photography by Sara B. Healy
Florida State Parks
After Christmas, JC and I visited the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, one of the many beautiful state parks in our area. It is known for its majestic trees and beautiful flowers, especially Camellias and Azaleas.
The day was magnificent, with clear blue winter skies and late afternoon sunshine peeking through the moss in the trees. As we’ve had several freezing days, we weren’t sure what to expect regarding flowers, but were pleasantly surprised to find some still in bloom.
I took tons of pictures and will share some at the end of this post, but let’s get to business first.
Picture Story Challenge
While visiting the park, I found the time capsule in the picture above. I was thirteen years old when it was put into the ground and there’s 25 years to go before it will be opened!
I couldn’t help but think about what might be inside this time capsule. It made me wonder what it would be like to have my own time capsule. Of course, as I like to share, I immediately thought this idea might make a good picture story challenge:~)
So, friends, here’s your chance to create your own time capsule for someone to open in the future. Picture it in your head. Think of the person who opens it in the future. They’re looking at things you chose to put in the box, things you’ve selected about yourself and your life.
Your challenge question:
What would you put in your time capsule and why?
Other questions you might consider:
What year would you select for your time capsule will be opened and why?
What would be the inscription be on your time capsule?
If I didn’t ask the question you desperately want to answer, ask and answer it yourself….just be sure to share it in the comment box.
That’s it. Have fun, be creative and enjoy:~)
Here are a few other pictures from the park:
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
25 years? I doubt I’ll even be around to see it
The photos are glorious! How I envy you the warmth and the color!
.-= talon´s last blog ..Used =-.
@ Talon — Me neither, but it’s kind of neat to think about it. To me, it’s like being your own archeologist, putting in the ground what you want people to remember about you or a specific time. Appreciate your comments about the photos. I am beginning to really enjoy the camera! Thanks for visiting:~)
What a provocative question, Sara. I was actually stumped, so I asked my husband for help. We talked about putting together a time capsule of our life together. And three things stood out: nature, creativity, and community. So in would go those items that have meaning for us – a shell, a rock, a bit of bark from a backyard redwood tree, a photo of the garden, photos of beautiful places we’ve visited, poetry, collages, masks, drawings, a swatch of colorful fabric, writings, a CD of us singing together, a list of creative endeavors we’ve shared (workshops, performances, speeches), and most important, photos of those people we most love and care for. I think I’d like the inscription to read: A Life Well Lived. p.s. beautiful photos!
.-= Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..Introducing Meaning Mondays =-.
@ Patty — I loved this comment. I learned so much you just from what you would select to put in your time capsule. I also really like the inscription…that’s what we should hope to say about our lives.
Hey, it’s cool that you and your husband are singers. Have you put a video up of your singing? If not, it would be great if you did. I love music, but can’t sing a note and so, I always admire people who can:~)
Hi Sara.
but that’s what came to me. The inscription would read “Stay a while.”
I think of leaving something to represent comfort and self-reflection for whomever finds the time capsule 50 years from now. A warm blanket, some pillows, a candle and some matches to set the mood, and a mirror. I find myself thinking this a bit strange
.-= Davina´s last blog ..Mother Nature Waits for Nobody =-.
@ Davina — I always believe it’s best to listen to that wise voice inside you. It’s interesting how your choices of what you would put in the time capsule fit the inscription — a pillow and blanket to be comfortable during the stay, a candle and matches for light….the mirror to reflect the happiness of the person who “stays a while” :~)
Hi Sara
I am just visiting from Talon’s after seeing your beautiful calender.
Funnily enough we dug up a time capsule on New Years Eve that we buried on the Millenium New Years Eve 10 years ago. We had all written a letter to ourselves relaying what we hoped our lives would be like in the year 2010 and all our hopes and dreams. We also enclosed photo’s of ourselves and how we looked at that time. It was a lot of fun.
When I was 9 or so I won a competition to write a letter to be put in a time capsule that would be opened in 100 years. Obviously I won’t be around for that but hopefully some of my relatives will be.
Beautiful photos and thanks for sharing.
.-= Gypsy´s last blog ..I’m glad I’m not a fly….. =-.
