6 December
1999
I brought yesterday's New York Times Magazine into work today to show Todd the "The Times Capsule" issue. We turned the static clingy pages and oohed and ahhed over its Terminator design and laughed at David Letterman's Top Ten list. And then I asked what I consider to be an important question that no one seems to address: Why don't we ever get to open a time capsule? Apparently the first US time capsule was sealed in 1876 by Mrs. Charles Deihm (the presentation of her name says it all...) with instructions for it to be opened on July 4th 1976 by the Chief Magistrate of the United States. As instructed, Gerald Ford opened the time capsule on that day to find, among other things, a complete tea service. Surprise. The Times is inviting the general public, NY Times Readers, and American Natural History Museum goers to suggest items to be included in their Times Capsule, to be opened in the year 3000. Suggestions include butterfly hair clips, Pokemon cards, cell phones, bricks, Beanie Babies, pens, bar codes, and a video game joystick. What's the point? Half of these things will seem like ancient relics in 6 months, let alone 1000 years. What inkling will this give future generations about our lives on the cusp of the year 2000 that they couldn't read in a simple volume of a pop culture encyclopedia? Is any of this important enough to document? Look around you. Look at all the must-have objects that litter your life and ask yourself if even just one of them is important to pass on; if it truly defines your soul. The black matte electronics. The IKEA furniture. Your place setting for ten. Instead, imagine some distant and future relative of yours, granddaughter50, opening up a simple letter. A journal. A photograph album. Your favorite book. Imagine the mark that your words and your art and your heart can make on someone so far from now. Back when Scott hosted The Random Question Game by email, he asked all of us to list the items we'd include in a time capsule. I filled mine with books, music, movies, and art. Puzzle pieces that lock together to mirror myself in this blip of time. Ignoring the technological fact that CDs and video won't last longer than 20 years, this list is still relevant and definitive and personal. What about you? What's in your time capsule? biggest kiss... ...kristen |
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