"MATCHES" ---> "BURN!"

So I have this idea....it's called "MATCHES." It was invented sitting on the beach in Virginia Beach almost a year and a half ago and since then, I cannot stop thinking about whether its feasibility could really be applied to the world in some way that could help people and make this world a little better place. I've talked to a lot of people about this idea, with much criticism...and sometimes support. But I am still uncertain whether this concept is really just some crazy wandering of my imagination or a concept that could bring people of different backgrounds, cultural ethnicity, family morals, or political factions together in a world that at this point in time I think could really use some unifying...

The idea of "MATCHES" is simple. It's a code word that can be used to connect people and open them up to the possibility of starting a conversation...about anything; news, politics, weather, what was on TV last night, or the latest technological advancements in string theory....anything. The code word is the word "MATCHES." How it works is this: one person sees another person in some public place and wants to talk. That person goes up to the other person and says "MATCHES." If the other person has some time to sit down and get to know each other, that person just has to respond with the word "BURN". Voila! A connection...

Now the most common question that I receive at this point is..."How is this different from just stopping someone and saying hello?" Really...not much. But the difference is this, by using the code word, you've established the grounds that both of you want to talk, the awkwardness of not knowing whether this person really has any desire or time to stop what he or she's doing to get to know you can pass and BOOM, you might have a new friend. And how often do people really stop each other to communicate? Not much... As more and more people start to use "MATCHES," people will be encouraged to get to know each other, and I think that they would be surprised what they can find.

The trick is that for this idea to work, everyone would have to already know about the code word and the response. But I think that by spreading the word on the internet and by word of mouth in this day and age when one Twitter post can go out to millions of people is really not all that difficult. And I think that it would be easy for the concept to start small. Maybe in a high school or at church and then move to bigger places like universities and workplaces. As groups begin to commit to using "MATCHES" to get to know each other, the word will spread that the code word is out there. And more and more people will get on-board.

Think of it as real-life social networking. There's more and more social networking sites online and ways for people to connect over the internet, but with this advancement in technology there's less and less reason for people to have face-to-face conversations. "MATCHES" could help change that....

Lastly, I just want to state the obvious point that there could be some safety concerns with "MATCHES." Not all people are good, and the system could most definitely be used to exploit or hurt people. Because of that, I think it's imperative that this system be used in public, where people are always under the watchful eye of others. Until you know someone well enough to really call them your friend, it is never a good idea to go to a private place alone with them.

So that's all I'll write about "MATCHES" for now. I'm not sure if "MATCHES" can change the world, but I think that it could push people in the direction of acceptance of others rather than suspicion. And I would hope that this could make a dent in the misconceptions that people have of each other. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I'd appreciate any feedback or questions that anyone would have and whether you all think that I could go forward making "MATCHES" into a reality.