I had another entry I was going to post today, but last night something happened and I wanted to talk about that.
Last night I went to the first Post Secret event in Australian tour. The first time he's been in Australia actually. I felt like I've been waiting for this since I first opened a Post Secret book nearly 10 years ago.
Post Secret is an internet community founded by Frank Warren where people post in their secrets. They can be big or trivial, but something I've learnt from reading these secrets over the years is that not one of them is unique. If you have a secret, you can pretty much guarantee someone else has got it too.
I first discovered Post Secret in a little book shop in The Rocks, Sydney. I picked it up, flicked through the pages and immediately bought it. It seemed like the most amazing thing I had come across - all these peoples secrets laid bare for my voyeuristic eyes to pore over. I devoured the book and occasionally would pull it back off my book shelf to flick through it again.
Later on, I discovered the website and signed up to receive updates from Frank. Now every Sunday, after lunch, an email arrives in my inbox with a handful of new secrets. It's become my Sunday ritual to sit down at my computer, open up my email and read the secrets that have been delivered to me. At the bottom of the emails there would be a list of upcoming speaking events - but these were always in America.
I had an idea what the night would entail - a talk by Frank on how he started Post Secret, the sharing of secrets and what they meant to him and others - but I had completely forgotten about the fact that he invites people to share their own secrets at the end of the night.
Some of the secrets that people shared were big, hairy, monstrous secrets. After the event I saw some of those who had told their secrets getting hugs from strangers.
One common theme that came up was people who had bought two tickets intending to take their 'one' with them... only they didn't meet them in time. Or people who were convinced they would meet their 'one' there. I've never been to an event before that had so many people who attended for such loaded reasons. It felt like most of the audience was there not because they just wanted to go, but because they had this great weight that meant that had to be there.
Did I get up and share a secret?
No, I was way too chicken - I also couldn't think of anything good.
Do I have a secret I want to share?
Maybe...
Afterwards I looked at the #postsecret tag on Instagram, I felt like I was going through it all over again and feeling that connection with other people that Post Secret is so good at doing.
 @Tamazapan |
 @Samanthajayne_ |
@Tea_and_books
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@Eguillemain |
 @r0wdy |
So you still want to hear my secret?
That's one hell of a secret. It made me laugh. And you look good in glasses.
ReplyDeleteMum
A good secret Debbie. Glasses do suit you.
ReplyDeleteWhy I don't eat fat.
Its probaly not a family secret that I don't like fat on meat, but I will tell why I have such an aversion to it. During the war years in England school children received a meal in the middle of the day and the teachers would prowl the hall making sure everyone ate all their food. On one particular day we had soup with lumps of meat. Mine had a big yellow lump of fat floating in the bowl. The teacher on seeing I had not eaten the globulus lump stood over me until it went down. The result was it came up again together with the contents of my stomach back into the soup bowl. I don't think about that incident while I am eating but I always cut the fat from my meat.