THE LIST: What makes something authentic?

First of all, I didn’t get a Thanksgiving column written last week. My boss John Van Nostrand’s had to do, and he did a great job of wrapping up the holiday through his words. At any rate, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, in whatever form it came in.

Thanksgiving is such a key holiday, in my opinion, so before we turn the page to Christmas and the new year, I hope you took some time to think about what you’re thankful for.

I’ve always claimed to be a words person. In school, I always loved spelling bees and usually did well at them, though this morning I failed miserably at displaying my profiency at spelling the word “proficient.” My computer’s red underline told me it was wrong. Thanks, technology.

Spelling and the use of the written word is incredibly important in my job. I don’t know how many words I write on a weekly basis, but it’s a lot. Strangely, I always feel like it should be more, though, as I’m my own worst critic. A healthy weekly newspaper should always be looking to cover and do more.

I’m always intrigued when I see the headline about this time of the year saying what this year’s Word of the Year is, according to the reference book and dictionary company Merriam-Webster. This year’s word is “authentic.” They say the choice is made each year based on which words are looked up the most.

I think “authentic” is probably one of the more intriguing words that has appeared on the list in awhile. A few recents on the list have been gaslighting, vaccine, pandemic and justice. I’m sure many of those were brought about by the headlines of those years, which is absolutely valid.

So, what does “authentic” mean in the dictionary? Let’s start there. It is an adjective, and according to the Oxford dictionary, means, “Of undisputed origin; genuine.” Merriam-Webster says the definition of “authentic” is, “not false or imitation” and also means “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.”

We don’t find that on social media today, and I feel social media has a lot more pressure on us as people living in this society and culture than ever before. Heck, I’ve been in interview situations with student-athletes and other kids who are nearby are snapchatting pictures or videos of the kids being interviewed in real-time. That’s not at all a terrible infraction, but it goes to show the inundation social media has pressed upon our world.

In the report giving the Word of the Year, Merriam-Webster said in the last year, we’ve seen celebrities such as Taylor Swift (don’t leave out Travis Kelce), Lainey Wilson and Sam Smith, as well as others, making headlines for statements they’ve made about seeking their “authentic voice” and “authentic self.”

You also see the idea of authenticity come up on shows like “Antiques Roadshow” or “Pawn Stars.” It’s always heartbreaking to see someone bring in a guitar or baseball bat they think has been signed by a big-time star, and it’s a fake. A lot of times, comparing the item in question to an original is how you find out if it’s authentic or not. It’s not Mexico, but I realized on a band trip in high school to Texas that I hadn’t had “real” Mexican food until I went there. You’re at least closer to the original there. It was way different than anything I had eaten here in Iowa.

I’m not here to be the social media police, however if you look any of the celebrities I mentioned up on social media, you’re likely to see the highs of their life, but maybe not the lows. Is that truly authentic?

Look at my social media and you’ll see a selfie of my and my wife on a trip we took, a share from my favorite team that won the game the other day, or a quote or verse I found encouraging that I wanted to share. You don’t see the dirt. I didn’t post when I argued with so-and-so about this or was selfish when I did that. I didn’t post when I didn’t take the trash out like I should’ve. Those examples are pretty menial, but you get it.

For me, authenticity comes down to me deciding whether or not I want to be who I believe I was created to be. That leads me to ask myself whether the idea of authenticity is relative or if the source for it is absolute? It also has a lot to do with me wanting to be better today than I was yesterday.

Simply put, I don’t think authenticity is always what the culture today tells me it is.

Our view of what is authentic and what isn’t can get clouded sometimes. Authentic is a great Word of the Year, but it should lead us to chew on it a little.