a secret .

So, this is my first blog entry and a daunting one at that. Hello is a good place to start. And then?


I stumbled upon PostSecret this morning; a few giggles, some deep philosophical pondering and 5 minutes later, it got me thinking - how personal is too personal?  How much should one reveal in a blog?


 

Henry Rollins - your dirty secret?



Called PostSecret, the site divulges the socially undivulged, namely secrets…your secrets. Described as “an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard". Every thought, perception or evaluation people keep within is unveiled. Simple as it seems, relief & forgiveness gained from just one side of a piece of card. The website serves as both entertainment for those non-secret revealers, and as a platform for those who do opt to come clean…anonymously, of course.



 I identify with some of the secrets (yes, I am guilty of judging you based on your McDonalds order), and others thankfully not (no, I don’t fantasize about Henry Rollins). But, Big Macs and macho men aside!



A greasy confession.



Anonymous or not, one can’t help but pass a little judgment on the obscure ones (it takes a car accident to rid you of your sporting commitment…really?) and feel empathy for the touching ones (texting your deceased husband, and retaining some hope for a reply).

I can’t help but query how authentic some of the entries are, or question whether they were created in hope of 5-minutes of (anonymous) fame and self-gratification. Or, has the internet become our online therapist? It’s always there to listen, never talks back, and it feels good to get it off our chests. But, once it’s off your chest, it can’t get off the net. A catch 22…

I’m intrigued – anonymous secret posting: is it cathartic?

Tell me, would you do it? 

Shh, I won’t tell.