Splaine: Unveiling the Portsmouth 2123 time capsule
If all goes well, and that’s never guaranteed and we have seen a battle of design going on behind the scenes (perhaps TMI?), plans are that the Portsmouth 2123 Time Capsule will be unveiled at the City Council meeting on Monday, Dec. 18.
That’s provided the meeting doesn’t go too long, because some of us have early bedtimes, and if it doesn’t seem like there will be a debate − we’re just out to have a good time. The concept of this project is to bind us together to vision our possible 100-year future. Our motto: “Fun Yes, Politics No, Arguments Zero. Pray for us.”
As we’ve mentioned before, unlike thousands of time capsules worldwide, ours won’t be buried under rocks and dirt. Shoveling is work, finding it later is more work. This time capsule will be in plain sight and displayed in a variety of locations in coming years, visually encouraging people to think about their future and wondering what those who put messages and letters into it wrote.
About that design battle, here’s a hint: What is 5 feet tall, not too wide, but not skinny, had to be sawed in half and assembled carefully, has a red face and nuts and bolts, is not one solid piece, and is strong enough to carry millions of gallons of water?
The winner gets to put the first message into the time capsule to be read by who knows whom in 100 years, and 5 quarters dated prior to this year to commemorate Portsmouth’s 500th anniversary.
Realizing young people will likely outlive the older among us, former Portsmouth School Superintendent Bob Lister has reached out to school administrators and the school board to urge them, teachers, and students to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime effort. The hope is that students will put messages into the time capsule, perhaps as a class project.
Those messages can be to their future-selves or their descendants or to a student who will in 2123 be the age they are now. That message could be a description of what a typical day is like in school or home, or describe movies they like (which will become old classics), or games they play, or something about their family.
Imagine their great-great-grandchildren getting a message from them that was sealed for 100 years. Wow.
Or perhaps writing predictions of their future, or what their friends will be doing in years to come. How will people get around in a hundred years? Will climate change affect their lives? Will space travel include housing on the Moon and trips to Mars? Have aliens visited us from another planet?
Parents can include a drawing of a baby’s hand or make a footprint on a piece of paper. Letters can be up to two pages about your family, a day in your life, your predictions or hopes and dreams, and may but do not have to be sealed in an envelope. Pictures are okay. They’ll probably last well − lots of old pictures exist today. There may be some wear and deterioration of paper, but most will remain intact and readable.
It takes just 15 minutes to write your letter. You can put it into a box at the Portsmouth Public Library, 175 Parrott Avenue. Take a moment to examine treasures they have: books, DVDs, CDs, photographs, exhibits, conference rooms, a kid’s area. Library cards are free from very friendly staff.
If people who lived here in 1923 created a time capsule for us we could have opened this year, wouldn’t we love to see what they said? This is our gift to those who will replace us. Each of us is only here a while, but our thoughts can last a long time.
Participating in this project is probably the closest we’ll ever come to time travel itself. It’s our own footprints in the sand that people will see in 100 years, and will know that we were here once upon a time.
As an official partner program of PortsmouthNH 400th Inc., we have endeavored to be very inclusive. Let those 100 years from now know that you passed this way. Don’t give up this opportunity.
Next time: Thinking About Past Portsmouth Holidays.
Variously since 1969, Jim Splaine has been Portsmouth Assistant Mayor for 6 terms, Police Commissioner, and School Board member, as well as N.H. State Senator for 6 years and Representative for 24 years. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com
If people who lived here in 1923 created a time capsule for us we could have opened this year, wouldn’t we love to see what they said? This is our gift to those who will replace us. Each of us is only here a while, but our thoughts can last a long time.