I’ve posted about it here multiple times, because yeah, I’m addicted.

This past week they had a Post Secret event at the University of Utah. Frank Warren, the guy behind it all, travels around the country sharing the tale of Post Secret, secrets that have never been published and allowing people to share their secrets live.

It was amazing, as expected. Frank was amazing.

Joan E, Cookie and Tal went with me

#1 secret he receives – People pee in the shower.
You are lying if you say you haven’t.
#2 secret he receives – People wish they had someone to share their secrets with.
Perhaps, about sharing their secret of peeing in the the shower? Ya never know.
#3 secret he receives – Loneliness, self harm, thoughts of suicide.
Popular culture does not reflect this. For every 2 murders, there are 4 suicides. More soldiers have died by their own hand, than in battle. Why is this? People are lonely and feel like they can’t talk to people about their secrets.

Sharing secrets, can save lives.

If you suspect some one wants to hurt themselves, ask them. Point blank. Studies show, they will likely tell you the truth. They want help. Listen to them. Without judgement. What ever they are going through is all to real to them. Do not be afraid to remove weapons, prescription medication, etc., from their reach.

My grandmother committed suicide when my Dad was only 18. It affected him greatly and I suspect changed the way he fathered us.

My (ex) husband’s mother committed suicide almost 12 years ago. I know it affected him greatly and changed him in irreversible ways.

I had to ask my (ex) husband several times if he was thinking of hurting himself. He was. I had to hide a gun and prescription medications, more than once. It was difficult, but worth my time to be there for him, when he needed me. I didn’t always understand it and some things I still don’t.

Something new I learned. Walmart is the largest retailer of hard media. Because of this, they also have become the largest censor. Book publishers actually censor books because Walmart may not carry them otherwise. Frank was proud to say, not one Post Secret book has ever been carried by Walmart, for this reason. I’m proud to say, I’ve never bought a single book or CD from Walmart, and never will.

Really, the best part of the evening was getting to meet Frank and get my one of my books signed.

Free your secrets and become who you are

Share one or more of your secrets.
Share them all.
Set them free.
Free yourself.

And, if someone shares their secret with you.
Listen, really listen.
Don’t judge.
Have compassion.
Be grateful they trusted you.

It couldn’t have waited to die until after we hiked to Horseshoe Bend, because I’ve have only wanted to go there since FOREVER! And I really didn’t appreciate the other asshole hikers with their fancy DSLR cameras and tripods and long lenses! (I was only a little jealous.)

When we left Powell, they were still in the process of building Antelope Point Marina. It’s gorgeous and has the nicest staff. They really did an incredible job on it. By road, it’s a bit out of the way, but so worth it.

Click on the album below!!!

Lake Powell April 2010

The ride down and back was great. Good weather and great scenery. I can’t wait to go back. Hopefully, this summer. Hopefully, with access to a boat or at least waverunners. Hopefully, with access to ATVs. (A girl can dream!)

PS – On the northern end of our trip, I couldn’t stop noticing the ribbons in the mountains.

Coral drawing the design on my back.

Using my necklace as a guide to include an Om in the design.

Working on the outline.

A little bit red and irritated, but done!

Every tattoo has a meaning. This one is no exception. So why did I choose this design?

The lotus flower is the symbol of rebirth, awakening, strength and perseverance. It starts as a small bud down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows its strong stem up towards the waters surface, continually moving towards the light. Once it comes to the surface of the water the flower begins to blossom into a life of great beauty. People also grow and change into something more beautiful (hopefully!)

You can’t see it very well in these pics, but the over all color of the flower is done in gray tones with a hint of periwinkle blue within the shading of the petals. A blue lotus is a symbol of the victory of the spirit over the senses, and signifies the wisdom of knowledge.

The Om (or Aum) symbol ghosted onto the lowest petal has many meanings. According to the Mandukya Upanishad, “Om is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development. The past, the present, and the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it”.

~ Anais Nin ~

Another item crossed off my FuckIt List!

1. Visit every continent, except for maybe Antarctica. (Done: North America, Asia)
2. Learn to speak, write and read Chinese (Working on it)
3. Visit all 50 states (34 and counting)
4. Be someone else’s everything
5. Get another tattoo (5 so far)
6. Go camping
7. Go hiking
8. Stay at a spa for an entire weekend
9. Buy something for my parents that they couldn’t afford on their own
10. Stay at a spa for an entire weekend Oops, on here twice.
11. Go shopping with my girls for their wedding dresses
12. Watch a sunrise and sunset on a beach with someone I love
13. See the Aurora Borealis
14. Get my writing published in a magazine or book
15. Go on a cruise
16. Finish my degree
17. Take Tal back to Okinawa and show her where she was born
18. Leave a ridiculously big tip for a breakfast waitress
19. Visit Angel Falls in Venezuela
20. Go white water rafting on the Colorado River
21. Spend one semester studying abroad
22. Buy and wear the perfect little black dress with some kick ass heels
23. Go diving at The Great Barrier Reef
24. Volunteer for 100 hours
25. Go back to NYC
26. Show up at the airport with my bag and passport- take the first available flight
27. Visit Angkor Wat
28. Lay in the grass with someone and just forget the world
29. Have someone take me on a road trip with no real destination
30. Visit the Taj Mahal
31. Go backpacking
32. Go deep sea fishing
33. Kiss in the rain
34. See the Sistine Chapel
35. See the pyramids in Egypt
36. Ride all the roller coaters at Cedar Point
37. Have a session with a fortune teller
38. Buy someone flowers for no reason
39. Crochet a scarf
40. Go horseback riding
41. Go snow skiing (it’s been a very long time!)
42. See a Cirque De Soleil performance
43. Learn to belly dance or strip tease
44. Own my own boat again
45. Go rock climbing
46. Go skinny dipping at Lake Powell
47. Live on a boat, at least part time
48. Finalize my divorce
49. Shoot a machine gun
50. Go on an ATV trip
51. Discover something new about the city I live in
52. Visit a winery/wine tasting
53. Stay up all night talking around a camp fire
54. Go to a Post Secret event
55. Visit Vietnam
56. Volunteer for an overseas organization, helping women and children
57. Go snowmobiling, again
58. Visit the Nederlands and see the cities my grandparents grew up in
59. Stroll the Tokyo Ginza at night
60. Have sex somewhere we could get caught
61. Get another 100 star tweet
62. Buy my girls something from Tiffany
63. Fight a panda bear and own its ass!