Thes store is a prime example of the strangeness that has been in my life. The day was like any other I was working as a gas station attendant at the time and I had just started my shifted at around two o'clock in the afternoon. I forget the exact day but I know it happened in February 2004. It was the same month that some other strange things happened but I will concentrate on this incident. I was at my post behind the register when these three men came in. They were dressed casually one had a beard and was wearing an Australian outback hat. It looket like one that I own. The man grabbed a Snickers bar. The other two men that accompanied him just stood behind the man. He let me skan the item he paid with exec change. After the transaction he grabbed my right hand in a firm handshake and asked. "Do you know who I am?"
I said "I don't know, what are you Tom Cruis or something?"
He said "or something." He took off his hat revaling his head of long hair. As he took off hes jacket he said. "You should know why I am."
This made me look at the man closer he had blue eyes like me. He was my same highet. I sort of felt like I was looking at a meer and that's probably why I said what I said.
I said. "let me Guess your me from the future. You sort of look like me." The man came close and whispered. "You're right."
I said. "so I'm on the right track for time travel. My machine will work?"
He said simply. "yes."
The man had wristwatches on both hands. The one on the left I could see the manufacturer's logo. It was a Microsoft reaction, the same watch I would receive as a gift about a year later. The other watch was a large Gold one.
I said. "You have a watch on both hands."
He said. "thats right."
I tryed to get a better look into the gold watch. I reached for it. he jerked away thow I saw a few things on it. There was a moon Dial. It said it was around 10 o'clock on October 21. it didn't have the year.
I said. "Your watch looks wrong it doesn't say the right time."
He said. "No that's the right time."
He pulled out a silver object it looked like a pen. He sait it on the counter.It was a little weird. There was a pencil head screwed into the end and there was five switches. I reached to pick it up but he swept it away before I could touch it.
I said. "Well since you're here can you tell me if the future is going to be all right."
He said simply. "no."
I asked. "Well is there anything you can tell me."
He said. "Yeah aliens are real."
I said. "Don't tell me something I already know."
He said. "No really aliens are real. I even have a nickel wire in my hat to protect my brain from their intrusion."
I looked but didn't see anything and said. "I don't see it."
He said. "Well it's there nonetheless."
I was a little suspicious and wanted definitive truth and there was away so I said. "Well if you are me than show me the tatoo and what about these guys behind you."
He said. "You don't have to worry about them. The tattoo I got removed."
At that he grabbed the hat put it on and then storemed out the door hes companions quickly followed him.
I stood there a little confused. Removeing my tatoo didn't sound like a thing I'ed do. It was painful enough putting it on, taken it off would be too much.
The idea was too much. to believe that my pipe dream of being the time traveler might come true.
I wanted to ask more questions because even as a seer I ded not see this coming. So I ran after them but they were gone right into the wind. I didn't see them anywhere.
The thing stands out as being od. My coworker they're going. "what was that about." Me not having a clue.
It could be that he was just pulling my leg but then again maybe it's true. The only way I well find out is to get the money together and build the thing I've dreamed about. On the other hand at the rate that I get money he was probably just pulling my leg.

I would warn you against time travel. I do not think even a seer can truly comprehend the ramifications of travelling through time. However, now that it seems your future self has come back you must travel through time when you get the chance, not doing so would create a paradox.

Ah, time travel. It's possible, but very foolish. I have evidence to support the idea that one who traveled in time and came into contact with him/her self would be trapped in an infinitely looping sequence of reality. Definitly not fun stuff.

Be careful. This sounds like you're in deep Spider Robinson territory.

In one of his books he had a short poem about a man who got information on how to build a time machine from a future version of himself... then it blew up in his face.
Poor guy needed a medic after that... in fact he needed a Pair o' Docs.

I find the subject of time travel to be a bit touchy...far too much speculation and no real proof. (And yes Debunker, I'm sure that I'm sounding very hypocritical right now.)

Travelling forward in time is actually pretty easy. It's just nature on fast forward, you step into the deeper, faster currents of time, passing up the slower currents along the banks in which we live...And then step out again when you've gone far enough.
But travelling backwards in your own stream? Like trying to swim up a waterfall. It goes against nature and its most base laws. Magic is a serpentine subject, always twisting on itself, bending laws and twisting what we percieve to be our base realities. But it is a force of nature, and so cannot actually break its own laws.

If this gentleman is really a future you, then it seems more likely to me that he's actually from a parallel dimension. I have some experience in this sort of thing and I have met versions of myself before (of the two me's I've met, one ran a book store and had absolutely no contact with the supernatural...the other, was similiar to me, but far more...unpleasant...shall we say.). And perhaps your time machine is a key for opening dimensional gates instead of traveling through time? I have heard of devices that can focus the energies of ley lines and the nexus points therein, opening dimensional gates without requiring the complicated rituals and spells usually needed, but I have yet to actually see one in action, much less craft one myself.

Whatever he may be, I'd be very careful next time you see him...

Indeed, there are far too many ways one can aquire a doppleganger, and none of them good..