So I share a group Pinterest board called “Things I HATE About Pinterest” with my web designer and friend Sarah.  Because while I enjoy spending a lazy Saturday morning pinning fashion photos and recipes on the online inspiration board, sometimes, the things people post make me wonder what-in-the-name-of-all-things-holy they were thinking.  Here is one such pin:

Now, I am no expert on love or the inner workings of the human heart or how to find the perfect life partner , but even I can see that this particular photo should not be featured as an “Inspirational Love Quote.”

First off, this quote isn’t from Marilyn Monroe.  Sites like brainyquote, Good Reads and others keep attributing it to her, but a slightly deeper search revealed a few sites dedicated solely to Marilyn quotes that claim this one is a fake.  But even if it was her…let’s consider the “source.”

While there is much to respect and appreciate about Marilyn Monroe, her love life is not something that anyone should want to emulate.  Perpetually used by men both wealthy and powerful, the lady is widely rumored to have been the “other woman” in both JFK and RFK’s marriages.  She was also married and divorced three times before her 35th birthday.  I would sooner take relationship advice from Bella Swan than I would from Marilyn, and Bella’s fictional…and her true love wants to drink her blood.

So let’s rewrite this quote with a dash of girl power, shall we?

“A wise girl doesn’t stay romantically involved with a man she doesn’t feel safe enough to love, can’t believe and knows will eventually leave her.  She dumps the jackass, brushes the dirt off her shoulder and goes looking for a man who she can love fully and trust without question, who will stick with her through thick and thin. That’s what makes her wise.”

Not as quippy, but a much better example to follow.  Too bad it won’t fit neatly on a photo of a woman spinning like a nun on a mountain top.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pin pictures of scrumptious desserts and stilettos.