Too Chicken to Be Genuine?

Genuineness. Do many people posses it? I guess it depends on the topic or situation. But think about it – genuineness – that act of truly caring without any motives or agendas. What does this person(s) have to gain by helping you? I’m certainly not trying to make anyone distrust people, however, I always like knowing the motives of those who help. They say that if you don’t allow yourself to trust others, then it’s most likely that you’re the one that can’t be trusted. It kind of makes sense though. They also say if your lover constantly accuses you of cheating, then they must be cheating on you. (Unless there’s good reason to believe they’re cheating of course…) I’m assuming some heavy thinking, espresso-drinking psychiatrist came up with these theories. Then again, it could have been some crazy Christian lesbian writer who overanalyzes things way too much…

Genuineness. My friend is sick. I don’t want her to be alone while she’s coughing, hacking, sneezing, honking and moaning in agony. I have OCD. I wash my hands more times than the average man thinks about sex during the course of the day. What’s in it for me? ..The flu, possibly. In my head, while witnessing my friend suffer, I can only think if that were me lying there on the couch suffering with nobody around to help me – I would definitely appreciate somebody coming to my rescue with a hot steamy pot of chicken soup and maybe bring me to the doctor’s office if I needed to. Is it a motive? Is it ‘if you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ type of deal? I’d like to think that my conscience tugged on my heart and insisted that I help my friend so she could get better. But then I delve deeper: is it because I want others to do the same for me?

Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.

So it’s basically a law. Does genuineness come from this golden rule? If it does, is it truly considered being “genuine”?