The date on the lid

When I agreed to open the time capsule, I pictured a cheerful ceremony and gave little thought to the box itself. Then, as the soil was cleared from the lid, I recognised several scratched initials as those of people standing behind the barrier. The box no longer seemed like an anonymous relic; it felt as though I had been handed something personal. For the first time, opening it seemed uncomfortably close to prying. The archivist showed me the opening date stamped on the metal, and I was relieved to know that this moment had been chosen by the contributors themselves. With that reassurance, I placed the tool beneath the clasp.

In your own words, explain the writer's thoughts and feelings before opening the time capsule.