Ask a Millennial

Or else you may find yourself the reluctant owner of not one, but two Instagram accounts.

Since we have Millennial children, my husband and I have an answer to almost any question that might come up concerning almost any topic. We can ask a Millennial. It’s almost like asking Siri, only we Baby Boomers like to boost our children’s self-esteem, so we ask our children instead.

Why am I thinking of this today, you might ask. Well, I got a new phone and for some reason, I couldn’t work my Instagram. I don’t know. Don’t judge me. It just wouldn’t work. So, rather than go to the trouble of asking a Millennial, which I should have done, I now have two Instagram accounts. I don’t really even want one Instagram account, but I do like to see photos of my niece’s baby and look at pictures of people who are more interesting than I. I also want to occasionally put my children’s books out there. Does it help? I don’t know. Maybe I’m not using the right hashtag or something.

As you can see, I don’t love technology. I don’t crave being on my smartphone, and often lose it in my house. I don’t even look at email or other social media on weekends. As a writer and artist, it messes with my mojo. But, I do feel compelled to tell you that if you follow me on Instagram and you’re wondering why I have two accounts, it’s just sheer ignorance. Because I was too impatient to ask a Millennial, I opened a second account rather than ask or try to figure it out in a different way. So, sue me.

I don’t dislike technology. It does a lot for me. How else would I know about Yoga Outlet? In fact, if you read my Editor’s Note in the June issue, you will see that I claim (and I truly believe this is accurate) that I was the first writer/editor in Tulsa to use email. I do have to give credit to my friend Chris Pirie, who worked for Oracle and then Microsoft in Seattle. He told me about this amazing electronic mail that miraculously comes through your computer without a stamp. “What is this magic of which you speak?” I asked. Being a liberal arts major, Chris was able to explain in terms that I could comprehend, and I thought, “Hey, my life would be easier with that. I wouldn’t even have to get up from my desk to put mail in the outgoing stack.” I was sold.

This was all in the days before Millennials were Millennials.

Millennials have improved my life, and I’m grateful. They explain new social media platforms to me that I don’t want to use. They think it’s cool that I have “vinyl” and something to play it on. They introduced me to fizzy, flavored waters. In fact, one day I was in Sprouts, and my daughter who was visiting at the time, asked if I would get her some La Croix. By the time I got to the store, I had (of course with my aging brain) forgotten the name of the drink, so I located a young worker and said, “Do you guys have that Millennial water?” and he said, “You mean La Croix? Yeah, it’s right over there.”

Ask a Millennial.