The Pinterest Phenomenon

On June 10, 2010, I tentatively set out to become a blogger with a maiden post for "The North Forty Chronicles." My design was and remains rudimentary, my prose, kind of stilted, my photography, a little sketchy, and my followers remain elusive. OK, let's be honest, my followers are nonexistent, save two friends from work. I did not have a niche, a focus, or, it seems, the motivation to persevere. I guess, at times in our lives, we all find ourselves mucking about in a semi-frozen state of being just trying to get through another day. I'm not sure it's necessarily a bad thing. It may be our very human way of trying to manuever past events, relationships, and situations that prove difficult for us.

I believe we all manufacture reasons for not doing what needs to be done, for not being the person we know we are capable of being, and for not forging ahead when we hit a little speed bump in the road. I know I certainly do. So, when I hit my little speed bump in September 2010, I composed what I thought was my last blog post, putting the idea of creative expression out to pasture (on the north forty, if you will). I was sufficiently armed with bucket loads of reasons for my actions, satisfying myself that I had made the only right and proper decision. It may be called rationalization in some circles.

Life has been, really, quite good in the interim. I wanted to create blog posts on a number of occasions since September 2010, but I always found reasons for not taking the time to do so.

And then along comes Pinterest! What a thrill! I have only just begun to "pin", all of three days worth. I am hooked. Pinning is much like blogging, except there are fewer words. Interestingly, I have rediscovered that I love words about as much as I love the thousands of images that light up the Pinterest pages. In some respects, pinning is much easier than blogging. Point, click, pin, done. Yep, blogging is infinitely more difficult. And, 20 years ago, would I ever have imagined using the words "pinning" and" blogging" in the course of ordinary conversation? I don't think so.

The "pinning" phenomenon has reawakened in me the urge to return to "The North Forty Chronicles", to get back in the saddle, and give it another try. Thanks Pinterest! I look forward to making some changes to "The North Forty Chronicles" in the next several months, as I endeavor to learn how to use technologies to best communicate with you in a manner that will satisfy us all. It's good to be back. Join me for the ride. I would really appreciate your comments as I move tentatively ahead into these uncharted waters.

Barb