found

While touring a brewery with my dear family over Christmas break, I found myself leaning against a wall, distracted by the "Hazardous Condition Complaint Board." The two pics in this post are my favorites from that day. I can just imagine these wonderful, burly, testosterone-y men carefully scrawling out their warning and suggestions for the safety of the team. For reasons unknown, it cracks me up every time.

Needless to say, I am mildly addicted to the miscellaneous world of other people's secret lives. I think many of us are. As individuals I believe that we are incredibly more poingnant, humorous, and horrifying than we will ever give ourselves or one another enough credit for. Unless we are having a "crack open the ol' junior high journal" party (which I think would be fabulous when coupled with a variety of pop+rum concoctions), we don't usually get a chance to peek in at the everyday secrets and struggles of each others' lives.

Which is why I adore the internet for the two following things: found magazine and post secret. Found Magazine is an actual magazine (I received the latest one from Trinity for Christmas!) that is published... when they get around to it... People send in random notes, lists, pictures, etc. that they find about, and they get posted on the website each day. Fabulous. Post Secret is "an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard." It's incredible to see the outpouring of pain and hope and hilarity that people of all ages create and share. Please keep in mind that neither of these sites are censored, and occasionally feature pieces that are explicit and inappropriate for children.

There is something so sweet and sincere and beautiful to me about what is often seen as the mundane details of our days. These art pieces are pictures of honesty and vulnerability brought forth from our very lives. It endears me to them. Plus, it's good to know that somedays I'm not the only one who feels like this: