We all have secrets.
I like to think I’m
Oh hell no, this is not that kind of post.
A secret isn’t to be toyed with. It’s not some flitty, flighty gossip, it’s a long-held, deep and dark. We keep a secret because it has perceived power. If unleashed, it might impact others — or it might affect how they see us.
Secrets can be good or bad. A friend tells you they are pregnant and to keep it hush-hush until she’s ready. A colleague comes out of the closet to only you, “Can you keep a secret?”
And then there are secrets that cause insurmountable pain — a secret love affair, a state secret that if unleashed would cause destruction. A secret recipe that if divulged would mean millions of people would know how to make my grandmother’s perfect chocolate pudding. Locked away.
In midlife we take stock of our secrets, we start to shed a few of them, realizing we’re much better off not carrying THAT around in our psyche, or that it wasn’t such a big deal after all. We become less secretive.
This week we’re spilling the beans:
We’ll have a few more “live only” stories tonight from Ada Calhoun on her big middle school secret, Doreen Oliver on the secret joys of having an autistic son and Mary Lee Kortes on people’s secret dreams of Bob Dylan (they’re mostly hilarious.). Hope to see you tonight! A few tickets are still available at the door.
I have a twin sister,
Margit
P.S. Just kidding