Showerthought: Are old bookmarks better than new ones for preserving history?

Honestly I used to think finding a random receipt from 1985 in a library book was way cooler than finding a modern sticky note or a business card. But now I'm starting to question that. A receipt from a grocery store in Omaha in 1985 tells you what people bought and how much it cost, which feels like a time capsule. But a modern bookmark like a handwritten to-do list or a coffee shop loyalty card might actually say more about a person's life right now. Ngl the old stuff feels more rare and special because it survived decades, but the new stuff is what we'll look back on in 30 years and laugh at. What do you think holds more weight for history, the old receipts or the current day scraps? I found a torn napkin with a phone number from 1992 in a used copy of Dune last weekend and it got me thinking about this whole debate.

3 comments

3 Comments

sethhernandez24d ago

Lol I saved a napkin with a girl's number from 2014 and it turned out to be a pizza place that closed down two years later so honestly my bookmark game is just tragic all around. But yeah the old stuff hits different because you know that person from 1985 probably never thought anyone would find their grocery receipt and now here we are analyzing it like ancient scrolls. Meanwhile my modern bookmarks are just expired coupons and a drawing of a stick figure my niece made that I'm too scared to throw away. Maybe in 2050 someone will find my napkin and think wow look at this idiot who couldn't even get a date to a pizza place lmao.

hunt.nora24d ago

Guess your napkin will be the future's sad little museum piece about bad decisions.

brianl5324d ago

Lmao now you got me imagining some future archaeologist pulling out your pizza napkin and being like "the ancients really struggled with commerce AND romance." But honestly the old stuff wins for me because it had zero thought put into it. Nobody in 1985 was like "I shall leave this receipt in a Frank Herbert novel for posterity" they just shoved it there because their wallet was full. Modern stuff feels too self aware now like people leave all kinds of junk in books on purpose for social media clout. That napkin from 1992 is pure accidental time travel. Your expired coupons will just make future historians think we were all broke and desperate for a free slice of pepperoni.