Time Capsule

One of the projects on the docket for this summer is to do some necessary purging. The downstairs of our house, for example, is filled with shelves filled with boxes of paperwork of various sorts.

Some boxes include files from a specific job. Others are a hodge-podge of school papers, magazines, newspapers and just plain stuff.

Let’s just say, there is enough stuff downstairs to fill a recycling bin and then some. This week, we’ve spent some time doing just that. 

Lisa really enjoyed reading some of her old school papers and looking at photographs and publications from former jobs.

I found a great collection, myself. I especially enjoyed reading some thoughtful notes from my grandmother and greeting cards from my folks (many were adorned by some of my dad’s infamous dawg drawings).

Really, I think the project was almost like opening a Time Capsule. 

Here are some of the miscellaneous items from my boxes:

• Articles I wrote for Presbyterian perioidcals during my years at Maryville College as well as a publication: “Who Are We Presbyterians?“
• Crisis Communication Plans I wrote for Maryville College and for Roane State
• A work nametag
• Millenium Newspapers (Remember the scare of Y2K, anyone? Seems like light years ago away.)
• A cache of ‘The Redbird Review’ publications (St. Louis Cardinals fan publications) from the 1980s

 

Anyway, my boxes were filled with many of these items and more. I was able to recycle a lot of what I found. Other items were earmarked for a future garage sale that Lisa is planning.

We were almost done with the project when we found my old school black brief case. Lisa asked what might be inside it. I honestly didn’t know.

I opened it and found some more old newspapers. I also found some Roane State publications I had designed and edited. And, I found the ‘catch of the day.’

I swear, this is not fabricated. Lisa is my witness! I promise you, I would never make something up just for the purpose of stocking the blog with meaningful copy.

(As an aside…hmm. Not such a bad idea…In the middle of dog days when topics become as hard to come by as the rain…NO. Seriously. Just kidding. Wouldn’t DO that! Would NOT do that.).

All kidding aside, I have no real memory of writing myself a "Dear Jeff” letter. Maybe there is some vague notion that I did do that but I just don’t have any real memory of it. I suppose it will all come back to me when I crack the thing open.

In any case, I certainly had no idea it was tucked in the black brief case.  When Lisa and I found it, we had a ‘Eureka’ moment.

Think of it: We decided to clean the downstairs THIS week; we decided I should open the briefcase, on a whim, just as our work was winding down. I could’ve easily missed it for another 10 years. But, I found it today.

From the handwriting – which looks modern – I suspect I  wrote this about 10 years ago. Maybe just after we moved to this house? 

In any case, on Thursday, I will go upstairs and spend a few minutes alone and read the contents of this envelope marked for special delivery on May 23, 2013. And after I do…I may let you know what I found!

JG

Originally posted 5/21/2013