rules

"It's a very good jam," said the Queen.
"Well, I don't want any today, at any rate."
"You couldn't have it if you did want it," the Queen said. "The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday—but never jam today."
"It must come sometimes to 'jam today,'" Alice objected.
"No, it can't" said the Queen. "It's jam any other day—today isn't any other day, you know."
"I don't understand you," said Alice. "It's dreadfully confusing!"
"That's the effect of living backward," the Queen said kindly. "It always makes one giddy at first—"
"Living backward!" Alice repeated in great astonishment. "I never heard of such a thing!"
"—but there's one great advantage in it, that one's memory works both ways."
"I'm sure mine only works one way," Alice remarked. "I can't remember things before they happen."
"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward," the Queen remarked.

L.C. Through the looking glass