This site is set up to announce a new book project called "Just Say It"
You can be part of it.

Do you have something you want to say to your parents? Ask your parents? Write it in a letter/e-mail and send it to me. Anonymously if you want.

For those letters that are in the book you will get a personalized response from an anonymous parent who has chosen to be part of the project. Each letter will be answered by someone different - it is not just one person sitting behing a desk furiously responding to your letters. I promise.

It is a project about self expression, communication and a test of synchronicity because you never know who will get your letter.

I'll publish it in a book that will be sold online.

Why?
The way I see it there are three parts to this project - You the teen will get acknowledgement for something you keep hidden, the parent who responds gets to see honestly into the mind of a teenager today and everyone who reads the book will understand the importance of communication across generations.

Please send all letters to:
TheJustSayItproject*AT*gmail.com (replace *AT*with @ )

Who am I?
My name is Cecilia and I am 34 years old. I work at home teaching English as a Second Language to Adults in France over the Internet. It's not the traditional job and that works for me. My whole day is centered around helping people communicate better.

What?
I am setting up this Network as a place for teens to gather as well as to invite you to be part of a new book project that aims to bring together the hearts and minds of teenagers and parents.

How?
How exactly can we "bring together the hearts and minds of teenagers and parents"?
It is a fair question. I am not claiming to have some break through revolutionary answer but I have an idea in mind and I am looking for teenagers who want to be part of it.

**The project is a book that will be composed of letters written anonymously (or not - your choice) by you (teens) to your parents.
These letters will then be taken to a group of parents/adults who will read your letters and respond as if they were writing to their own child.**
Each letter will get INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION and will be answered by a different person.
If the book is published with 40 letters, 40 adults will be involved in answering these letters.
I am looking for are teenagers who have something to say to their parents but for whatever reason it is just not being said.

I am asking you to write a letter to your parents ( or one of them) and Just-Say-It, just get it off your chest.

Here are some ideas for topics

1. Expectations: Maybe you feel your parents expect something from you that you just don't want for your self. Perhaps you want to be carpenter or a dancer instead of a business major or a teacher. Maybe you want to be a teacher or a business major instead of an IT Technician or a Biology Major. Just-Say-It

2. Pressure: Is there pressure to be good at everything? To be smart? To be thin? To be good at sports? To be a great musician? To be focused and superhuman at everything you? Maybe you'd be okay with a simple life and no longer want to be the superstar. Just-Say-It

3.Feeling over-looked: Do your parents expect more from other people in your family than they do from you? Do they think your sister or brother will go be a doctor or a mechanic and you know they are just hoping you will graduate high schoo/college and be able to pay your own bills? Do you JUST KNOW you have more potential inside of you that is just dying to be acknowledged? Just-Say-It

4. Too much responsibility: Do you feel like the parent? Are you taking care of someone instead of being taken care of? Do you need someone to acknowledge this? just-Say-It

5. You think your parents are great Maybe you think your parents are great and you want to let them know but are too shy to say it all. Just-Say-it

6.You have a secret You have something that has needed to be said for a long time. Just-Say-It

Why

Why am I doing this?

I am doing this because I talk to a lot of people everyday with my job. Mostly we speak about their daily tasks at work because they're learning English to advance in their careers or make sure they hold on to them. Sometimes, at the end of the session, there is extra time left and I always ask " If money and expectations were not an issue what would you be doing with your life?"

This is my favorite part of the session and this is when people come ALIVE! All of a sudden they become animated and can somehow find the words to convey their excitement despite their limited language abilities. They often speak in hushed tones as if they are telling me a secret that has been hidden for a very long time.

The other day I spoke with an office administrator who wanted to open a flower shop in the South of France, and an Accountant who wanted to open a Whiskey Distillery in Scotland.

Given these conversations with my students it astonishes me how much of ourselves we learn to hide. What else would these people tell me in hushed tones while trusting in the anonymity that technology and the ocean between us provides if given the chance?

These conversations make me believe, even more, how important it is to express yourself all the time, at every age, wherever you are. But it seems that sometimes, often when we are teens, we don't always feel like we have an audience who is listening and we are not always given the airtime to speak about things that really matter.

This process led me here, to create this site that will lead to the book. Perhaps if teens are given the time and space to express what is on their minds and those expressions are acknowledged it will make a difference either now or in the future.
Perhaps there will be fewer adults speaking in hushed tones to total strangers over Skype. Perhaps we can learn to trust in our ability to express ourselves instead of in our ability to repress ourselves.

It's an idea. I want to try it. If you see value in this project for you I hope you participate.

If you have something to say send me your letter. When you send your letter please know that I am assuming you are giving me the right to share your letter with someone who will respond, publish your letter and the response in the book and perhaps even feature your letter on this website. (Where no criticism is allowed)

Please send all letters, ideas or questions to

TheJustSayItproject*AT*gmail.com (replace *AT*with @ )