In Defense Of Airing Dirty Laundry

How revealing the tender, messy parts of ourselves leads to connection

Photo by Marco Bianchetti

IN DEFENSE OF AIRING DIRTY LAUNDRY

of prying ribs apart to reveal 
bruised peach hearts. 
of showing broken paths 
lining palms. of leaking 
marrow from cracked bones. 
of gnawing hunger. of decaying 
teeth. of singing our shattered 
love and bloated shame. 
of sharing grief and rage 
and regret–blue and crimson 
and lemon wild poppies. 
field upon open field, 
a superbloom reminder 
we are not singular 
in our suffering. 

A few weeks ago, in the middle of a conversation around vulnerability, the person I was speaking to shared how they feel people nowadays won’t stop talking about their personal lives. She finds it insufferable. She’s two generations ahead of me and grew up during a time where you kept whatever was happening behind closed doors to yourself. Eating disorders, addiction, abuse, mental illness, infidelity, marriage strife—all potential embarrassments to yourself and your family. Perhaps you confided in a close friend or two, but you certainly …