Dirty Little Secrets

Dirty Little Secrets

Current mood: contemplative



Catchy title got your attention, didn't it?



Ben Franklin once observed that "Three can keep a secret if two are dead". So true.



I worked for the government for almost 25 years. I know how to keep a secret...but on the other hand, my wife and I talk about EVERYTHING. So it seems that everyone has at least one confidant, someone that they feel they can entrust their most innermost thoughts on just about everything.



So the point of this missive? Possibly that the secrets that you guard so carefully, that you work so hard to keep hidden, just may not be as secure as you think.



I often marvel at the amount of information I know about people, things that they think I don't know about them, that were divulged "in secret". "You can't tell them that I told you this...you can't let them know that you know anything..." Honestly, I do not think any less of these people just because I know something I shouldn't. I love my family and friends because of who they are. I sometimes wonder why people feel the need to share secrets they have promised to keep to themselves. Perhaps they just like feeling a little bit naughty. Or maybe we never got past the silly school girl phase of our lives that would have been better left back in Middle School.



I once told a friend who claimed they never gossiped, that it's like picking your nose. Everyone does it, they just don't like to admit to it.



Our family has secrets. Lots of 'em. That doesn't set us apart from other families, however, as I firmly believe that all families hide information that they think will embarrass "The Good Family Name". The unplanned pregnancies, Illicet sexual activity, the abortions, the incest, sexual abuse, physical abuse, Emotional abuse, the drug abuse, the social indescretions and run-ins with the law, the misdemeanors and even the felonies.



The point again? Nobody is perfect, folks. We're all human, we just tend to forget that from time to time. Or at least we tend to forget that extend that courtesy to those around us. So maybe we need to quit beating each other up so much. And the dirty little secrets? They're just history, folks. You can deny them, admit to them, ignore them, take your pick. In the long run, IMHO, I don't think they really make all that much difference in our lives. They take on whatever importance we give them, whatever power over us that we allow. We can choose what hurts us, or not.