I have a nice little Sunday afternoon ritual. I make myself a nice cup of cocoa and visit a little blog called PostSecret.
PostSecret is an artistic adventure started three years ago by Frank Warren. He started out by slipping cards into books at local used book stores asking people to send in their secrets on postcards to his address. The idea is to send in a true secret that has never been told, and to express that secret artistically in the form of a postcard. Over the last few years, Frank has recieved thousands of secrets, and he posts a new set every Sunday on the PostSecret website.
Usually when I visit, I find things that, by turns, delight and horrify, sadden or open my heart, make me scowl, or make me laugh. It always makes me think, and this time of day is one of personal reflection for me. Recently it has also been a deep quiet pool of basic humanity that has nothing to do with the primaries.
Imagine my surprise when the second card down this Sunday shattered my moment of zen with a reference to John Edwards! (I'm not posting the image here as borrowing images is against PostSecret policy.)
At first, I was shocked. Shocked, I tell you! Not just to see a candidate in my sacred Sunday ritual, but the topic! For shame!
Then I realized, isn't this just the sort of thing that PostSecret is about? A place to share the things we can't talk about openly in our normal lives? Okay, I accept you, secret teller. You are cool with me and I am in no place to judge you.
And then, well...then I was thankful that the secret sender posted Edwards. Because, well, it could have been worse. Much, much worse.
P.S. If PostSecret tickles your mind, you might also enjoy Found Magazine.