Keeping It Real

“How are you?” Fine she answered as she wiped her leaky eyes dry.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” She whispered.

How many times have I been the character above? Blind to truth. Deaf to reality?

Mine and others?Acting as if, “See no evil, hear no evil” is some sort of excuse for me to continue on in oblivion. Moving forward in my day as my friend with her leaky eyes walks back to her car. ALONE, although having been with me?

Denial is no excuse. Ignorance is death. Shutting our eyes, closing our minds is inhumane. Keeping it real, living means showing up . To show up, we need to take our blinders and tinted glasses off and see people and circumstances for what they are; not necessarily what they say, ask or do.

I don’t know about you, but getting real for me means taking my headphones out of my ears so that the continual melody of ‘my life, my life’ is silenced long enough to hear reality; communicated and non communicated.

I might be more comfortable blind, deaf and ignorant – but the goal of life isn’t comfort for crying out loud. Who said being human was comfortable? Life is painful- sometimes. Who knows what might be possible if I were to take my blinders and head phones off long enough? I might hear or see an opportunity to help. Maybe that’s the reason you and I are going around eyes closed, mouth taped shut- were afraid of what might happen if we get involved, know, care?

Keeping it real entails being real.

Seeing. Hearing. Asking. Acting.

Get uncomfortable.

And then do something about it. Being uncomfortable is a sign you are alive. Let’s face it, things aren’t comfortable for many and the sooner you and I get ‘uncomfortable’ with what’s uncomfortable for others- the sooner we get real.

Let’s get over this ‘see no evil, hear no evil’ cop out on reality and just get real.

Pam Hoelzle

photo credit By defekto