The Best Things in Life
What:
As the first part of the “Time Capsule” project, I was prompted to select a few items to be stored in a hypothetical time capsule that would be unearthed in the future. I searched around my house for several things. Living my life as a technologist has left many items soulless and digital if ever opened in a box, especially in a time when they’re likely to be long antiquated. Because of this, I chose to select non-digital items.
Theme:
I couldn’t find a common way to string my items together into a singular narrative. I started writing out different traits about them. It then occurred to me that I received all of them for free. However, while the items themselves were free they all contained underlying costs that have cause drastic life-altering effects on me. Once I made this realization I decided to showcase them in a mockup of an e-commerce site. The items could be browsed as if they were on-sale listing the free price and underlying cost, the descriptions would tell their stories, and photos showcase the items themselves.
Items:
Here is an overview of the chosen items and their stories.
Sign:
A golden sun was setting over the Pennsylvania mountains. I was leaving one of the longest-running music festivals at the time while on the longest (and then most expensive) date of my life. I was shaking over the joy of the day. Towards the exit, several other concertgoers were flooding out but, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to leave and wanted a piece of this day forever. I walked up to the nearby chain-link fence, pulled out my knife, and sliced the banner stapled to it. A kindred soul walked up and we pulled it apart until we each had a matching memory of the “Van’s Warped Tour 2011” in hand. I rejoined my date and the crowd as we all walked triumphantly through the gates and into the future.
Bill:
I held the paper in one hand and my phone in the other. Instagram was open with a message from a friend. “There’s a job you’d be perfect for, but it’s contract, so no benefits.” I desperately wanted to take the position. Designing museum exhibits with new technology was a dream come true. My vision shifted to the paper. Words in bold read: “Health Plan Payment Summary, amount billed: $334.78, insurance paid: $334.78, without insurance: AMOUNT DUE IN FULL.” It was a simple physical, nothing major but I was lucky to have insurance and very lucky it wasn’t worse. I let out a sigh that carried my dreams on its dioxide. I responded, “sorry, maybe next time.” Healthcare in the states always came at a cost.
Book:
My heartbeat grew a little bit faster. I practiced the conversation in my head. It was the last day of class and my only chance for more information. I didn’t have the best reputation with this professor and for a class with almost zero grades, I knew lasting perceptions made all the difference. I wasn’t concerned at all with the grades though, it was the conversation that scared me, but the curiosity couldn’t keep me away. This whole new world of immersive theater, technology and so many other avenues of exhilarating possibilities. Conversation never came easy, but I asked for a lead. Professor Bassuk smiled through clearing my preconceived notions of animosity and recommended one book, “The Art of Immersion.” He claimed it had everything I’d need, and we were done. My next birthday, it was conjured from my wishlist by a friend. He was right and my new life goals were written on its pages.
Seeds:
It was 2018 and I had gone all-in. I suffered backbreaking labor in the sun and callused hands from digging and tilling. It was the first year I fully embraced gardening. Tomatoes, peppers, peas, beans, squash, and more had been planted and were starting to flourish. As harvest time came I gathered enough for maybe 3 days worth of meals. It wasn’t much but I felt accomplished as I held a bowl of fresh green beans that snapped when I took a bite. An idea stirred that if storytelling doesn’t work, being a solar punk gardener doesn’t sound too bad.
Here is the full store mockup:
