The people who post on The Lives of Others

Almost

"I realised over the weekend that I’ve been clinging onto a number of friendships, that have been dead for a while now."

EVERY

"I have come to the conclusion that people don’t want to hear about your accomplishments. No matter how good of a friend your friend is, no matter what they say, they really don’t want to hear about it."

post

"I change my mind at the last minute about a promise I make, for no reason... Am I a bad person, or am I just a person?"

I have read

"I cant believe what a difference hair has made to my well being. i didnt think it would matter, especially after going through the entire cancer thing - you figure any hair is better than no hair and it shouldnt be a priority, but you know what? how you see yourself in the mirror really does have a huge effect on how you feel even if you ‘logically’ know it shouldnt."

here today

"We’d met through a friend, we were both single and she was obviously a thousand times too beautiful to be hanging around with someone like me, yet she did".

could have been

"i’ve never felt so lonely. Actually I’ve always felt an undercurrent of loneliness but it’s just so terrible right now".

written

"My friends think I’m this wonderful self-less saintly human being and I’m nothing of the sort. I”m selfish, I’m a terrible friend, I am cynical and bad tempered at times, egotistical and impatient."

by me

"All I want is to wake up next to someone who looks at me and makes my heart stop beating. I don’t know who that is. She may not exist."

If you can, please go over and read The Lives of Others. Leave a comment to let the people who share their secrets there know that they are not alone. Or to thank them for sharing. These are only some of the amazing posts over there. There are many more.

I'm going to more often. Thank you all. Knowing I'm not so alone has made my day a lot better.

I just want to say well done

Two things caught my attention this evening and I'd like to share.

Firstly, as I'm sure you may be aware, Grannymar has become the first winner of the Blog Post of the Month award for her amazing post The Light Went Out.

I can think of no one else (sorry other contenders) who deserved it more and as wisewebwoman commented on Grannymar's blog

You are so deserving and your humility is part of your charm.
AND that was such a powerful blog post.

Secondly, Rick O' Shea has done it again. Not content with creating the wonderful and powerful textsecrets, (now sadly ended) he has now unveiled an amazing project called The Lives of Others.

It... allow[s] the participants to post freely and anonymously on the most intimate subjects in their lives.

In one of the most touching posts over there, the writer shares the real genius around its anonymity, how some people...

don’t get the importance of anonymity, they don’t get the power of a secret told but held.

It is liberating to let out the dark sadness, but not everyone needs to

Equally, others do need to, whether they lack the emotional support network or the comfort of confidence in their friends, this blog offers a space to vent, to share, but not reveal.

Think kindly of the emotionally crippled who limp into daylight here and leave a little of their burden.

When Darren and I started The Faux Sty, a very simple forum over a year ago, we became entranced by how the members began to interact, to share and trust in the forum environment.

I can see a similar thing happening for The Lives of Others. People have a need to share. Textsecrets had shown it. Postsecret shows it. Dear Lover shows it.

Grannymar has shown it.

And it's things like this, like people sharing their stories, their talents and their passion that make this online environment a great place to be.

Well done to you both. :)