Do You Have A Secret?

I have been a reader of the PostSecret blog for a long time.  For those unfamiliar with PostSecret, The author, Frank Warren, asks people to anonymously send in their deepest secrets on postcards.  He then posts them on the blog.

The PostSecret postcard.

Frank has been doing this since 2005.  He started by distributing postcards like this one around the Washington D.C. area and then waiting to see what would happen.  In the twelve years since he has accumulated around a half a million secrets on postcards and more via comments and emails to the blog.

Why I'm talking about it is because on Monday night I went to hear Frank Warren speak at Creighton University.

The presentation was about an hour and a half to a packed ballroom of mostly Creighton students.  Frank stood up in front of two screens and talked about his labor of love ... and that is what it is.

The presentation started with Frank reading a few postcards to get the crowd in the mood.  Then he explained how it all started, how it grew, and how it changed his life and the lives of those who mailed in their secrets.

After sharing some of his favorite secrets, both funny and heart wrenching, he opened the floor to allow the audience to share their own secrets. Only about five or six people were brave enough to share but the ones who did were moving and incredibly honest.  One of the sharers admitted that she was suicidal and that it was getting harder every day to fight the urge to kill herself.  She left the room after telling her secret and several people followed her out.

PostSecret collects money to fund the Suicide Help Line having raised almost $1 million.  It is very possible that many lives have been saved as a result of them sharing their secrets.  I would imagine it is a very cathartic act.

I came away impressed how one man's lark has grown in popularity and has helped so many people around the world.

Frank posts new secrets every Sunday.  Check it out.