Time capsules/ What will you leave?

    Recently the ladies in the office found an old suitcase in the basement, which was full of odds/ends from “the chamber” dating as far back as 1945. There is a 50-year span in the ages of all of us, and it was interesting what different people found “noteworthy.”     All along the last several months we’ve been planning to put things in the Kiwanis 150th Anniversary Time Capsule, due to be buried on August 28th. Since our basement discovery, I’ve spent some time reflecting on what I’d want to say to different “audiences” if you will, 50 years from now. There are a variety of things I’d want to say to different people’s grandchildren or great-grandchildren, I’d want to tell Mrs. Hebert’s great-grandchildren how special she was to our community, what a driving force she was, how much she was missed. I’d want to say something to future Mockler generations so they would know how really very funny, sharp-witted, respectful and kind Robert Mockler was. I’d want to have some particularly good anecdote to future Swanbergs about Grammy and Grampy, capturing the essence of their impassioned civic mindedness. Then there’s the problem about how one would ever convey in words or a few photos personalities like Timmy Guerrette, Margaret Kimball, Mr. Hitchcock, or Larry Doody: the list could go on and on.
    Beyond personal things about specific people (which I seem fixated on this week), the ladies in our office really enjoyed photos of the town, how it used to be, what advertising looked like, and what things there were to do in town, which we found in the basement suitcase. They’ve laughed about how cheap things were, and we’ve all lamented about the crowds of people on the main street. Look at all the changes, and can you just not imagine how different things will look 50 years from now?
    Time is such an odd thing. Two of our young ladies are beginning their senior year in high school. It’s been fun (and pretty funny) having a front row seat as they count the days down to getting their licenses, the trauma associated with senior pictures, and most recently the countdown to being 18 years old. The list of things they could legally do was entertaining, but didn’t include voting! I can hear them groaning: booorrrring. Ask anyone, the day will come: you will want to vote! Nevertheless, their day-to-day conversations bring us all back to when we were seniors, and remind us how much things have changed just in 10 years. Much less 20 or 40 years: whewwhwth. Who knew! Time passes but aren’t there more things about us as people which remain the same generation to generation? Our teens may not believe it now, but the day will come!
    As we reflect on the last 150 years, and Caribou’s birthday, I hope you’ll join us in giving some thought to the future of our city beyond ourselves. What do we hope to leave as legacies? What imprints will we leave in the sands of Caribou’s time? While it seems presumptuous and pretentious, don’t we all hope to leave behind something “good” for our children, our families, our community, or our planet? Shouldn’t we strive to leave behind a positive trace? Take care, do good work, and Happy Birthday!
    Wendy Landes, MPA, is the executive director of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce & Industry. She can be reached in person at 24 Sweden Street, Suite 101; by telephone at 498-6156 or via e-mail at wlandes@cariboumaine.net.