I recently returned to Instagram after some time away.

I generally dislike social media, but after months of pandemic life, I really missed those casual connections with friends and the glimpse into their lives afforded by the platform.

Everything was going fine — “fine” meaning that I was able to view others’ posts without going too far down the rabbit hole — when I downloaded a routine update.

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It used to be that whatever you needed, you could find it on amazon.com.

But have you noticed that is no longer the case?

I went looking a couple of weeks ago for a simple mechanical kitchen timer. And I couldn’t find a single one that was made by a reputable company and had consistently good reviews.

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Somewhere along the line, some of us got the message that we have to be perfect to be loved or worthy.

It can be tough to live with, especially if we don’t consciously realize that we’re carrying this weight with us all the time.

Daily existence becomes a precarious scramble up a mountain path where both sides are crumbling into nothing. To be wrong is to fall into the darkness. One false move and we’re plunging into the abyss, where no one can save us.

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You could say that the point of making something is to have that thing when you’re done.

But if that were truly the case then it would be more economical (sometimes in terms of time and money) to just go buy whatever it is that you’re trying to make. Chances are, you can find it at a low-cost retailer for a fraction of of what you would spend on buying the materials, let alone the opportunity cost of the time spent making a thing.

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Anything new starts out as someone’s idea. Someone tries something, and if someone else sparks to it, they may try it, too.

At a certain point, these ideas become established as the new norm. Social media has accelerated this process. An idea can become a trend or even a movement very quickly.

As a new idea gains traction, the culture (or subculture) shifts to accommodate it. Maybe the new thing gets a name. Now, it seems as if it was always present.

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