Get(ting) Real

"Get real."

I remember that used to be a phrase uttered when someone was being unbelievable -- like that they could climb all the way to the top of the tallest tree in the yard or hit the ball all the way out to the field. That was back in the times where life's big struggles included deciding between a bologna or pb&j for lunch or why your favorite pair of shoes (the jelly shoes with the sparkles in them) always gave you blisters no matter how few minutes you wore them on your feet.

"Get real."

That phrase now offers a nudge into truth and honesty. It is a challenge to own and embrace now for what it is rather than being frustrated or sad over what it's not. It's a call to opening up and exposing things I'd rather sweep under the rug than utter aloud.

We tend to let ourselves feel like we are alone in our negative feelings or experiences in a world that pressures us to be perfect in appearances and hide our struggles. We buy into the lie that everyone is more pulled together, happy, and better than we are. We brag about our ups while lying about our downs.

And you know what? All of this effort to project perfection is exhausting. In high school we'd finish a play and have an unbeatable rush of joy, pride, and excitement; this kind of performing is crushing. Buying into that lie took away my feeling that this blog was my safe place to be myself. And that's not okay.

So now's the time to heed the call to get real. This is my blog, and this is my life. It's not always witty, funny, or entertaining, but it's real.