Authenticity: Redux (with a touch of reminiscence)

Authenticity, by definition, means worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact. Authenticity refers to something that is true. It is very questionable however, if humans can ever really know the truth about or true state of anything. Take for example in the Loss of the Creature where Walker Percy talks about sightseeing, where people see things like the Grand Canyon not by discovery, but through the view and opinion of the tour guide. They are handed the Grand Canyon, and see the parts that are chosen for them to see instead of exploring it themselves. The difference is when one is given a cookie-cutter tour, it is less personal. They got the same experience as a million people before them. Then their trip to the Canyon is more memorable by what happened on the way, not the emotion or connection they experienced to the true Grand Canyon.

It can also be said that the only person who has ever seen the Grand Canyon at its truest form is he who saw it first, alone, and uninterrupted. Seeing the Grand Canyon first lets you see it at its authentic form because it has been untouched by human hands. There are no guard rails, or hideous glass pathways that lead from the surface over the canyon. When one sees it alone, his emotional reaction and opinion is only his, he are not feeding off of what his companion is feeling, and his view is not tainted by a few hundred scattered tourists and busses. He who sees it uninterrupted has as much time as he needs. He is not hurried by those who are getting bored. He is has the time to see exactly how much he wants to see, feel how much he wants to feel.

This idea of authentic discovery is not so different from authentic thinking, knowledge and experience should be come by honestly. Not shoved down one’s throat by any other person, company, or government program. When I think of this, I think of the first (and only time) I experienced the ocean. My uncle, who lives near the ocean, and had been there probably countless times, took me. I got out of the car, and though he had been there much more than I had, he let me lead. He let me have space so I could see the ocean for myself, the way the tide rolls up and down the beach, where the water meets the sky, and the way the animals react with the land. I got to hear the waves hit the rocks. I got smell the salt, and feel the freezing cold water on my feet. He did not point to avert my attention to other things that he thought I should be looking at or hearing. He let me discover the ocean the way I wanted to, and act upon my emotions and curiosity. What surprised me was that my uncle did not look at the ocean. He stood back and watched me. I think I understand his actions better now, after reading Percy's essay, I understand that he was seeing a more authentic ocean, because not only did he have his own experiences, but he now also had mine. He was seeing the ocean from many different views, which when compiled, makes a more authentic and genuine perception.