Alright everyone, I need your help.
Whew. Well. There’s something I don’t say every day (though I really, really ought to. Who doesn’t need a little help sometimes/always?).
I have a goal for this blog. I do. I have an agenda, like anyone else. It’s written at the very top, full disclosure style, and it’s pretty straight forward: Keep it real.
Leave the judgement at the door; Keep those brainwaves flowing; Express yourself before you wreck yourself.
A lot of you agree with this goal (or you just like to read, or you’re interested in seeing the world through someone else’s eyes). I am even more convinced of this after seeing the overwhelming response to the Taboo Tab: over 100 Facebook shares and interactions. Thousands of hits. Emails in my inbox confirming just how many people felt/cried/laughed alongside the contributors, and had that same profound response: “Wow, that’s so me,” or “Wow, that’s so someone else. And I get them now.”
We ought to keep this going, don’t you think? Keep it going for the people who need to know they aren’t alone. For the teachers bringing the Taboo Tab into their classrooms, showing the next generation what happens when creative writing meets community meets compassion. Ministers sharing the series with their affiliates, and considering it as they provide guidance during life’s most pivotal moments.
This is working. The Taboo Tab is working. We are learning about each other. We are hearing each other. Finally, finally, finally.
To keep it going, however, I need your help (and no, I am not asking for money. Just a couple minutes of your time & talent.):
Firstly, I am seeking contributors for the next Taboo Tab. The subject is “Sex, Lies, and, Storytime.” I want to hear your story, if you’re willing to share. I can’t publish everything, but I am looking for a diverse and powerful group of stories that together show the complexity, diversity, and experiences of judgement in the challenging area of sexuality.
Why does this fit on the Taboo Tab? Admittedly, sex is everywhere. We talk about it all the time. The problem is that we rarely discuss it in real, human terms. Conversations about sexuality aren’t always sensitive to the diversity of emotionally loaded experiences, of decisions made, of confusion felt. And how can they be, if we never hear stories which differ from our own?
I know this resonates with people, and am excited to go all out in addressing it. We’ll do it together, just as we did with Death and Grieving a few weeks ago.
Submit to the Taboo Tab here: https://shaunanagins.com/the-taboo-tab/
Secondly, I really need your vote for my Community Achievement Award/scholarship nomination. This award recognizes Canadian young people who use media to support and bring together their communities in a creative way. If that sounds like what you see happening here, I urge you to take a minute to show your support: sign on, and click “Support this Nomination” on the CampusPerks website: http://awards.campusperks.ca/en/entries/czr6u . Leave a note about your personal experience of the project if you would like.
The minute you take to lend your support means so, so much to me.
Okay. I did it. I asked for help. The Taboo Tab and shaunanagins.com is a big project, and I am forever grateful for your readership, you comments, your contributions, your emails, and your openness.
And yes, I have a real-deal post coming for you tomorrow. Much love.
Shaunanagins 