Man digs up time capsule from 2000 and unearths chilling question about future

Daily Mirror

04-07-2025

A man has shared the contents of a time capsule he buried with his brother in 2000, and the items are a blast from the past that transported them back to the turn of the century
A man has dug up a time capsule that he and his brother made 25 years ago, and he was wowed by what he found inside. The capsule's contents offer a nostalgic trip back to the 2000s, packed with items that'll transport you straight back to the turn of the millennium.
Father Dylan Schrader, who works as a pastor, posted snaps of his silver package on X, chronicling his adventure as he cracked it open in a series of posts on the social media site. Even before unsealing the parcel, there was some bewilderment about its appearance. Father Dylan clarified why he and his sibling opted for a Crayola-themed tin as their time capsule.
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He said: "Context: Amid the millennium craze of late 1999, @Crayola_Capital offered a simple time capsule.
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"My brother and I both made one on the verge of the new year. I originally had the idea of burying it somewhere, but for whatever reason that never happened."
Despite debating about throwing it out or cracking it open early over the years, Father Schrader held off until the final day of 2024 to peel away the sellotaped lid and uncover what he and his brother had stashed inside.
Amongst the fascinating treasures were an AIDS leaflet, a booze and drugs pamphlet, a half-finished personal details booklet, floppy disks, polaroid snaps of the pastor's childhood house, and a cassette tape. Further scrutiny of the close-up shots unearthed more throwbacks from the 2000s.
Father Schrader listed: "Pokémon advertisement, Windows key from a keyboard, and Living Faith devotional booklet."
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The time capsule even contained a letter addressed to people living in the future, and it contained a chilling question about what the world might look like today.
Father Schrader had written: "I write to those who can't write back. What is the future like? Is it 1984, Brave New World, or happy? The future. To the future, from an age of free speech, religion, and rampid [sic] capitalism.
"To you I send the message of God, of love, and of peace. And so, as I fill this capsule, I say to all of us today, yesterday, tomorrow. Peace out!"
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Included among the relics was a cassette tape, marked as an "introduction" in Father Schrader's own script. He remarked: "Apparently I recorded a message and some music? I'll also have to try to find some way to access these disks, if they still work."
Once he got the tape playing, Father Schrader disclosed that it featured nods to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a recitation of poetry, and a track by Alanis Morissette.
He explained: "I was able to play the tape. It starts with reading from a Calvin and Hobbes strip, continues with references to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, a poem (?) by me (?), musings on the future, and then into a song by Alanis Morissette."