Homeowner Finds a 1994 Time Capsule in His Home and Decides to Find the Owner

Thirty years later, a contractor did find the capsule and followed the young boy’s instructions. The creator of the capsule has been found, and now, the rest of the world is able to share in his joy and nostalgia for a long-forgotten memory.

Within the letter, which he signed with his full name, Nathan wrote, “Please try to contact me if this is found,” so Graff set to work doing exactly that.

Of course, those treasures are hardly worth anything: a TaleSpin figurine, a toy car, a few football cards, a scroll with lyrics from the Lion King soundtrack, a fake $50 bill, and a photo of his then-10-year-old brother.

In his perfectly imperfect 12-year-old script, Nathan described his four family members. He wrote of his brother, “Grant a 10 yr old with a promising future.” His brother “Zac an 18 yr old having his last year of high school.” Himself, “Nathan a 12 yr old with the intellect of a 30 yr old and the spelling of a 7 yr old.” His mother, “an [angel] in [disguise] only 42 years old.” And his dad, “a great father the man of a great family.”

Nathan told the BBC, “As an adult, it’s crazy to me that this was found, but so heartwarming to see everyone’s response and the memories shared. I hadn’t thought about it in forever, but it is great to see it 30 years later. I love feel-good stories like this.”

Batcho reported, “Remembering life as we once lived it can elevate mood, remind us of people we have loved and who loved us, counteract loneliness, and enhance our sense of meaning and purpose in our lives.”

Psychologists around the world have studied the positive effects of connecting with one’s inner child, including playing like they once played, conversing with their child self, and even telling them the words they always wanted to hear from a parent. And nostalgia is a beautiful way to experience joy and connection with one’s inner child.

Instead, as Batcho explained, “A time capsule symbolizes the desire to defy the reality of the passing of time, inevitable change, and the impossibility of immortality. Preserving what we feel represents us is a way of passing on our legacy to future generations.”

Around the world, adults have been creating time capsules for decades in the hopes of obtaining some kind of immortality in this world.

And as experts like Batcho understand, the desire to leave a part of the self for future generations is increasing in direct proportion to the stresses of the current reality.

They believe that this phenomenon was sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the world’s heightened fear for the future. As Batcho said, “Nostalgia softens the stress of coping with change and strengthens our sense of being in control,” something that people desperately needed during the pandemic.

And Nathan Headden couldn’t agree more. He says, “ I hope it inspires others to make time capsules with their kids or by themselves at any age.”