Being Real

I must admit I do not do pretention well.  It is not like I have not tried, but I give myself away too easily.  The thing is, I tend to think of pretention as something high-falutin’. It can be, but it also can be something really simple and small.
In Townsville we were all gathered around talking at a party.  There was a girl there I had never seen before.  She was real pretty, and obviously well to do.  I was all dressed up and wearing my best shirt.  The truth is though, she was never going to want me for my looks.  I realized as I was leaving, she was never going to want me for my car either.  A 68 Corella did not tend to evoke envy.  None of this stopped me pretending to be something I wasn’t.  A pretty girl was at stake.  All bets were off.  Each man for himself.
I have tried to do it too when talking with someone who was obviously intellectually way ahead of me.  I nod sagely and look like I know what they are talking about, while making a mental note to look that up when I get home.
I perform best when interacting with someone I can relate to.  Perform is probably not the right word.  I never slap my knees, and hit my heels with my hand like I am doing some sort of Swiss dance.  Merril and I have though made like we were riding horses and trotted up to a desk single file and talked with someone.  It is probably best people know that was a performance.  That is not the way we are all the time.
I much prefer to be real with someone.  I guess it is why I say so often that this is me warts and all.  I am not perfect, but I am me.  Take it or leave it really.  Come back! Come back!!   I really did not want the leave part to be taken literally. 
I was one on one with someone at one point and he summed me up.  It was scary how accurate he was.  Not that it matters to me, but I only remember one thing he said.  “You are not the best-looking guy around.”  Boy was I deflated.  My whole world had fallen apart.  I felt that gone was the need to take ugly pills anymore to be fair on the competition.
But I really did know that about myself.  Reminds me of that song, “….accentuate the positive.”  Not everyone has hair falling out, or a crooked nose, or teeth missing.  Put them together though and what a stunner!  Put it this way, if teams were picked on looks, I would be in U Grade Level 16 and a reserve.  Not that teams are picked on looks.  They can’t be because I have been picked.  I am sure no more choices had nothing to do with it.  Still I married Merril which proves someone can marry above their station.
I like people to be real with me and I like to be real with others.  Believing that someone is being that way, can leave me set up for a fall though.  Still, I would always rather be real than pretend.