Pinterest Makes It Possible
Do you know what my mom had at my age? A husband, a house, a golden retriever, a CHILD, and a brand new OFF THE mothereffin’ lot Toyota Tercel. Sounds like she had it made, right? The American Dream. But you know what she didn’t have? Pinterest. Which is why I, at the same age my mom was when my oldest brother wreaked havoc on her youthful body and caused her to pee every time she bounced on a trampoline, am fairing much better. (JK, Mom. YOU’RE STILL HOT AND YOUNG) I don’t even own a trampoline! Because I don’t have a yard. Because I don’t have a house. Because I live in a 4thfloor apartment with not one, but THREE roommates. And yeah, I ration my OWN FOOD. But my internet is only 6 bucks a month, baby! And that’s definitely equal to her car payment back in 1984. And look, I’m living out my dreams.
I mean, not actually. But I have boards on Pinterest, so dammit, I’m close!
Collaging was a favorite pastime of my early 2000s childhood self. I’d spend my free Saturday afternoons (not mornings because I had to go to Religious Education — shout out to my fellow Catholic kids!) chopping up my mom’s Shape magazines, pasting down the ideal life. I LOVED THAT SHIT. I had a mansion on the beach in Oklahoma City with 17 dogs, 6 pools, 3 husbands, and the abs of a Greek god. I was LIVING. A quick escape from my actual life: a warehouse in Alaska with 4 siblings, two parents, and ZERO pools. But I knew I’d get what I wanted someday.
In 2006, a book called “The Secret” made its debut into the world. It would gain traction like a positive plague on society — it was EVERYWHERE and wasn’t going away. The message was simple: “thoughts become things” and this was deemed “The Law of Attraction”. Even more simply put; what you think about is what you will get — positively or negatively. This book did not reach my hands until 2010 and coincidentally, the social media platform that is Pinterest had its genesis the same year.
At the beginning, you had to be invited onto Pinterest. I was a young, hopeful college freshman when an invite graced my e-mail. I was enticed, drawn in. What was Pinterest? What could I do with it? The invite-only presence made it all the more enthralling. As soon as I was given the clearance (how NSA of you, Pinterest), I was HOOKED ON IT. The platform allowed for you to ‘pin’ ideas to ‘boards’. Immediately transported back to my collaging days, the possibilities of virtually pasting down my ideal life were endless. Am I getting married? No. Do I have a wedding board? Absolutely. Is my apartment big enough for a dog? Absolutely not. Does my board called ‘puppehs’ have over 2500 photos of dogs? You bet your ass.
The Law of Attraction calls for an action called “dream boarding”, which is creating a visual representation of all of your dreams in order to attract them into your life. For the past eight years, I have been doing just that via Pinterest. My boards are visual representations of my dreams, which apparently include a LOT of Taco Bell and many a beachy environment. And since they are on my Pinterest, I’m checking that off my Law of Attraction list.
Being a millennial is tough. My rent is exorbitant. I live paycheck to paycheck. Luckily, I have no college debt but feel like I wasted my time on a degree, anyway. Long ago are the days where a Toyota Tercel, husband, house, and baby would be the norm for someone my age. I’m out here just trying to eat. But thank God I have images on the internet to distract me and an entire board filled with recipes I would never be able to prepare in my tiny kitchen that I share with several others. And maybe I won’t get to Europe soon, but doesn’t that make me JUST LIKE Will Hunting? Yeah, Robin Williams, I haven’t smelled the paint in the Sistine Chapel and you know why? BECAUSE I AM BROKE, MY DUDE.
Sometimes I’m straight up bummed about my current situation, but then I think about my mom. Do I really want a baby now? Nah, I have a board for that. Can I afford a house? Nah, I have a board for that. Should I get married soon? I mean, probably because my eggs are getting old, but NAH, I HAVE A BOARD FOR THAT. And I’d never want a Toyota Tercel because ew, ugly, but I have a board for all the cars I DO want. And shoot, thanks for the climate change and garbage economy, baby Boomers. I can’t have a lot of what my childhood self wanted, but you know what? I have boards for all that. Pinterest makes it possible.
