I Am Real.

Written by Haven Duddy

I've always worried that people wouldn't believe my story -

because as hard as it is to imagine, the true story might be true.

That's what I realized: sometimes the story you hold in your mind isn't the story that's really happening.

The truth itself is slippery.

And when you understand that truth is slippery, it stops making sense.

If things aren't what they seem, then how can they be real?

And when people don't believe what you say is happening in your own world,

it can make you feel like you aren't real either.

But being real isn't about being proven right.

It's about being honest -

honest with who you are, good or bad, confused or clear.

It's saying:

This is me.

This is how I feel.

This is where I stand.

Wherever you are on your map,

if you can tell the truth about that exact point in time

without pretending to be anywhere else -

then I believe that might be what "real" really is.

And if we are all honest,

took a breath,

and just said exactly where we were in the moment,

it might feel a lot like love.

"All this time, I thought love was common knowledge. Turns out it's still a theory."