>Inauthentic. Disingenuous. That is what I am afraid of being. Yet it seems that our everyday lives are carefully constructed to encourage inauthenticity. Countless numbers of emotionally unintelligent people in whom we cannot confide, who were never cared for and bolstered enough by a significant adult — parent, teacher or employer — to be able to not only tolerate but perhaps invite constructive criticism. I am not saying that I am not one of these people on any given day — downright fragile at times — but as a rule, I want to be and know and do better, and I cannot be, know and do on my own. Maybe that is why I should continue to do the work I do and work on my own ability to deflect the negative influences of other people and their flawed philosophies. For today, that is where I stand. Maybe this is why I should drink coffee every morning.