It’s hard to believe I haven’t blogged for three months, but . . . there you go! Clearly the new part time job I started in December, and other responsibilities have kept my ruminating at a minimum. (No jokes about the previous statement, please! Ha!)

Sometimes writers just begin writing in order to exercise the writing muscle (so to speak); they don’t know where they’re headed, they’re just headed wherever the pen might lead (or the keyboard, to be more precise). And that is an approximation of what I am attempting to do right now. Except that earlier this week I was reminded of a favorite word of mine, and I would be remiss not to share it with you.

It is the word GENUINE.

For many years now I have been enamored with the word genuine. I have always loved the way it sounds, and the way it feels as I shape the word in my mouth. Your teeth must come together as you form the first syllable, then there is the vibration caused by the J sound of the G; the tongue touches the roof of the mouth to form the N, then the lips appear to kiss something as you pronounce the U; instead of the shyster-like final syllable with the long I sound, I prefer to make my final taste of the word be more like a furtive UN at the end.

I love to speak the word genuine.

And then . . . not to disappoint . . . there is its meaning.

Authentic.

It’s interesting and enlightening to do research on the history and etymology of words. Feel free to do that with genuine, but . . . for my purposes here, the notion of authentic will do just fine.

We live in a world where we often hear the phrase “what you see is what you get.” And it is almost always associated with a person who wants to promote the notion that he/she is authentic. No hidden agendas. No deception. Well . . . that is, unless deception and hidden agendas is what they are all about.

And therein lies an important difference between genuine and other words which merely convey the idea of REAL, and VISIBLE, and UNVARNISHED.

Genuine connotes not only authenticity, but inherent goodness.

In an age where goodness has multifarious definitions, the connotation implied by the word genuine loses some of its beauty and clarity. But I want to fight for that clarity and beauty. There is precious little of that left in our world anymore. [No need for me to mention politics and social issues, etc., right?] We have grown cynical, wayward, and have wrongly used our freedom so that we have lost our way.

That is one reason nostalgia is so popular; we want to reminisce about a time when persons where more genuine, more authentic, more respectable, more sincere. [NOTE: sincere is another word worth researching].

Here’s a challenge for you and me, today: spend the next 24 hours striving to be genuine. See how it feels, and how it makes others around you feel.

And here’s how you might start. Say the word slowly, then repeat. Form the syllables with intention and attention. Use one long breath as you gradually link them together in elongated speech. Let the final consonant ring and rattle in your jaw. Give special notice to the silence that follows your last utterance. Because in that silence your mind will process the word, and you will see your reflection in the mirror of your conscience.