In a Russian novel I read when I was young, a character walks into the town square and confessions to an old crime, a crime people have forgotten about years ago. This image of the public confession returns to me from time to time.
It returned today.
Today, a person shared the most devastating news—the death of a spouse—and they did so in the virtual public square of social media. It must have just happened. They must have written out of shock or out of confusion.
Hundreds of people expressed condolences, desires to help, GIF with animated characters hugging. There were no spammers or haters among the comments.
As the idea of the public square evolves from a physical place to a social community to a virtual world, I wonder how our rituals around confession, burial, morning, and commiseration will evolve accordingly.
A Life of Wonder 
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