I don’t often take the bait for daily posts or writing challenges, but today’s WordPress Daily Prompt was too good to pass up! As 2012 draws to a close, how would I like to remember it and what would I like to pass on to future generations about this year?
I helped with a time capsule once, in kindergarten. Sir James Douglas Elementary School buried a few plastic boxes with things from the last millennium and the old school building while the new one was being built. I think we also did one for the year 2000.
I don’t remember what I put in or what some of the final objects were, but I’m sure they will be highly valuable to anthropologists in 2497. What would I put in my own personal time capsule if I was trying to remember this year, and why would people in the future care?
I think I’d start with some art. This summer I worked at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and I hung some Emily Carr paintings, so if I could get my hand on one of those…
Music is a must in any time capsule. I wouldn’t say I discovered any new favourites this year, but I’d have some…iPods full?…I’d include some music in the box as well.
If I could include all of YouTube in my time capsule I would as well. Let’s just say this year was the year I discovered the full devastating impact of YouTube on time management. And that’s why not much else would be included in my time capsule……
As a history student I take an interesting view of time capsules. I spend my semesters looking at what has been recorded, preserved, memorialized and why. Why would people want to know my history? In some ways I’d love a Sci-Fi, Dr. Who box that’s bigger on the inside, or that holds the secrets of the universe. Maybe even something that has a holographic image of me telling my own story (or even the real me!). Sadly it doesn’t work that way, and people would be looking at snapshots of my life. It’s a fascinating subject, but only important to social historians and anthropologists. But hey, it’s still fun!
I have a tough time picking stuff for just one year. I think, should I ever make a real time capsule, I’d include things that are longer-lasting. I don’t feel like 2012 was all too new. 2011 maybe, but this year has many great things that happened last year as well and that I hope will continue for many more years. Some of the new things were going into Honours History at UVic, so including some textbooks would be fitting. I’d include this blog since it’s been 11 months today since I started it. I’d also include some friends, the new ones I’ve made (but even those are mostly since September).
So a time capsule. Tough choices… I’d pick things that are longer lasting than one year. Memories, friends, things that can’t really be put in a box. Those are replaced by things like stories, pictures, and even items that tell a story to you but will leave unaware people guessing in the future. In a way, a time capsule is like moving, you can put so many important things into the box and bury it, but there’s always things that get left out and left behind.
@befaster 