Cities and Secrets

(In response to Italo Calvino's book Invisible Cities...Great book! I definitely suggest reading it)

In Secretia there are many mailboxes. Every person living in the city, every visitor, every citizen of the past has a mailbox. These mailboxes line the streets, fill office cubicles, parking lots, restrooms, etc., although they are not visible to the human eye. Each mailbox is abstractly filled with stories and secrets. These stories define every person possessing a mailbox. Every person puts his or her deepest darkest secrets in his or her mailbox. The mailboxes know about every affair, every abortion, every lie, and every other secret a person holds. These mailboxes know everything about their holders and they can communicate freely with other mailboxes, spilling those secrets to others. There is no communication between humans and mailboxes. Each mailbox is devoted to its holder and does everything possible to protect him or her. If two people are in conflict, then their mailboxes are in conflict as well. When two mailboxes dispute, a secret it spilt into society. For example, if a wife is having an affair with a coworker because of personal problems with her husband then the wife’s and the husband’s mailboxes will be in conflict and in time the wife’s mailbox will leak information about the affair. This is not intentional on the mailbox’s part, but simply part of the system; almost as punishment for conflict.

Each person is internally connected with the mailbox and the mailbox will hint valuable information from other mailboxes if need be. Therefore, practically nothing can be kept secret in this city. No man or woman can get away with an affair and no child can lie to a parent unless there is no conflict, for the secrets are only shared if there is conflict between two people, meaning there will be conflict between the mailboxes. If a child lies to his mother about whether or not he brushed his teeth before bed and the mother never argues with him, then the mailboxes will not have any reason to argue, and the lie will never be revealed to the mother’s mailbox. However, if the mother and the son are arguing about his bedtime and he then lies about brushing his teeth then the mailboxes will argue and the lie will be shared with the mothers mailbox, subconsciously informing her of the son’s lie.

The only way people in Secretia live in harmony is by avoiding conflict. If they can satisfy their mailboxes, then all is well. The mailboxes control the society, yet no one knows of their existence. People in Secretia think what happens to them is out of their control, when in reality, they are controlling everything.