time capsule By Benjamin Vipler, M.D.
In 5th grade I was given the assignment of creating a time capsule. As with most time capsules, the goal was to include as many things that were of interest at that time, to discover at a later date, and hopefully be surprised with the change that had occurred. When time came to open my capsule, I was able to share a chuckle with my close friends while I flipped through the Star Wars cards, wrestling figurines, and the Muggsy Bogues Jersey. I never did turn out to be one of the shortest players in the National Basketball Association, as my idol at the time was. Shortly after our laughter was had, these inconsequential memoirs were tucked in a drawer somewhere and forgotten for good. Who was I going to invite to the “Sock Hop?” Was I going to be picked to play soccer at recess by the kids wearing the Adidas Sambas? Should I go with Oregon or Kentucky for my state report? These were the important questions and decisions that I had to deal with in 5th grade. This brings me to the question, what if I did a time capsule at a more important time in my life. What if I created a time capsule in medical school and opened it after residency? Would I have predicted that I would go into internal medicine when I wanted to be a psychiatrist going into medical school? Would I have ever guessed that I would be chief resident of the flagship hospital in the Military Health System? Would I have known that I would go on to marry a girl who I met on the bus down from our small Boca Raton regional medical campus to the welcome barbecue at the University President’s house in Coral Gables? Would I have guessed she would go on to be chief resident the hospital down the street from mine?
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