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Receipts and secrets
August 21, 2008
Over the weekend, my sister and I stopped by my favorite bookstore to waste time and grab a few novels to get us through the week. They had a PostSecret display set up in the back of the store, and as I picked up one of the collections and began to flip through it, the receipt to the left fluttered to the ground.
(For those who don’t know, PostSecret is a popular ongoing art project in which people anonymously mail their secrets on postcards to the creator, Frank Warren, who then scans a selection to the community site every Sunday morning.)
I was lucky enough to see Frank’s keynote at SXSW, and it turned out to be one of my favorite presentations at the festival, even after the atrociously awkward Mark Zuckerberg train wreck.
In any event, seeing this secret, probably unread since the author’s decision to stick it between the pages, was strangely intimate, and since the receipt is only two weeks old, it was as if the girl (I blurred out her name, which appeared in the circle, as I’m not sure that having it posted on the internet was what she was going for) was standing behind me like a Sixth Sense ghost, quietly whispering that, right now, she is experiencing a conflict that others may not know about. Although, in some way, I think a lot of people can relate to what she’s saying.
Categories: Daily
August 21st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
That’s way cool. I’ve heard of people putting their secrets in Post Secret books but I’ve never been lucky enough to find one!
August 21st, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I always read the Post Secret site..so many are things I might want to say.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Coolest and creepiest story ever. Are you going to still send it in?
August 21st, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Super cool. You should send it to Frank.
August 21st, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Wow. That is creepy. I took that same flight a month earlier, almost the same seat even… and felt the *exact* same way.
Tragic part is… I didn’t realize that it was my secret too until I saw this. :-\
August 21st, 2008 at 3:44 pm
When I went to Italy, I wanted nothing more than to stay there forever.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
That is a crazy post. Sorry to be breaking the flow of the post to your comments but I had a question for you Rachel. I saw the ‘Twitter for Wordpress’ widget that you were using and I thought it was a great idea so I stole it from you and put it on my blog!
The question is this: In configuring the dam thing, how did you get your links to work? Basically I need a little techie help here. I tend to be challenged in that arena somewhat. But I’m never afraid to ask for help and master the unknown with a little mentoring.
I’m following you on Twitter (Wouldn’t that be considered stalking in any other context?) and this is how I stumbled upon (no pun intended) your blog. You were following me at one point and I reciprocated. Because you are no longer following me on Twitter (Sorry my life is soooo uninteresting - that is a word by the way, I looked it up in the dictionary!) I can’t send you a direct message. Thus this option.
Again I’m sorry to be breaking the chain of topic related comments with this very unrelated sidebar!My next comment will be strictly focused on the post at hand!
August 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
You need to send that to Frank! See strictly focused!
August 21st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Omarra - Twitter has been known to take away my followers from time to time, and I’ve removed some myself, but have yet to remove anyone based on the interestingness (also a word) of their life. Anyway! I’ll be happy to email you directions.
August 21st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Strange… I just took that same flight and felt very similar. :p
August 21st, 2008 at 11:41 pm
There are seriously two other readers that took the exact same flight?
That’s a message if I ever heard one. Exactly the reason PostSecret is so awesomely successful in the first place.
August 22nd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Yep. As someone who just moved home to face real life… I can relate.
August 22nd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I love this. And I felt her pain on Monday afternoon. The beach-to-work transition makes my soul bleed.
That’s not overly dramatic, right?
August 22nd, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Yes please email the directions that would be great! I appreciate your help Rachel!
By the way that really sucks on a Friday night (’Looks like I’m going to be held up at work for a while. Hope everyone has a great time at Blogfest!’)! Hope your home from work by now!
Talk to ya soon!
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
It’s really cool to randomly find someone’s secret.
August 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
The first time I flew back to my parents, I sobbed the whole flight. They thought it was because I was happy to be home.
So, yes. I relate.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I’ve always wanted to find a secret in one of those books. You know, an added one. I think i’d react the same way.
August 28th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
the coolest stuff happens to you!