Would you share your secret with a perfect stranger?

Someone's secret from http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

On Frank Warren’s website Post Secret, each week he posts 10 of the best secrets he’s received in the mail.

He’s called “the high priest of secrets,” & for the last few years people have sent him over 500,000 secrets anonymously.

There’s only one rule.  He says, “reveal anything as long as its true and you have never shared it with anyone before.”

I’m thinking of sending him a secret.

I have two secrets I’ve never told anyone.  Two things I decided I would go to my grave with.  They are not written in a journal, a secret website, a crumpled piece of paper & have never uttered them on my lips to my husband or best friends.  They are between God & I alone.

Dave & I read an article about Frank Warren the other day when we were considering going to see “America’s Most Trusted Stranger” at Miller Auditorium where he was planning to share more secrets & the stories behind them that he couldn’t share in the last of his many book projects on secrets.

A few of my favorites from the article:

~Sent on a Starbucks coffee cup: “I serve decaf to customers who are rude to me.”

~An image of the twin towers falling on 9/11: “Everyone who knew me before 9/11 believes I’m dead.”

~A sealed envelope: “There’s nothing more gratifying than tearing up your suicide note, mailing it away, and knowing you’ll never use it.”

When I told Dave I was considering sending Mr. Secret-Man my secrets just to, ya know “get it off my chest.”  I felt that it would be freeing just to know it was out there somewhere.  Maybe it feels like sending a piece of information that I am profoundly ashamed of somehow shows that I am able to muster up at least a modicum of bravery.

Dave’s response: “what on earth are you talking about?!?!”

(Leave it to a man not to understand, eh?)

Dave’s counter argument is that Frank Warren’s booming secret business is a sad indictment on a society that can’t share their secrets with real people but need to share it with a perfect stranger.  It’s the “exact opposite” of real intimacy he says.

My counter argument:  Frank’s meeting a real felt need.  Obviously over a 1/2 million people don’t have anyone -or are too ashamed like myself- to completely reveal themselves.  And it isn’t a God-given desire to share our deepest wrongs & fears and still be completely accepted?  (What Christians often refer to as repenting of our sins).  Frank is offering that type of safety.  Agree or no?

We see it differently but I think we are both making good points.  He wishes I would share my secret with at least him but is relatively okay with me choosing to keep it between God & I as long as I talk it through with God.  He still doesn’t understand my desire to send my secrets on to Frank, but doesn’t mind.

Unfortunately I made the mistake of sharing with one of my best friends that I have yet-to-be-revealed secrets in which she tried to guess what they were.  What on earth kind of person does she take me for? 

So what do you think?  Does Frank’s website represent something sad about humanity?  Do you like what Frank is doing?  How about your own secrets, would you ever send one to him?

I’m considering doing it this week…

If you want to get in on the “fun,” send your secrets -made on any material- to: PostSecret 13345 Copper Ridge Rd. Germantown, MD 20874 (send multiple secrets separately).

And let me know if you do!

Tagged as: secrets