I&P: Time Capsule, Part One

Don’t ask me why, but I’ve thought a lot about what I will be passing down to the next generation. Actually, I know exactly why: my grandma recently lost the ring she was planning on passing down to me. Technically not a true time capsule, but it was where my mind went immediately.

For this project, I knew I wanted things that meant a lot to me and brought me comfort. My recent move shaved down lots of my personal belongings, but I had definitely kept the most important things. My watch, my bracelet, my ring, and my necklace. At first, I thought it was funny that they were all wearables, but as I wore them to study their feel and weight I realized that my items held both sentimental value and physical value.

The Watch

Sentimental: This watch was a gift for myself to celebrate the end of my first internship.

Physical: Even with scratches and blemishes, the reassuring weight and pressure it places on my wrist is like a comforting pat on the arm. There was a point in time where I sported a very delineated tan line because the watch always falls on the same place on my wrist. The clicking noise the latch makes when it is secure is pleasing; I found that I unconsciously lock and unlock it as a means to reduce anxiety.

The Bracelet

Sentimental: I don’t know exactly how old this bracelet is, but I reckon I got it at least 8 to 10 years ago during a trip to Colombia. I don’t wear it too often nowadays due to not leaving home during the pandemic and also because the blue beads are fading and I’d like to prevent them fading entirely.

Physical: Rolling it across my wrist and rolling the beads through my fingers keeps my hands busy while my mind thinks. I am aware that I can’t pull too much for fear of breaking the elastic, but weirdly enough that keeps me grounded.

The Ring

Sentimental: Related to the paragraph below. A gift from my uncle on my 15th birthday. I don’t wear it much for fear of losing it (see intro paragraph on how my grandmother recently lost her ring). Though not as old as my grandmother’s magnificent emerald ring, I see it as a ring to pass down.

Physical: Twisting it around and around my finger, or rubbing the smooth gold band with my fingertips. Just another way to distract the hands while the mind thinks.

The Necklace

Sentimental: The most important piece of my puzzle, my emerald necklace. I have worn this necklace almost every single day since the moment I got it on my quinceañera (15th birthday). I shower with it, swim with it, travel with it, sleep with it. Although the chain has been replaced, the tiny emerald lives on. I don’t plan on ever getting rid of it.

Colombia is known for many things. My mom has always told me that even though our country has many negative associations like cocaine, marijuana, the guerillas, poverty, etc., I should never forget the beauty that comes from Colombia. This emerald is a tiny personal reminder of that beauty.

Physical: I wear it every day. I twirl it around my fingers or move it along the chain to create vibrations. I feel naked without it and although I think it’s a bug touching me sometimes, I wouldn’t feel the same without it.

Reflection

After writing all this I came to several conclusions.

• My objects hold personal sentimental value that others cannot perceive without an explanation
• My sentimental value is closely tied to family and culture, although I feel more American than Colombian at times
• My objects hold physical value that essentially reduces my anxiety just by wearing and touching them
• If placed in a time capsule, I don’t know that others would be able to understand their importance or how they tie to me