I tried to slip that in real subtle-like. Did anyone notice? No, phew. Good. I'm a tick overwhelmed with it, so I'll let it pass for another day.
There's the not-so-secret aspect of blogging. You really let it all hang out. Recently I've been working on that thing... Oh, what's it called where you tell people what you're actually thinking and maybe disagree at some times, but actually you're just saying the truuuu?--Oh, Honesty! Yeah, I'm working on that honesty thing. Which, go ahead and have a laugh, but placing all of your thoughts and events on an open forum (despite what facebook might have you believe) is daunting.
You've all had diaries, right? You get the idea. You write in it to write. Just blah! Spit it all out. That's what I'm up to. This is my first thought-journalling in ages. And really I keep it pretty serene.
I kept a diary once. Hid it under my mattress because that is the ultimate hiding place for an elementary school student. When my sisters found it, they were sneaky and didn't say anything specifically about it, but after they referenced its contents to me it was obvious that they knew. Clearly facing blackmail and adolescent hell, I tore it up and threw the pieces into a pile of my childhood to be burned. (Also included some very unflattering pictures and unsavory memories that shall forever remain unnamed.)
So the trope goes. Time and again my mom will be searching for a picture of little me and seriously pose the question, "Did you burn that?"
...Maybe my family shouldn't have allowed anyone under the age of twelve access to matches and the chore to burn garbage on occasion...Just saying.
I think then you can understand why I found this movie so delightfully perfect. Adults reopen and examine their childhood diaries. On stages. In front of strangers. Can I get a resounding, "noooooooope."?
I would be absolutely mortified to have to read my old diary writing to people and maybe that thrill is why this movie was just. so. good. How could they? I would ask them. How could we not? They would reply.
Please do take a look. It's on Netflix, itunes, and pretty much accessible to anyone with a modem. Though they express it much better within the context of the film, learning that everyone had those thoughts and ideas, the burning passion to place them on paper, it's consoling. Ages and generations pass, but really we were all the same. Jog your own memory and I'm sure you'll find that it's true.
Or if you're a high school art or psychology teacher, this might strike up a nerve for some class discussion.
