The Letter Writing Revolution

Revitalizing a Lost Art One Letter at a Time



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Things Unsaid

We have all had experiences in our lives that didn't go the way we had wished. If we could sit down and plan out our lives from the beginning. most of us would tweak a few of the things we have had to go through and survive. Perhaps your life has been fairly uneventful and straight-forward. I highly doubt that every single day has been filled with rainbows and unicorns. It is just a part of life. The thing is, the majority of our experiences whether they be perceived as good or bad are usually shared with or involve at least one other person.

Ideally,when we come into this world, we would be assigned a guide....someone older with a large amount of life experience who possesses copious amounts of wisdom.  Now some may say that we are assigned that person in the form of our parent (s). I would think it would be a pretty sure bet that some of you reading this would strongly disagree. Yes, parents generally are wise simply because they have lived longer than their children however, parents are "winging it" to some degree. Also, many children are born to incompetent, abusive, shaming, miserable, neglectful parents. They don't measure up in the "wise guide" category. Those children probably wish they were assigned another adult to give them guidance.

When you experience those difficult times in life, we are usually ill-equipped to deal with them and bring closure to them. Often this is because we haven't completed the grief or the disappointment with the other person. We may be carting around anger towards the person (s) involved. Most of us are walking around with conversations that never happened but maybe should have happened swirling around in our heads. How many of us have stated, "I wish I would have said........" or "If I had one more moment with him, I would tell him........" or "I really should share this with her before it is too late......."?

Remember my post called "Hard to Write Letters?" Well, I stumbled across a blog yesterday that is a close cousin of the "Hard to Write Letters" and this blog is a very cool idea that I wanted to share with you. It's called "The Things Unsaid Project." Here is what it is all about in a nutshell:

“The Things Unsaid Project” is a daring new social art project that allows individuals the opportunity to voice their long-silent words and remind us all of our shared connections, emotions, and experiences. We all have things we’ve wanted to say, but—for whatever reason—haven’t voiced. From apologies and admiration to gratitude and aggravation, “The Things Unsaid Project” offers you the chance to share those missing words, to communicate those “things unsaid” and release your thoughts into the world.

Here’s how you can participate:

1.) Address your letter to a person or group (i.e. Dear Mom, Dear Joey, To My Classmates, To the Girl on the #91 Bus on Tuesday Morning). Please do not be specific enough, such as using last names, that the recipient is clearly identifiable.


2.) Handwrite a one-page letter (front side only) sharing what you’ve wanted to say but never have.


3.) Please keep the letter anonymous and do not sign your name.

4.) Seal your completed letter in an envelope and send to: The Things Unsaid Project, P.O. Box 1103, Park Ridge, IL, 60068.

5.) Return to www.thingsunsaidproject.wordpress.com to read others’ unsaid thoughts and see if your letter has been posted. Letters will begin being posted on June 1.

6.) Please tell others about The Things Unsaid Project.

Please note that in mailing and submitting your anonymous letter, you grant “The Things Unsaid Project” full permission to include your letter on the web, in print, in any visual art display, and/or any related project ventures. “The Things Unsaid Project” also reserves the right to edit, to the best of its judgment, any sensitive or identifying information. “The Things Unsaid Project” welcomes your participation and looks forward to receiving your letter.

Sincerely,
“The Things Unsaid Project”

I think this is a very cool concept. Not sure if I have anything unsaid to write as I have always been a rather upfront kind of a gal. I have made peace with those I needed to make peace with. If you have something to say that you have been harbouring for months or even years, this might be a good opportunityt o unload it. Free this toxic energy.

5 comments:

  1. Wow- that sounds like a great project.
    I laughed when you said you don't usually leave things unsaid. Very true!
    I have lots unsaid, however, so who knows...

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  2. Thanks for mentioning The Things Unsaid Project, Julie. We're thrilled others are seeing value in this project and putting pen to paper in their own "letter writing revolution." We've received letters from coast to coast and are letting them trickle onto the site. We hope these handwritten letters sharing unsaid words provide closure to the writer, while simultaneously reminding us all (the readers) of the common experiences, emotions, and bonds we share. In this world, we are not alone.

    Thanks again for bringing attention to a project we truly believe in and value. Blue skies and best wishes to you!

    Onward and Upward,
    Danny Smith
    The Things Unsaid Project Co-Creator

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  3. What a great idea you have for this blog. Kudos to you! And much continued success to Danny with his project, who just happens to be a cool guy that I have the pleasure of knowing personally. :-) Small world...

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  4. Hi Julie!

    This sounds like a really neat project. I'm actually writing an article about letter writing in Chicago, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your blog. If you're interested, could you shoot me an e-mail at rlane922@gmail.com?

    Thanks so much!
    Rosemary Lane

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I need to know that this revolution is growing and impacting the masses. Your comments motivate me! Please take the time to let me know how TLWR is working for you.