Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
Sometimes in my dreams, I'm pretty smart. Last night I dreamed I was in a big room, maybe like an airport terminal, and I saw a couple players from the 1970s Steelers football teams sitting on a long airport terminal-like bench. They were older in the dream, like they are now in real life. One I recognized, and the other one had a beard, and, I didn't know who it was for sure, but maybe it was Jack Ham.
Just like in real life, it was fun to see them , and in my dream they said something like, why do people make such a big deal over us. And in more words and detail than I'm giving now, I explained to them that seeing them takes people back to another time and place. Seeing them takes people back to a time when families gathered around the TV after dinner to watch the big game. The kids were small and sat on the floor. Dad, who is no longer with us, sat in his easy chair. We were all together, just like the rest of the local community, watching, cheering and sharing.
We shared it, and that is what made it so special. We talked about it. We said things like, "Remember when Lynn Swann made that leaping catch that beat the Cowboys in 1975." We watched the game, but what was going on was bigger than the game. It was about a time and place in our lives.
The game was replayed and replayed and talked about and talked about and is still talked about today. I saw it on TV again just two days ago. That keeps it fresh. The memory of the game is refreshed each time I see it or hear about it and it serves as a strong marker in my memory that takes me back to another time and place in my life.
(By the way, I did see Lynn Swann in the Orlando airport one time, which I think is one small thing that contributed to how the dream came together.)
The game and the players were center stage, but the game wasn't the important thing. The game was something I shared with those who were there with me at that time and place in life.
Ok, so what does that have to do with metal detecting?
On 3/22 I did a post on public services provided by detectorists. I easily and quickly ran through quite a few examples. They were all from a relatively short time span - maybe thirty years ago. I don't exactly know the date or even the year, but I remember the events. Each one involved me and at least one other person. They weren't family events. My wife was there for some of them, and I told her about others shortly after they happened, but when I did the post, I shared those events with a few hundred more people.
I don't remember the found object in any detail for even one case. I don't remember what the keys, eye glasses or even the expensive engagement ring looked like. I do remember the object and why it was important to somebody. And I remember the interactions that took place. I remember when they asked me to look for the object and when I gave it back to them. And I remember the feeling. I remember what each person did and the emotions when each person got their lost item back and how I felt after that. I only remember the objects for their function and what they meant to somebody.
We talk about finds. We marvel over finds. We think about finds. But in the end, it isn't all about the objects. It is about experiences, interactions and feelings. Long after the objects have tarnished or been sold or put away, the sum total of the experiences will remain in who you are. And when you take out some old find or just think back about it, you'll be transported back for at least a few seconds to another place and time in your life.
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In the process of conducting research on the Stuart Bottling Works I located a great resource that you might find interesting, especially if you are interested in old bottles or sodas. It is a Google Books copy of the American Carbonator and American Bottler. Here is the title as it appeared in the 1905 publication.
If you browse through that journal you'll find tons of interest. The ads are great.
Below is one showing a Hutch bottle stopper.
And here are some items used to clean bottles. Bottles back then were reused.
If you are old enough, maybe you remember looking for bottles which you could return to the store and receive a couple of pennies. I remember doing that.
Those bottles had to be cleaned well before being reused.
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The Treasure Coast surf predictions for today are now 4 - 6 feet. That is a touch smaller than predicted earlier.
Yesterday the wind shifted once to a more southernly direction, but it didn't last long. Most of the day it was pretty much an east wind. This morning it is a little more from the south again.
I'm not expecting much at this point, but I'll try to check around a bit later. I think that there is one or two spots that might open a little.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
