Dear Open Letter,
Please stop trying to be something you’re not.
An open letter, aka an excuse to publicize your most recent journal entry without actually stating that every night you may (or may not) write about the ex you can’t get out of your head or the girl you swear you could care less about even though she actually does get under your skin, like a lot. In these private pages, you b***h about the rando who hit on your boyfriend or the kid in class whose political comments really just made you want to stand up and knock him or her in the face.
On the internet, we seem to have turned these private thoughts and our most important life-altering moments—moments that meant something, into the most generalized stories possible where there is always a lesson to be learned and every person in some way has experienced the exact same situation down to the smallest generalized detail. How boring.
An open letter, aka some young writer’s best opportunity at their five minutes of internet fame. (Hey, not hating on that.)
An open letter, aka a preface for people to write about how they think individuals should live their lives in a non-threatening, semi-uncontroversial approach, i.e., “An Open Letter to My Friend Who Chose Abortion” (Yes, I know that is an extreme example. It is supposed to be.)
An open letter, aka a method of openly complaining about the people in your life but twisting it so it really seems like you’re trying to help other individuals "avoid your mistakes" or "overcome" some obstacle. (If you want to have a strong opinion about something then do not be afraid to just let it out.)
Really, I am just so over reading “An Open Letter to ‘Insert everything and everyone here’” 15 times in a row every time my Facebook newsfeed is opened. These articles seem more and more like generalized thoughts and scenarios that really do not mean anything to anyone anymore. It is taking the authenticity out of sharing your stories and life lessons. We get it. Your boyfriend screwed you over, you will find someone who treats you better, and he proves it in X, Y, and Z ways. We get it. Target does not need to know that your letter is “Open.” The fact that you are publishing it on the internet shows us all that it is, in fact, open. I can guarantee this ex you’re hinting about could care less about your “open letter,” and Target does not need you to let them know you are writing an “open letter” because they are getting thousands every day.
Isn’t this the day and age of speaking our minds, having words and thoughts and ideas that mean something? Let’s be honest and genuine and personable.
Don’t let the true meaning of your story or lesson or heartbreak or happiness hide behind the next “open letter.” Tell the world exactly why you are happy and who that wonderful person that helped you out of a tough situation is. Be you and tell your story. If it doesn’t exactly line up with a thousand other people that is OK! Share because you think what you have to say is important, not because you are trying to make it important.
As Sara Bareilles once said, “Say what you wanna say.”
