The year 2000 was an eventful year for me, especially in the way of time capsules. I participated in my first time capsule on January 1st, and then on the Fourth of July of the same year, my family and I travelled to the Texas panhandle to meet my uncles and cousins and to unearth a time capsule that my dad and his brothers had buried 24 years earlier in 1976, the bicentennial of American independence.
Now, I realise that reading about time capsules may be somewhat like listening to someone tell you their dreams鈥攎ildly interesting at best. But this post is mostly for my own benefit and reminiscing, so keep reading or not, it鈥檚 up to you.
Where was I? Oh yes, year 2000. Although I was only ten years old at the time, some of my most vivid memories of childhood are from this time period. Digging up the time capsule that my dad and his brothers had buried was fun. All my uncles and cousins were there, even the ones from California, and I remember the sensation of wonder when we cracked open something that had lain undisturbed for 24 years, buried before I was even born! (Although recently I found out that my dad had exhumed it in the 80s to remove some coins that he had included, since he didn鈥檛 trust his brothers not to steal them.) As far as the contents, what I remember most were the firecrackers and smoke bombs from 1976, that amazingly still worked.
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Looking back on my growing up years, I don鈥檛 recall any time in particular when someone told me it was disrespectful to wear a hat in the house. Maybe I just noticed it from others, or heard other people talking about it. Or maybe it was from mere utilitarian motives: In my mind, the purpose of a hat is to keep sun or rain off your head, and when you鈥檙e indoors, this protection is no longer necessary. But regardless, traditionally a man is considered disrespectful if he wears his hat indoors (ladies can keep them on, because theirs are mainly decorative).