Splaine: Making a do-it-yourself time capsule
During the next few weeks, letters to our future will be collected and placed into a time capsule that will be sent to the year 2123 to be opened by those who replace us. That 100-year time capsule gives us the opportunity to time travel, at least with our thoughts, to a Portsmouth that we can only imagine today.
The 2123 Portsmouth time capsule is an official partner program of Portsmouth NH 400th Inc. We're keeping it fun for all involved, and everyone is invited to participate − no tickets, no costs, no permission needed − just write your thoughts on one or two pages, put into an envelope addressed to "2123," and it will be inserted in the time capsule to be sealed on Dec. 31 at noon. More details soon.
In addition to this citywide project, how about making your own do-it-yourself time capsule? First, you need to decide its purpose. Will it include just letters and pictures, or items like momentos, family keepsakes or something you just want to send to your future self or to whomever will open it?
Then determine if you want your time capsule to be opened in 10, 25 or 50 years, or longer, and how much you want to put into it. That will guide you on how to make your time capsule. You can buy time capsule kits, or you could just get a waterproof box large enough to carry your contents. Then determine where to put it for its trip through time.
1. Collect stuff. If it's a family or neighborhood time capsule with your friends, be inclusive. Include written letters from your neighbors, enclose menus from area restaurants, describe what you want your neighborhood to become, make predictions about your family. Pictures will be fine if protected well. Those who open your time capsule will appreciate your efforts.
2. Seal, then place or bury. Time capsules don't have to be buried, but if you do so make sure you mark it well so it can be found later. Or you could simply seal your time capsule and put it inside a wall of your home, or in the corner of your basement, not to be opened until it is time. Wherever it is, it is there, waiting to be discovered.
3. Have a ceremony. Gather friends together, party, play music, sing, make speeches, and have fun as you say goodbye to your creation as it time travels into the future. Kind of like a time machine.
4. We all like stories. Try writing a real or fictional story about the year that you have designated for the opening of your time capsule. For example, if you're planning a 50 year time capsule for the year 2073, let the journalist in you write a report about how Portsmouth is doing. Has sea level rise affected your neighborhood? What cars are people driving? Does Portsmouth have its own professional sports team? What do people do for work? What does downtown look like? What's the newest and latest fad? Have space aliens visited yet?
Every time you look at where you put your time capsule, you'll think about how it is holding up, and what you put into it. That can be exciting. Years ago I put a letter in a time capsule addressed to my family members who may outlive me. While perhaps I'd like to change a sentence or two, I'm just comforted that I wrote it.
Your time capsule project would be neat to do during this holiday season as your family gathers. It will be your gift to those who find it. They'll thank you.
Today's quote: "I do remember my 25-year-old self writing a letter to my older self and putting it in that time capsule. Time capsules aren't just about our communities but about ourselves and what we value. It's about what we wish to preserve in ourselves and what we hope we can leave behind." − Ray Will, now 53 years old, one of the organizers of the time capsule that was buried at Portsmouth High School in June 1995. The search goes on.
Next time: 12.31.23 − Details about our gift to the future.Variously since 1969, Jim Splaine has been Portsmouth assistant mayor for six terms, Police Commission member and School Board member, as well as New Hampshire state senator for six years and representative for 24 years. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Splaine: Making a do-it-yourself time capsule