@ Gypsy — Thanks for visiting. That’s neat that you created a time capsule and dug it up! I hope you found that your past self sent good words to your future (and now present) self:~)
Regarding the letter your wrote for the time capsule when you were nine, did you or your parents save a copy of it? Think about that…wow…someone’s going to read your words of wisdom when that time capsule is opened. I am completely impressed!!!
Thanks about the photos and do come back:~)
Hi Sara!
What a creative challenge! My first thought would be to put a computer in it – can this be a BIG box? – I’m sure it will be laughable 100 years from now. Then I think some lovely hand written letters. Hardly anyone writes them these days so I can’t imagine it would be popular in the future. I’d have to throw in about a dozen books I’ve read on 2012 “predictions” – surely SOMEbody got it right? Well get a HUGE box – bigger than big – throw in music and art so the folks in the future know we did have a bit of culture.
Don’t put my Monkey Mind in charge of this assignment. You’d need a ship’s container!
@ SuZen — You are so great…I purposely did not specify the size so that people could be free to chose what they wanted. I love the idea of a computer…in kind of nice that we can finally fit them into boxes. I can remember when we used DOS and the computers were giants.
I also agree with you about the letters. I have lots of letters my mom wrote to dad in WWII and it’s interesting to read what she wrote and time she took to collect the thoughts. This is your time capsule and if you want to be a ship’s container that’s perfectly fine with me:~)
Hi Sara,
Like Gypsy, my cousins and I created a “time capsule” (it’s really a metal box that we locked and put in their basement. We were afraid we wouldn’t find it if we buried it in the yard!). We did it at the Millenium and put a 10 year time limit. We should have opened it last week, but schedules didn’t allow us to be together. We’ll open it in Feb/March when schedules work out.
That said, it was so fun. We created a tape from the radio, put newspaper clippings, photos, and a bunch of personal memorabilia. Then we all went, individually, into a room and created a video segment. No one else knows what was said, and that was part of the intrigue. I think until we open this one, creating another one is not on my mind. I do love the idea, though and can’t wait to open the box we buried 10 years ago.
.-= Stacey Shipman´s last blog ..Awake to Life, Turkeys and All =-.
Hi again Sara – You’re so kind to ask about the singing! I was actually thinking about doing a singing blog sometime. I’m a bit challenged technologically, so maybe not a video right now. But I think I can figure out how to record a podcast and insert it into the post.
.-= Patty – Why Not Start Now?´s last blog ..Introducing Meaning Mondays =-.
@ Patty — YOU SHOULD SING ON YOUR BLOG:~) As I love music, but do not have much talent in that direction, I always love it when others do have musical talent and they share.it..so let’s hear it. I also understand about being technologically challenged. However, you might check with with Jannie Funster and see how she did hers:~)
Sara,
Love the photos. I would make it for my great-great grand children. I would put in it only a photo of my hubby and I and candles and a lighter so everyone or anyone who was there could light up the world with joy and memories.
.-= Tess The Bold Life´s last blog ..Local Grocery Store’s Happiest Employee =-.
Hi Sara — this piece reminds me of the fact that I have very little I’d consider putting in a time capsule — perhaps because most of my memorable stuff is stored in digital format on a server somewhere. Ah, well, that will make it easier for historians to write about me 100 years from now — they won’t have to deal with a lot of decaying paper.
@ Chris — You could always put the server in the time capsule. Remember, I didn’t specify the size of the time capsule:~)
I think the photographs are marvellous. I especially like the second one with the path and the overhanging trees. It makes me want to see what’s at the other end. Does it end? It feels like it doesn’t…
I would put a stone in my time capsule. It would have small writing on it. The writing would say this:
‘As it was,
As it is,
As it shall be
Evermore,
O Thou Triune
Of grace!
With the ebb,
With the flow,
O Thou Triune of grace!
With the ebb,
With the flow.’
That’s a Gaelic prayer from way back, and its words have filled me with an unexpected calm from time to time.
That’s all that would be in the capsule. No one needs to know who I was or why I was, because I don’t even know who I am or why I am most of the time. All I can seem to focus on is the ebb and the flow…
.-= Tony Single´s last blog ..From the Archive =-.
@ Tony — Perhaps the person who opens your time capsule would pull out the rock, read this prayer and be filled with unexpected calm. Then he or she would thank the person who included the stone:~)