The Real.

Real recognizes real they say, but I say that we have yet to experience the real, so how might we expect it? The real is the authentic. It is the transparent. It is not fearful. Yet, my real is conscious. It recognizes when it will offend or hurt, reject or put down. So even when I strive for realness in relationships, and friendships, and expect others to be "real" to me, I understand being real may not be a fair expectation. Could I handle naked, unadulterated truth, if that truth was something that might hurt my feelings? If the real was my love that was rejected? To spare the hurt, often times we only share the real that will protect. The real that will lay you down gently. The real, that will avoid that question, that you already know the answer to, for fear of hurting too deeply. So my real may never be the authentic, it may only be the closest thing too.