Do you remember when Post Secret was cool?
I used to like it. I have memories of a time when I would remember to check it every Sunday morning, looking forward to the secrets. I bought the book for a friend of mine when he started a new job. I never considered sending in a secret, but when I used to do my sunday best posts (what happened to those, anyone know?) I would frequently use a card from PS.
Now, when I do remember to check, I mostly feel like smacking someone.
I can only think of two reasons that my love for the site might have changed.
Possible reason 1: I am now a terrible person who doesn’t care about the pain (or joy) of others.
Possible reason 2: There are only so many secrets. Frank, the Post Secret collector/editor fellow, must have literally seen every variation on the same six themes.
- Love.
Variation 1: I love someone SO MUCH.
Variation: I/my love cheated. I feel guilty/angry/exhilarated.
Variation 3: I never told someone I was in love with him or her and now he or she is married/dead. - Depression.
Variation 1: I am depressed and don’t know what to do and might kill myself. (I hate these most of all. It’s SO FREAKING SAD and there’s NOTHING I CAN DO TO HELP. Also, do all suicidal people write to PS eventually? There are a lot of these.)
Variation 2: I was depressed and am all better now. (Awesome, but sort of a smack in the face to variation 1, no?) - Happiness.
Variation 1: I am so happy.
Variation 2: I used to be happy, and then I got depressed or the person I loved left or died or cheated. - Sex.
1: I like it.
2: I don’t like it and don’t understand people who do like it.
3: I totally COULD like it except my partner(s) suck(s).
4: I do it in some fascinating way I simply must share with Frank. (I think most of these are fabrications.)
5: I do something that everyone else does too but I am unaware of that and simply must share my completely vanilla sex with Frank. - Religion.
1: God is awesome.
2: God used to be awesome but now isn’t, which is/isn’t my fault.
Done.
I guess I’m just bored. I am interested in the stories of people I don’t know. (Witness all the blogs in my RSS feed.) Postcards are so small, though, and there’s so little room for explanation, that I think it’s hard not to be cliche.
Hm. I’m adding a third choice to the list of possible reasons why I now sort of loathe the site.
1) I’m a horrible person. 2) Secrets are, by the very nature of humanity, repetitive. 3) Frank loves a cliche.
Maybe I should write him a postcard about my dilemma.
Pros: