Saturday, April 14, 2012

'Why Pinterest is not for me'

I recently became very curious about the websight 'Pinterest' after so many people on Facebook were talking about it. I was told it was a way to share pictures of the things you like (which I was apparently mistaking Facebook as a place for that all this time) so I figured I'd check it out. I was very excited about this after so many of my friends playfully warned me about how "addicting" it is, as I love a good addiction to look forward to when I wake up in the morning, so I went to check it out. After logging onto the sight, I realized I had no idea how to actually use it; it started to set in that technology was taking over and I was failing as a Millennial. With time and a little repetition, I finally figured out how to use it and how to access other people's 'Pin Boards'. After seeing the common themes displayed on many of my friend's boards, I knew instantly that I was not going to fit in on this website (yet another aspect of my life where I don't fit in). The common themes I would see were things like 'Dream house' (which I don't care about), 'Dream wedding' (also don't care about) and things like 'Fitness' (which in my opinion doesn't actually require photography).

I don't want to sound insensetive by saying I "don't care" about people's dream homes; if you dream big then that's great and you will probably thrive on this sight. I, however, was born without an imagination. I am what you call a realist. My dream home is whatever house I first place a mortgage on, most likely between $50,000-65,000, around 1,000 square feet or less, and in or around the Central New York area. If you are interested in seeing a photo of what something like that looks like, I might suggest a websight like Trulia or Zillow, but certainly not Pinterest. I find no pleasure in posting picture of mansions too expensive to ever contemplate owning. As for interior design, I consider that something to think about only after I see the exact shape and layout of my house. Along with being a realist I am also a perfectionist. When I have an idea of something that I like, I can only see it in my head and try my best to recreate it only through an actual involvement in the project itself. For me to sit on Google and browse for pictures with no idea in mind will never happen. And once that idea is in my mind, no picture will do a justice if it's not exactly how I pictured it in my mind. So the only 'Dream house' album I could ever post would be a picture of a house I have already purchased and made my own. And at this point I don't have a house in my possesion to design...so that album idea is out.

As for the 'Dream Wedding' album, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to get married someday. But I also want a new flatscreen TV; if I don't get one soon, or ever, I still have a lot to live for. I'm not confident my peers share the same outlook as myself on this topic. Lately I've noticed (as emphasised by pinterest) that many of my friends are prematurely planning their wedding ceremonies, some of them not even in a relationship at the time. Now I fancy myself a planner, but for me planning is more of a compulsion than a passion -something I do without nessecerily wanting to. To me, planning my own wedding sounds like a hellish OCD nightmare to be done as quickly as possible and ignored as long as possible once I am done planning. Thinking about what color m&m's I am going to eat at my reception 10 years from now is just the kind of thing I don't need keeping me awake at night, I have enough to think about as it is. Call me old fashioned, but I guess it's more important to me 'who' I marry, than 'how' I marry. But if my friends aren't posting pictures of their future wedding dress or future Hors d'oeuvres (seriously?) and maticulously planning every little detail of their own weddings, they're gawking at someone else's. Gawking at the royal wedding, or gawking at a wedding that wasn't even a wedding to begin with (wedding photography). Sharing 'cute' photography of a staged couple (who probably met hours before their photoshoot for the little picture you found on Google) sneaking off to stand behind a tree together at their staged reception doing a staged laugh or staged slow dance while all the while ignorning all of their staged guests in the distance. Staring at strangers dressed in nice clothes on Google images does not get me amped to get married, looking at photos of my already married friends is much more inspirational to me when thinking about marriage.

Now about all the 'Fitness' photography that is so bizzarely popular lately -my only question is "Why?". Why does working out now consist of still photos of toned, fit, beautiful people running in the rain or tying their shoe at the bottom of a hill (Incase you haven't gathered by now, I don't relate well to photography...with not having an imagination and all). If you want to motivate me to go to the gym by way of a picture, get me a computer generated photograph of myself in 5 years, 100 lbs overweight. Then I will feel motivatated to go work out.

Now I know I said I was born without an imagination, but if you were also born without an imagination OR an once of creativity in your soul, this is definitely the sight for you. You will surely be WOWED at the novel concepts you learn on Pinterest like growing flowers out of an old mailbox, or drinking lemonade through a mason jar rather than a perfectly functioning drinking glass. All your friends and neighbors will be in awe of all the strange yet functional new concepts you ripped off of someone else's pin board (I don't like when people 're-pin' things I deemed unique enough for my own page).

This post was not meant to be, but most likely was, insulting to you. I just dont feel that this website has anything to offer an obsessive compulsive perfectionist like myself, even the thought of arranging the pictures let alone all the pictures 'of' pictures on the sight. It's just not my thing, and now you know.

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