Knowing what's real

Kangaroo leather is characterized by its flexibility, not its stiffness. So, when I bought a hat made from kangaroo leather, the fact that it came folded in a small bag only to bounce into form after taking it from the bag made me know that it was authentic kangaroo leather. It's been a great hat because of its viability ever since.

No doubt there will be a number of caps sold across the United States touting the Olympics in North America this February. There will be caps with the multicolored rings across the front. There will be caps with the word Vancouver 2010 on them. There will be all kinds of insignias on caps, but there won't be one that has the emblem of the Indian nation from the British Columbian area of Canada unless it was bought in Vancouver or in British Columbia. I have one of those authentic caps; it will be a novelty in the area I live in since I live a long way from Vancouver.

Authenticity is important in an age in which one can wear faux furs or sport faux mohawks or buy faux purses. "Knock-off" is a common word these days. So, when it comes to relationships, people are satisfied with "faux" relationships, knock-offs. There are a number of reasons people accept partial relationships rather than complete ones, but one of the reasons is that there are not that many people willing to offer a complete or authentic giving of themselves.



It is a felt emptiness to experience faux relationships. However, one gets to expecting them since authentic ones are few and far between. How refreshing it is to cross paths with someone who brings authenticity, who is transparent, positive, proactive, cheerful, probing, encouraging, energetic, caring, interactive, and enthusiastic. To use an old phrase, "I want to stake my tent" with such a person, not merely to be around them, but to experience authenticity that is just not available anywhere else. It's the difference between wearing silver or wearing gold in a ring.