Airing Dirty Laundry

Breaking the Rules: Airing Dirty Laundry

My mother feels an uneasiness in sharing this story publicly. Although my mother agreed to be interviewed for my film in its initial in-class project, it was very stressful for her to re-examine this painful time in her life. She still feels extremely self-conscious about many things she said, and found it unnatural to answer many of my deep, probing questions. My mother initially had a problem sharing these personal issues in a public forum, and got very uncomfortable every time she knew someone had viewed the film. She is from a generation that learned not to air your personal affairs (family secrets). For a while this issue was unresolved. I tried to stretch her comfort zone and point out how others could benefit from our experiences. I ultimately did convince her that our personal experiences can be universal experiences which can help others and bring new insight.

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