Or: Searching for Authenticity.
A few days ago the dark, black clouds moved in and a huge thunderstorm came over our little neck of the woods. The rain was intense and the hail burst into being, small balls of destruction raging down onto the planet and our fragile plants. Thunder boomed, and lightening lit up the skies. The giant beautiful leaves of the zucchini and squash became ragged as they were shredded. Thankfully, the flowers remained intact so I am now getting an abundance of zucchini. The destruction wreaked havoc on the gardens, and plants already weakened by the heat and weather suffered. For the first time, one of my long-time raised beds looked extremely sad. The rabbits or other creatures dug holes in it and now I have to go and fix it. It has survived all kinds of weather over the last 20 years.

But our weather doesn’t compare to what lightening has caused over the four corners area. Lightening started 4 different fires in Colorado, one of them raging in the Black Canyon, and the one in Utah is now passing over the border into our state. The few but brave firefighters have not contained them as of this writing. But the most devastating news is the fires on both the North and South Rim of the Grand Canyon which was also started by lightening—the loss of a legendary and historic building, the Grand Canyon Lodge, as well as many cabins and other structures in the park. For the first time since my trek down into the depths of the Canyon, I felt a huge hole in my heart. I don’t know if Phantom Ranch is still standing (across the Colorado River and at the base) where I have fond memories of camping there. I also have memories of taking the hottest shower in the Lodge after our 7-day adventure over thirty years ago, and arising from the dead of that rugged hike, peering out of those tall glass windows at beautiful scenery of the Canyon below me. I shared those memories in my Caitlin Ferguson mysteries, and wanted to share them with my family in a few years, taking them back in time to those beautiful vistas. They will never see the amazing sites from my original point of view and I am saddened that these things had to happen before they could see them. I know many people will rally to rebuild, but it won’t be the same. People want comfortable and new, and the authentic charm will be forever lost. Nature has won out once again.

But for this post, I want to dive into what it means to be authentic. According to an article in Psychology today: “Humanistic psychologists would say that by definition, authentic people possess a number of common characteristics that show they are psychologically mature and fully functioning as human beings. They:

1. Have realistic perceptions of reality.
2. Are accepting of themselves and of other people.
3. Are thoughtful.
4. Have a non-hostile sense of humor.
5. Are able to express their emotions freely and clearly.
6. Are open to learning from their mistakes.
7. Understand their motivations.” Psychology Today-Authentic People

I think it’s important to be your authentic self. Sometimes I have unrealistic perceptions of reality. I feel like I have tried to live a full life, and expect a lot from others. Many people fail at meeting my perceptions, and yet I still have hope of them creating their own fulfillment. I fail repeatedly on Number 4, but I believe that I express my emotions freely, even though sometimes they aren’t clear, just a jumbled mess. I attempt to be open and apologize for my mistakes. I attempt to correct the mistakes and make life better. My motivations are clear about where I want others and me to be in the coming years. I want to continue learning something new and be influenced by the written word. So many books have changed my life, and I treat them like the old connect-the-dots game, creating a visually acceptable endgame. Reading the greats from hundreds of years ago, as well as new literature keeps my perspective growing. I want the freedom and independence to explore new ideas and letting go of ego, creating a world without anthropocentricity.

“I seek only the learning that treats of the knowledge of myself and instructs me how to die well and live well.” ― Michel de Montaigne

So for now, I am cursing and regaling the weather at the same time, and enjoying the fruits of my labor. Whether it is a zucchini bake, or a potato/zucchini muffin, the humble zucchini has given us sustenance in new ways. They help me create an authentic food staple for others to enjoy. And, to paraphrase the Jello commercial: There’s always room for zucchini….

Let us not forget the things that are happening right now to our world, but let us look forward to who we could become, creating a better self  from our past selves, thus, creating something wonderful in the future. Let’s decide what is authentic and cut back on the cynicism, and approach a future with sympathy. Let’s get beyond our hero-worshiping phase because heroes always fall. Let’s overcome what we thought was wonderful and create something better out of the ashes.

I love you all and ask that you create a beautiful world in times of sadness and disaster. Go forth, like the humble zucchini, and multiply your gifts!