I Have a (Post)Secret

I never read or visited the PostSecret site before. I saw something on Facebook about Frank Warren, the creator of PostSecret, coming to speak on campus. I was intrigued. I had seen and heard about similar things, like Secret Booth on Dailybooth. But I hadn't emotionally invested myself in this phenomena. Until tonight.I bought the ticket (which was free for students) a little over a week ago. I picked up a copy of the 4th PostSecret collection and flipped through a bit.

And then tonight was here.

I went with a cast/hall mate of mine. We got seats in the first row. Nearly front and center.

About 15 minutes after the event was scheduled to start, the music video for "Dirty Little Secret" played on the hanging screen in the concert hall. Frank came out and began telling his story of how he started the project, how he went about sorting secrets, how he came to update on Sundays. Students, only one of whom I know (and who is a good friend of mine), got up and verbalized their secrets.

After I saw that my good friend opened up, I was tempted to go up myself. My heart was pounding. But I didn't. Something was just ... I don't know ... preventing me, maybe? Holding me back? Perhaps fearful of embarrassment? But my friend had come clean about something similar. I felt that I was among friends, people with similar secrets, but I couldn't bring myself to pull myself together and go up to the nearest microphone and spill my secret. I just couldn't.

After roughly an hour and 15 minutes, Frank closed the event with a montage. The hall let out. I waited around and got on line for Frank to personalize my book. I mentioned Secret Booth to him and took a picture.

I wanted to leave my secret with him. Right then and there. Leave the postcard with my secret on it. I didn't have a pen. There was a collection box for an on-campus PostSecret exhibit in a few weeks. I wasn't sure about leaving my secret there.

And that's why I'll be sending in my own. My first PostSecret postcard. Will it be my only one? Or will it be the first of many? Who knows?

And I have one final thing to say.

Thank you, Frank.