You need a Groundhog Day codeword
Here’s an important idea: you should have a Groundhog Day codeword.
A what, you ask? Let me explain.
How could you be convinced that a loved one was stuck in a time loop? You know - a Groundhog Day / Edge of Tomorrow / Palm Springs situation, where they are doomed to repeat the same day over and over. The chrono-afflicted protagonist always needs to get help, and they do this by finding someone they trust, and telling them about their experience being stuck in time.
In the movies this is solved when the victim repeats the day over and over again, learning the rhythms of the day. When they go to finally convince their friend/partner/television producer about their situation, they amaze them by knowing everything that will happen in advance. They can predict: look, that person will trip over their shoelaces! A blue car will drive past! It’s going to start raining, and that man will realize that he’s forgotten his umbrella!
But that takes so long. Your poor friend must have lived this day out dozens of times. We can do better.
You need a secret codeword. Choose one now, and keep it secret. Only you can know this, but you have to decide it today. Settle it in your mind. Zanzibar. Don’t tell a soul. Zanzibar.
THEN: when your partner/colleague/meteorologist tries to convince you that they’re stuck in a Groundhog Day situation, you can tell THEM your codeword. When the loop resets (for them), THEY will remember but YOU will have forgotten all about it.
They can then tell YOU your codeword, you won’t remember telling them, and voila! - there’s all the evidence you need.
“Matt, I am stuck in a time loop, and I need your help. Your codeword is Zanzibar.”
It’s foolproof!
Of course, if someone is somehow trying to trick you into giving up your codeword, if they are not actually chrono-displaced - that’s OK. Just tell them! Then simply pick a new codeword, and commit that new one to memory. Because of course: when your time-looped wife tells you your codeword - you won’t remember telling them anyway. If you do remember, that person isn’t actually time-looped.
Really, we should make this a global public service awareness campaign. Just like FEMA advises us what to put in our emergency kits, and families should have pass phrases to make sure they’re not getting scammed over the phone with AI-powered voice clones. You should have a time loop codeword!
The important things are:
- Choose your codeword.
- Preregister it with yourself. Remember, you can’t do this in the middle of someone’s time loop (because you’ll forget it when the loop resets). You’ve got to settle this now.
- Don’t tell anybody else! Keep it secret, keep it safe.
Of course, this isn’t any help if YOU are the one stuck in the Groundhog Day situation. That’s why we all need to have this - so we can help each other.
Groundhog Day Codewords. Get yours today!