Adulting: Thinking about Real vs. Fake...

When I was younger, I was so fascinated by fake versions of real things. Fake snow for your Christmas tree? Awesome… because it never melted. A hair clip with a fabric butterfly on it? Indescribably cute, and the critter won’t die. Nylon flowers that won’t wilt? Count me in.

I don’t know when it happened really, but now I appreciate the flip side: I tend to prefer the real, the original.

Maybe it was one too many faux leather purses that cracked, but I slowly began to see that often the original of an item, not its imitation, is more valuable and better quality. Its very essence is much more pleasing and luxurious.

Take those nylon flowers, for instance. I can have a group of plastic buds in a vase. They may need dusting every now and then, so the care is easy and quick. But the flowers are missing the sweet scent, the delicate feel of the petals, and the imperfections that nature makes so lovely. I also have to put more work in maintaining live plants, which creates meaning for me. Work is time, so I choose to invest my time in only the important things.

The older I get, the more I realize we live in a world of counterfeits. And while some counterfeits are harmless and serve a purpose, I need to make sure I don’t just reach for them because they are easy. Like a frozen quick “homemade” meal because I’m too tired to get into cooking.

The bottom line: I want to be aware of possible fakes in my life and limit them. I don’t normally end my blog entries with a quote, but this one sums up my thoughts:

Real is Hope,
Real is Beautiful,
Real is Tough,
Real exists!
But, Real is Rare!
Madhumitha Jayaram

May we treasure the “real” and let it enhance our life this coming new year.
Happy New Year!