The theme this week for me has been vulnerability. It has come up in conversations. I have thought about it and puzzled over it and dove in, because in my mind, it is the essence of being human. We are, after all, born into a challenging world with very little to protect ourselves, save our smarts and ability to connect with one another. In order to connect, we show our need and that is the vulnerable part, when we say, “I can’t do this alone.” It is from this revealing of our weakness that we gain strength in connection. You can’t have one with out the other. So, in the middle of my week with the vulnerability topic circling, I watched Mortified Nation, the ultimate reveal your soul to all experience.

Mortified is a stage show, where folks get up and read excerpts from their childhood diaries. It is touching, sad, revealing, uplifting, sweet, and hilarious. It is telling secrets, inner most thoughts, the feelings that are difficult to share. The longing to be loved, to fit in, the anger and rage, overwhelming happiness and love- dizzying feelings that overcome us, written in desperation, secrecy, code, or ALL CAPS in our diaries, expressions of what it is to be human. We are all trying to find our place. When one person can stand up and say how lonely they feel it resonates with all. The honesty and vulnerability of these readings give voice to the awkward teenager that we all were at one time and celebrates our mutual dorkiness.