Opening words:
The world gets smaller
every day thanks to the internet, and more and more people are finding ways to
connect with each other. Today Aileen and I will introduce you to two websites
that we have found to be particularly meaningful in our lives.
In February, Frank Warren
gave a TED talk about his project, PostSecret. For those who are not familiar
with TED, T-E-D stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and it’s a
non-profit devoted to ideas worth spreading. There’s a lot more information
online, and I believe we have or had a Wednesday night class that views and
discusses TED talks.
Frank does such a good
job talking about postsecret and the different ways that it’s touched people,
that rather than summarize it, I’m going to show you the talk.
(accompanying powerpoint)
This started as a
project. It evolved- people saw a piece of themselves in the secrets that
others sent in. they could relate to these secrets that people had hidden, and
suddenly they were no longer alone. In many cases they write, email, send
facebook messages, or tweet to Frank about the secrets and he posts these on
the site.
-----Email-----
Frank,
This past Friday night I found myself in a black hole of depression and I didn't know how I was going to make it through the night. Not knowing where to turn and feeling like I couldn't stop. I remembered seeing the Hopeline phone number in the front of your book. I talked with someone there for 2 and a half hours and I truly feel that they saved my life.
Thank you for the book, thank Hopeline for being there, and thank the people that send in their postcards so that others know they are not alone with their secrets.
-Casie (with permission)
Frank,
This past Friday night I found myself in a black hole of depression and I didn't know how I was going to make it through the night. Not knowing where to turn and feeling like I couldn't stop. I remembered seeing the Hopeline phone number in the front of your book. I talked with someone there for 2 and a half hours and I truly feel that they saved my life.
Thank you for the book, thank Hopeline for being there, and thank the people that send in their postcards so that others know they are not alone with their secrets.
-Casie (with permission)
Frank says that he Lost a
friend and a family member to suicide, and also says that it’s not uncommon for
him to receive secrets about self-harm, or suicide. He says that ”in some ways,
I feel like suicide is Americas secret, it’s a secret that we keep from
ourselves.”
One of the inspirational
things that has happened is that the postsecret community has crowdsourced (that
is, created by the members of the community) the most complete and comprehensive
online directory of suicide prevention hotilines and textlines in the world. The
Postsecret blog Also has led to the creation of online community- support
communities and sub-communities of addiction and recovery, where members share
concerns, struggles and triumphs with addiction and recovery; of mental health
for open discussion of psychological conditions; and secrets of spirituality where members
share secrets about “religion, faith, or the lack thereof”, To name a few.
These communities did not
start from a desire for profit or business, they started from the very basic
need for connection to another person, something that is clearly lacking in our
average day-to-day life.
What I’ve found really
interesting is that some of these are really deep secrets, and I wonder what it
is about sharing something anonymously with strangers that can ease a burden. I
find myself people-watching wondering what secrets people have that they would
share with a stranger, but don’t feel they can share with their closest
friends. What secrets do you have that
you would share with a stranger? I know I’m more aware of mine.
I guess it’s kind of like
confession without having to speak the words. I wonder if there’s an ease to
sharing when you don’t have to receive the reaction- there’s no fear of
judgment. Just the need to be heard. Not even understood, just heard.
This one says “I look up
random teen ‘in memorial’ groups on facebook… because it comforts me to know
that other people are mourning a friend too.”
“When my boss starts his
ramblings I always imagine I am shooting angry birds at his forehead.”
Look around. Any of the
people in this room could have sent in any of these secrets. Everyone has
secrets- secrets they keep from themselves, secrets they keep from others.
What secrets are you keeping from yourself?
What secrets are you keeping from yourself?
Frank says he carries his favorite secret with him. It is
written on a dollar bill and reads- “We are all part of something bigger, and
we are all part of it together”. That’s pretty close to my “what
I believe elevator speech”.
So now Frank travels and
does appearances. He quit his job and spends 50 hours a week on Postsecret. The
community comes together at these appearances- the community that was created
and created itself around the organic need to not be alone. I’ll end with one
of his tour videos:
(tour vid)
originally delivered on 5.20.2012 at the Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence
