Something I am very annoyed by.

Keeping it real. A phrase we hear more often these days.

Here's my definition: Being truthful, not deceptive about your life.

The example I present: Fake Christmas letters. You know the ones. "Here's an update on our wonderful family! Our six-year old has been accepted to graduate school! Our oldest daughter has completed her second doctorate at Yale, and will be old enough to go to Girl's Camp this year! The baby is potty trained at 6 months, and has mastered Underwater Basket Weaving! I'm being considered for an Emmy for my self-produced You-Tube video on homemade baby food! Hubby is having trouble juggling his many commitments and had to turn down that promotion to company president as it would not leave him enough time for his favorite hobby -- being on this year's PGA tour. Tragedy struck us this year when our third vacation home (the one in Maui, not Vail or Barbados) was exposed to potential calamity -- the neighbors had termites!"

Yeah. Right.(and eww, Stepford family)


I'd much rather hear: "We had a lot of legitimate challenges this year. I gained another ten pounds because I can't handle the the stress of my kids and part-time job. My house is a big mess and really could use a paint job. My kids are trying hard in school, but a couple are having a difficult time of it. There never seems to be enough cash to handle what's going on, but we are tightening our belts and pushing along. Hubby is working hard on trying to get a promotion and raise, but with the present economy, all we can do is keep praying. We are happy despite our problems and hope the challenges your family is facing are teaching you as much about service and sacrifice as ours are."

Much better.

You know, I really wouldn't want to be that first family. Doesn't sound like there's a lot of learnin' and growin' going on there. I did receive a few Christmas letters from the second family, and I love them all the more for it. First family, I'm not sending you a card this year, and I'd prefer not to get one from you next year. Unless I really need a laugh, because honestly, nobody has it that good, and if they do, they sent the letter to me in error. I have no idea who you people are, and frankly, I don't have time for you.

What set me off of this rant? It all comes back to "keeping it real." Sometimes real is good. The "real" of honesty and integrity.
Sometimes real is REALLY BAD.
The "real" of people who provide TMI. You know who they are.

They are this unnamed celebrity who featured this on her show yesterday. Before you click on either link, know that you're in for a treat. "Keeping it real." The first one shows this cosmetic-worshiper out in public without makeup (gasp!). You should know (as I unfortunately do because I have an almost 16 daughter who for some unknown reason thinks this show is a good one to watch) if you have ever watched or been forced to listen to her program, that every woman is beautiful but only if she is in full makeup and dressed quite posh. This is the subject of 90% of her shows. What a valuable lesson for our teenage girls! Worse would be teaching them that they should aspire to be anything like this incredible shallow individual.  The second link is from yesterday's show where this unnamed celebrity thought it would be a good idea to show an actual colonic performed live on television. Seriously. That's not "keeping it real" that is "epic bad taste."

Another thing I love about that show is how she's always teaching us the amazing bits of wisdom that she alone has discovered and has condescended to share with us. Like yesterday again.

Don't put your purse on the floor of the public bathroom, it might get yuk on it.

Wow. Don't know how I survived 44 years without that nugget of wisdom. All these years I have been just using that little hook on the back of the door that some misguided person hung there for no apparent reason.

Thanks so much, Super Model. Without your "keeping it real" for me, I don't know where I would be.
.