Pinterest and Me

Some relationships start off great and once you have kind of committed, you start realizing irritating things about the other?  Probably that's just me.

So then you find the person whose personal set of strengths and weaknesses you find charming or tolerable and it lasts awhile.  Forever.  Or a little shorter in some cases.

But anyway.  Okay.  Whatever.

So a few months ago, I join Pinterest.  It seems to have a lot of what I didn't realize I had been looking for all my life.  I am, as they say, 'enthusiastic'.

But for some reason, after awhile, it all seems a little repetitive.  And not in a good way.

Little things start to annoy me.

The crocheted men's holiday winter underwear with a drawstring tie.
The anorexia promoted as fitness.
The same photo with a different caption.  In 10 out of 10 cases, the first caption was better.  So was the grammar.

I could go on, but I realize I am nitpicking.

I still love what I love..

Cute baby animals.
Easy DIY Tips.
Nifty outfits, put together so I can figure out if I have any way to approximate what is actually in style.
Snappy one-liners.
The occasional peep at a movie star young enough to be my son.  Or alternatively.  Just the right age and in possession of a full set of clothes.  It's all good.
Recipes.
Ideas of what we would do to our house.

Slowly, I started to think snarky comments. I left one, the same one, a couple of times.  You know that little poster?  The one that says, "Those who criticize our generation; for get who raised it."  Yeah.  Both times, I wrote, "That goes both ways."  You know, after the second time, I have only seen it maybe one more time.

More and more, I think, "Really?..."  And a correction.

I hold my peace. I know how I would feel.  I thought I did, until earlier this week.

You see, the blogosphere has been really good to me.  My readers have just simply been silent to me when they disagreed.  They have never left a negative comment.  I have gotten one or two I didn't understand, but never anything mean.

Ya know I come close to cursing on the blog, and I am fairly forthright about my IRL mouth.  I keep it off the blog and with one exception, have removed all the negative stuff off my pinboards.  I appreciate a well placed punctuative expletive. Art is art.

But.

The use of the eff word on Pinterest is just silly.  One day you see a funny picture, and a day or two later it is re-posted rephrased to include an 'eff'.  Sometimes it is funny.  Mostly, it's not.

There's this one with an owl...

Anyway, when the "If you are tired of the overuse of the eff word"... pin appeared, I drew a parallel to children smoking in order to look grown.  Well, that hit a little close to home for someone.  Or two.

Long story short, she called me a RETARD.

Interestingly, she didn't use 'effing'.  To read the comment, it just bursts out everywhere, but she was trying to say it wasn't the same.  She is caught in her own trap.

So someone followed up by saying, "This is an adult website and people can talk however they want."  First, it's not.  There are a lot of little kids around the site.  Second, Adult or no.  You can't say whatever you want everywhere.  We call it the 'discipline of place' (i.e, you don't behave the same way at the gynecologist's office that you do at a football game).

Other than with relatives, I have found social media to be as friendly and safe as I am willing to be.  Until now.  I am a little disappointed to find the environment less than supportive.  I am disappointed that I am not free to express my opinion without fear of personal attack by others.

That is a right or privilege that I have extended to others and have had extended to me.  I know if I don't agree with someone I am free to move on and not take in anymore of whatever I find distasteful.  I am free to remain kind.  I am free to encourage and engage in discussion.

Oh...my I.Q.?

Not even close to retard, Sugar.



Today, I am Sharing My Freaking Awesome with Jennifer @Momma Made It Look Easy.