How I started collecting pins
Years ago, I bought a space Yin Yang pin that sat untouched in my room for years. That changed in 2020 during a family trip to Disney, when an ice storm canceled our flight home and left us stuck in Kissimmee for two extra days. Exploring only what we could walk to, we wandered into a tourist shop filled with pins. One stood out: a bright yellow pin that read, “Smile, It Confuses People.” I bought it and pinned it to my jean jacket, where it became one of the first pins I ever wore.
After that, I began covering my jacket with pins as a humorous way to express myself. I started collecting them everywhere I went, malls, trips, and even local shops in Ishpeming. Eventually, the jacket became too heavy to wear, so I retired it for special occasions. Since then, my pins have become wearable memories, and a deeply personal reflection of who I am on any given day.