What Happens When The Present Meets The Past? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

What Happens When The Present Meets The Past?

How The Proper People honor the past on Youtube by exploring abandoned places.

30
What Happens When The Present Meets The Past?

Buildings get abandoned all the time. For one reason or another, the occupants will leave them behind for Mother Nature to take over. These buildings will oftentimes be forgotten. People will drive right past them without much thought, or they will be demolished entirely. It's a huge shame, because a lot of these buildings have long and interesting histories. When the buildings are forgotten, so are their stories. But fear not, for there are lots of people who have made it their mission to document these stories. These people are called urban explorers. They walk through abandoned places with a camera to take photos and videos of what's left behind, and then post their findings on the internet. And one of the most popular urban exploring groups in recent years are two friends from Florida known as The Proper People.

The Proper People, otherwise known as Bryan and Michael, are two friends who started doing urban exploration as a hobby. They would film videos of their adventures and post them on YouTube. Pretty soon, their videos started to gain popularity, and they started to get more serious about what they were doing. They both switched to film majors in college, and made it their mission to document the histories of abandoned places.

Each video they make is meant to tell a story. They often research a place before they even set foot inside, and use voice overs to explain the history of whatever building they're in. Bryan and Michael often try to get to as many parts of the buildings as possible so they can document everything they can. The footage they collect preserves the sites forever on the internet. The duo has even gone as far as selling prints of their photos so that fans can decorate their homes with a little piece of history. The money they make from their prints goes right back into the channel so that they can keep exploring.

But there is a duality to all this that many people might not think about. By sharing videos of their adventures, the two friends can inadvertently bring some unwanted attention to the sites. Vandals will often go to abandoned places to spray graffiti on the walls, and scrappers can search the building for things they can sell as scrap metal. Other urban explorers will oftentimes take things home from different places as "souvenirs." Of course, this doesn't apply to all of the people who visit these places. But it can be enough of a problem that it ruins the site for everyone else.

This is why Bryan and Michael set rules for themselves. They never take anything from the places they visit. They do their best to leave buildings in the same condition the explorers find them in. There are other times when they won't even reveal the name or location of the places they're visiting. This is to prevent people from finding the places and potentially causing damage. In extreme cases, the duo won't even publish their footage. They'll discover a place that's so perfect that just showing its existence could endanger it. So they decide to keep it to themselves as a story for the ages. They remember it fondly, knowing that they played a small part in its preservation.

The life and history of abandoned places needs to be remembered. It's important to keep the past in mind as we move to the future. But there's another side of preservation that can bring it down. The Proper People handle this in possibly the best way possible. They put measures in place to protect the buildings they visit while still managing to tell their stories. Their love and respect for these places always comes out in each of their videos, and they do a fantastic job at honoring the history of each one.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

132351
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

30660
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

28208
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments