A DIY Approach to Finding Love

'Gosh, all of these tools and fasteners are just so confusing to a silly girl like me'

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I sent out more than 30 handmade valentines this year, a few of which look halfway decent. But in truth, you don’t really need an excuse to tell people you love them.

Speaking of love and excuses, I’d like to discuss a popular trend on TikTok, the social-media platform that lets users express mundane minutiae their innermost thoughts. It’s called Home Depot Dating. Tired of looking for love on dating apps, women are going to Home Depot and feigning ignorance in hopes that a future boyfriend will come to their rescue. Here’s a sampling of the video blurbs, some of which have hundreds of thousands of likes:

“screw the dating apps, imma start looking lost in the hardware stores.”

“Date Night Idea: Home Depot Edition.”

“When the dating apps aren’t working out so it’s time to look confused in Home Depot.”

“POV: You decide to look for a new man at your local Home Depot at 7 a.m. because dating apps are trash”

“looking lost in Home Depot to find us dates for new years”

*****

I know what you’re thinking. You’re expecting me to be all judge-y about women who act like helpless creatures just to attract a big, strong man who will give them a fairy tale life. But who am I to stand in the way of happiness? If this trend leads to more foot traffic in hardware stores, maybe it’s a win for everyone!

But just once, I’d love to see a video in which a customer (a man) asks another customer (a woman) how to drill a hole in a cinderblock wall.

The woman looks into the camera and says confidently, “You’ll need a masonry bit, which is stronger and sharper than a regular drill bit.”

In a Mom & Pop Hardware first, I’m including a poll to help me better understand this Home Depot Dating trend:

In my next post, I’ll explain the dark side of finding love at the hardware store. Hint: It involves couples who undertake home-improvement projects together. Stay tuned.