Time Capsule

642ThingsI was flipping through my copy of 642 Things to Write About, and one of the prompts was about a time capsule, and it started me thinking (always dangerous, I know). If you could only put one thing in a time capsule that would describe you (or your life) to someone who opens it in 500 years, what would it be?

The reason I’m putting this to you is that I have no idea what that one thing would be for me. It’s not just because I don’t think I’m easily defined by one thing, though that’s part of it, I’m sure. But I’ve started looking around my apartment trying to figure out what I would choose if time capsule villains forced me to choose something at gun point (because that happens).

Would it be a picture? Tough one because I don’t have a picture that really sums up my life. I suppose I could choose one I cared about, but would that explain me to a person 500 hundred years in the future? Maybe. Maybe not.  Would I put in the time capsule a script, or a copy of My Letter to Fear? I could, as that might give them insight into a side of me and my work, but would the work be enough to represent me?

I could write them a letter. Far better than hoping that they’d be able to access my iPhone (and all of my music, photos and Twitter rants), a dedicated letter is probably the best I could do.  But what a task—summing up a life. The temptation, of course, would be to only include the positives, ignore the disappointments, and to present myself in the best possible light. But it wouldn’t really be an accurate or fully-formed picture. Would I care about that, or would ego get in the way?

Anyway, welcome back from Labor Day break (if you celebrated). This is your assignment as you ease back into the work week: pick the thing that you think would best define you to someone who opens your personal time capsule in 500 years. Tell me about it!

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