Frank Warren, founder of PostSecret, the most trusted stranger in America, spoke in my town yesterday. The moment I found out about the event, I was more than determined to go see him speak, due to the fact that the PostSecret project has inspired me so much.
The talk opened up with a huge projection of All American Reject’s “Dirty Little Secret” video in which Frank was able to get $2,000 donated to the 1 (800) SUICIDE help line. Originally, he had been offered $1,000 to donate secrets, but challenged the original offer.
He then discussed secrets that were unable to get past the publisher and lawyers and displayed them on a huge screen. These secrets brought about so many different emotions. They made you laugh, cry, think about your own life and whether or not you carry this same burden.
I know this question is going to come up already and the most popular of topics secret-wise that Frank receives are about peeing in the shower. He also shared that many of the senders are often tricky. When there is no postage on the postcard, he usually finds his own address and name in the return space.
He often carries around a small box of secrets with him when he travels. One that really stuck with me was one about traveling. “You said I was an idiot. I put your bags on the wrong plane. I guess you were right about that.” He said that it makes him think about how he treats people that he meets and how we have to respect everyone around us if we want the respect we deserve. Another was shared on an In-N-Out Burger bag, reading: “I smuggled this grilled cheese into the auditorium where you were speaking. You were good and so was my meal!”
After he was done talking, he let people come up. I was probably the most excited and nervous person to approach the microphone. To hear your voice expressing the deepest secret you could possibly have and sharing the inspiration you gain from one small, but so big idea is usually nerve-wracking, but in my case, it was extremely calming and I couldn’t have been any happier stepping away from the microphone. Another person came up and shared their secret, which was far more enlightening than my own – “I played with action figures until I was a senior in high school. My favorites were Ninja Turtles.”
Frank is by far one of the most sincere men I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and watching speak in my life. I was so awestruck by the simple words he spoke, “when we’re keeping a secret, it’s keeping us.” It made me think about the other secrets I carry in my own life and how they affect me so much. After the signing, I received a text message from someone I hadn’t seen or kept in touch with for a long time, thanking me for sharing my secret.
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