Have you ever opened a Time Capsule? Have you ever help placed one? I’m betting you had and have may not even realized you did.

The following description was written by someone else who witness the opening of a time capsule that was placed into the corner stone of the old school in Cameron MO when it was built in 1914 and opened in 2014.

“The time capsule itself was made of copper and welded tight. Every item was in pristine condition. They had managed to fit about 3 dozen items in that little box! A short sample of items from memory…complete copies of the three Cameron newspapers, a KC Star newspaper, a penny, an Indian head nickel, pictures of the school this one would replace, pictures of folks in McCorkle park, pictures of school children marching down 3rd street in support of the new school, various school related items ie. report cards, pamphlets etc., a ribbon and medallion from the Joseph Hooker Post of Cameron-the organization for Civil War veterans. A couple of my little favorites…3 rubber bands that were still good! and two 1914 paper clips, they were round in shape.”

Most time capsule you read about all seem to be 100 years old, but the ones that I’m thinking about are not that old nor are they in a sealed box. They are the ones that each of us have in our own memory’s. They are the stories you share with friends and family, events that you share with those who are younger that yourself, with the price of gas dropping and raising I recall paying $0.59 a gallon and recall when gas broke the dollar mark and all the gas pumps only went to $0.99 so you had to take the amount on the pump and double it. I remember the summer of 76 and celebrating the Bicentennial. Last week I got together with some of my Sig Ep fraternity brothers for a golf tournament and drinks after, this are the time you lock away into you own time capsule, you are making new ones as you sit around reliving old ones.

There are also objects you may have around you every day that are in your capsule, I have many such as a track and field medal for the standing broad jump my grandfather won at a track meet in Maryville in 1919, a stone from my grandparent’s driveway where as a youth I spent my summers. Artwork my mom did in college while studying fashion design some of which I have framed and on displayed in my home. I also have almost all ticket stubs from any event I’ve gone to be it a sporting event or a concert, all I have to do in look at any of this items and the memories come flooding back.

The best time capsules are the ones we share with family and friends, most of my friends are at the age of not only having children but also grandkids. I hope you are sharing you memories with them just as I’m sure your parents and grandparents have done with you. They will thank you for sharing them one day. You don’t need to put items in a tin box and cover it up for 100 years to make a time capsule! I made some this weekend and I’m sure you did too!

Thanks Stew