-real for-real, I hope this person will approach someone with a message like this in a professional mental health capacity and not ever lob these things into another stranger’s inbox again.

If this was a joke, it should be obvious that it was a shitty one.

If not, I’m going to ask this person to please take real-world steps to seek support.

Someone saying they had a crappy day, asking for a fortune, trying to do something fun, is a far cry from a message like this. Yes, it is uncomfortable for me, but for someone else who might be contending with their own heavy emotional load, it would be more than that. It could be an incredibly unfair strain on them and, as much as strangers can be helpful on the internet, they are not and should not be forced into a responsibility over your health and welfare. I have seen people engage in behavior like this on friends’ blogs and they take responsibility for the people who randomly found them and started pouring out their souls. That’s not healthy for them and it wouldn’t be healthy for me to take on the responsibility of answering this person directly.

If I gave them a fortune that they read as negative, that they felt was “a message from the universe” directing them to self-destruction, that would be on me. I’ve seen other people feel responsible for results like that and I simply cannot be responsible for inadvertently and unexpectedly bringing someone further down when in crisis mode.

When you see messages like this, please respond with resources that redirect to professionals. I know plenty in my area but that obviously won’t help everyone and I don’t know how things work in other parts of the world. Here’s a wide selection, for now:

Inside the US, you can text HOME to 741741 for free crisis support.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.

If you are in the US, I also encourage you to contact your local (city, county, state) Health and Human Services or Family Services departments. In many areas, calling 211 will connect you with a United Way helpline.

In many areas dialing 311 will connect you with county services, or you can ask to be connected to places like community centers where crisis assistance, counselors, and even healthcare services may be free for local residents.

Religious institutions of all stripes often offer similar services in their communities or may be able to refer you to appropriate outlets.

I’m not sure about places outside of the US so, if you have any knowledge or experience, please feel free to respond to or reblog the post with additional info.