Chain letters

While throwing out some old papers, I discovered the following chain letter (yes, an actual chain letter like through the mail):

To shorten it a little, I'm going to paraphrase in a few places.

"Dear Meghan

Six kids in 1990 started this chain letter. If it goes through 1999 (insert promise of an outrageous thing that will happen here).

(Insert warning and guilt trip about breaking the chain here.)

Copy this letter word for word, except drop the top name and address and add your name and address at the bottom. Send this letter to 6 kids and then send a postcard to the kid you dropped at the top. Please complete this in 4 days or the chain will be broken. In 24 days you will receive 84 postcards from around the world. (Insert a supposed tie to a reputable entity to make the letter legitimate here.)

6 names and addresses follow."

On the back of the letter, in my handwriting is a whole lot of math. Clearly, I was concerned about the idea of receiving 84 postcards. Now that I have rediscovered this letter, it occurs to me that it is a good thing I did not participate. I would have been opening myself up to the possibility of receiving 46,656 postcards (6 ^ 6 postcards) from around the world in 24 days. I don't have the space for all that! I'm trying to throw stuff out as it is.

It just goes to show that even back then people couldn't do simple math to save their lives.