the_sandra•1mo agoProlific Poster

My project to save fading folklore keeps bumping into cultural NO-NOs.

I've been recording oral histories from elders in my community as a personal hobby. It's crazy how many stories are kept quiet because they touch on taboos like mental health or old scandals. For instance, my aunt shared a tale about a ancestor who loved someone from a rival group, but it was always HUSHED up. In some cultures, discussing these things openly is just NOT done, which feels wrong to me. I believe silencing these stories ERASES important parts of our past. My work shows that facing these taboos can actually bring people closer. We need to stop hiding from our own history.

4 comments

4 Comments

blair_allen1mo ago

So your aunt's story was always HUSHED up, huh? Classic move, bury the drama instead of dealing with it. We're so good at pretending our past is clean, it's almost funny. But you're right, ignoring this stuff just makes the skeletons in the closet louder. Maybe we should start a reality show for family secrets, call it "Historical Gossip".

patsingh1mo ago

But not every story needs to be told. Digging up old taboos can really upset the people involved.

brooker921mo ago

Ugh, my cousin's whole divorce got treated like some state secret. Like, we all knew it happened but my grandma would change the subject if you even said his ex-wife's name. It makes you wonder what else gets smoothed over like that, kinda like what @wilson.diana said about her uncle's first wife. Now I'm suspicious about every old family photo, you know?

wilson.diana1mo ago

Remember my uncle never spoke about his first wife. That quiet changed how we saw family history. Now I see how secrets can warp the truth over time.