Scary thoughts of the future pertaining to possible killer robots and metal artificial trees are among writings made in a time capsule of items tucked away by B.C. man Dan Robin, family and friends on New Year鈥檚 Eve 1999 to be unveiled 20 years later.
Dustin Karemaker was just 13 in 1999 and drew pictures of a killer robot and a metal tree, wondering what might materialize.
鈥淚 hope that in about 100 years there aren鈥檛 giant killer robots and metal artificial trees,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚 hope that things improve by global used electric cars and solar power things.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think any of that Y2K stuff will happen. In 20 years, I will be 33. Wow!鈥�
Rather perceptive for an early teen.
There鈥檚 plenty of songs that capture the essence of the motivation for the group.
For starters, there鈥檚 Jim Croce鈥檚 鈥渋f I could save time in a bottle.鈥�
And then the Steve Miller Band鈥檚 鈥渢ime keeps on slippin鈥�, slippin鈥�, slippin鈥� into the future.鈥�
Robin and company wanted to essentially preserve that moment in time before the start of the 2000s and then reconvene at the end of 2019 to have a look back at what was saved and what everyone had written as predictions and observations.
鈥淭wenty years is a long time,鈥� conceded Robin of Crofton. 鈥淭hings change.鈥�
The world was on the verge of the Y2K threat and the uncertainty surrounding whether computers would click over to 2000 without serious issues occurring.
Robin remembers all the machines at the Crofton pulp mill being slowed down as a precautionary measure.
鈥淚t could have caused the entire mill to shut down,鈥� he indicated.
But as the world prepared for the clock to tick past midnight on Jan. 1, 2000, all fears were allayed.
鈥淎s everybody knows, nothing happened,鈥� Robin chuckled.
In the last half hour or so before the big moment, everyone assembled at the Robin household wrote letters and put away magazines and newspapers from the time period into three cylinders for storage.
As Robin said, a lot can change in 20 years. He was 43 and is now 63, both his parents were alive at the time and are now deceased, and that鈥檚 just the beginning.
Oldest daughter Holly White of Duncan is now 36, middle daughter Jennifer Robin of Duncan is 34 and youngest daughter Theresa Buchanan of Kelowna is 30. Dan Robin has seven grandchildren among them.
It鈥檚 obviously been enough of a lapse in time for another generation.
鈥淭hey were so excited to see it,鈥� said Robin of his daughters. 鈥淭hey were little kids, they remember it.鈥�
Sean Karemaker was 16 in 1999 and showed an accomplished artistic ability evident in his drawings at the time that he carried into later years.
鈥淭he number of the approaching year is insignificant,鈥� Karemaker wrote. 鈥淚t is the prophecies and impending hate that are pushing it along. Anyway, good luck if that is a factor.鈥�
The early drawings exhibited by him were actually a sign of things to come. He now teaches art at three different universities and has done some work in China with his talents.
The Karemakers were among the friends gathered with the Robins on Christmas Eve 2019 to open the time capsules. There was a magazine with a burgeoning Britney Spears on the cover and newspapers from around the Cowichan Valley, including a real estate section from The Pictorial that showed some rather cheap housing prices by today鈥檚 standards, as well as individuals letters and some libations for good measure.
鈥淲e had a lot of fun here,鈥� said Robin. 鈥淭wenty-seven people were here for the opening of the time capsule.
鈥淲e laughed, cried, it鈥檚 all the emotions.鈥�
Only two of the original three cylinders could be located. There was a move along the way and Robin鈥檚 hoping the other cylinder can still be found because it contained a letter from his dad and other family members he鈥檇 like to see.
The Robins and company don鈥檛 plan to wait another 20 years for the next one. They鈥檙e cutting the time period down to 10 years and putting together items and letters again to reveal in early 2030.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good reason to have a gathering to make a time capsule,鈥� reasoned Robin.
It鈥檚 truly history in the making.
