I’ve always loved old things: vintage clothing, retro machinery, old transportation methods, you name it. If it’s old, I’m probably interested in it. I’m also a huge fan of written words. Go figure. Naturally, I am insanely interested in handwritten letters. I love finding older letters because of both the amazing calligraphic handwriting as well as the substance hidden inside. At some point in my childhood, I stumbled upon a very old diary, written by a distant and long gone relative. Her diary wasn’t dramatic or emotional. In fact, some might have called it mundane. She wrote about her garden and the green beans that her mother grew and cooked for dinner. She kept a record of what she ate, friends she talked to, and what she did during each day. It wasn’t her daily life that entranced me, though I did find that interesting. Instead, it was the idea that her diary about ordinary things could last centuries. Some of the pages do stick together, and I have to open it extremely gently, but still, her words are there, only slightly faded by time.

This time in which I live never feels like it will become vintage or ancient, but I know it will. Someday, my descendants might read my journals, carefully turning each musty, torn page and scanning my handwriting for something interesting. I like to imagine what that will be like. I can’t help but focus on how I want to be remembered, like it’s my very own time capsule. Especially now, in the age of the internet and social media, where everything is recorded and saved, I think it’s important to leave behind some trace by which you want to be remembered. It is extremely easy to write mean or harmful things when you can hide behind a keyboard or computer screen, and I know everyone’s heard it, but it is true that once you type something or send something, it can never be erased. As a little kid, someone once told me that words are like a tube of toothpaste. When you squeeze the tube, it’s extremely hard to put the toothpaste back inside. Once you speak, write, or type words, it is very hard to take them back. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t want my great great great great grandchildren to read some ancient journal, really old Facebook post, or an Odyssey article and wonder if I were a decent person or not.

I was raised on the idea that vibes are very important. It sounds super hippie, but it really just refers to your outlook and attitude. Positive vibes can make your day and someone else’s day better. I like to believe that on my very worst days, I can make myself feel better by making someone else feel better. Personally, I love getting mail, and I always think handwritten notes are much more powerful than text messages or emails, so I write handwritten letters to others. I write letters to my family or friends when I’m feeling homesick, physically sick, or just stressed out. I put positive vibes on a sheet of paper and spread them to someone else. Sometimes, I like to imagine that my letter might be found in a couple centuries. Someone in the future will decipher my handwriting and reason about what kind of person I was. It’s kind of exciting, but it also feels like somewhat of a responsibility. I want what I write to do more good than harm, and that’s a lot to ask from one letter, post, or journal entry.

So, I watch my words, both written and spoken. I aim to spread genuinely positive vibes as often as possible. It helps to remember that words are not easily forgotten, but it’s even more helpful to put down the computer or phone screen and gauge how people react to what I say by actually looking at them. I want to get it right the first time. I don’t want to force toothpaste back into the tube.