AUTHENTIC

What's with her hair?

Those are some serious bags under her eyes.

She looks exhausted. Withdrawn. The job must be wearing on her.

What is she thinking, journeying to Bangladesh and India to meet heads of state - and the press - without wearing any make-up?

And those videos of her dancing and drinking - from a beer bottle - in Cartagena! First the Secret Service lets loose. Now we have to deal with Madame Secretary becoming unhinged?

CNN, and other media outlets are concerned enough to ask Hillary Clinton why she appears to look so, well, ordinary, these days. Clinton's answer? "I feel so relieved to be at the stage I’m at in my life right now.  Because, you know, if I want to wear my glasses I’m wearing my glasses. If I want to wear my hair back I’m pulling my hair back. You know, at some point it’s just not something that deserves a lot of time and attention." 

Au contraire.

It deserves lots of attention.

Because after all these years in the public eye, Hillary Clinton has become the model of authenticity.

And Authentic Matters.  

For decades, when Mrs. Clinton was dressed and coiffed in whatever best suited her carefully packaged and controlled image, when she was nipped and tucked to the satisfaction of her husband's handlers, when she was dolled and spiffed - and prepped to be so composed that even a scandalous affair with an intern didn't seem to shake, rattle, or roll her - the public could only surmise who this lady was.

When the doors were closed. And the camera lenses capped. 

We knew she was smart. And ambitious. And she didn't like baking cookies.

But even when she teared up during an interview, while running for the Presidency after 15+ years in the public eye, half the viewing public was shocked to view her emotion. The other half thought her tears were contrived.

Before polls, politics, and a very public life demanded more from her than talent and smarts,  Hillary Clinton sported head bands and scrunchies. Public policy mattered far more than persona. Eventually playing the role of political wife and fashionable First Lady, she seemed to be not at all well-cast, regardless of how well-suited.

An imposter in her own life.

Compare this Democratic FLOTUS Past to the FLOTUS Present. Both Ivy League educated. High-powered attorneys and activists who left successful careers to support their husbands' political ambitions. Working moms, dedicated daughters, and friends.

And there the similarities end.

Uninterested in governing, the current First Lady focuses on military families and America's youth. She's comfortable, and gorgeous, in high-end couture or Target tees.  Michelle Obama plants and harvests veggies, dances with kids, jumps double-dutch, and tells her husband he's acting a bit uppity whenever she thinks he's acting a bit uppity.

She is quick with a hug, a smile, a joke. Approachable. Comfortable in her skin. Seemingly powered by a voice inside that reminds her who she is, where she came from, and what really matters.

Michelle Obama is authentic. She does what she wants and says what she thinks, regardless of how the world may judge her actions and thoughts. She seems content. And the public trusts and adores her.

The older she gets, and the closer she comes to leaving public life, the more natural Hillary Clinton becomes; with her make-up, hair, and persona. She is now content to say, "... if others want to worry about it, I let them do the worrying for a change," and we believe her.

More concerned with her job and her legacy than her image, more comfortable with herself,  more relaxed and open with the public, Hillary Clinton has become one of the most popular politicians in Washington.

Methinks it isn't often that we learn a whole lot from our First Ladies (probably won't learn a whole lot from The First Gentlemen to come, either.) (Oh, and apologies to you, Eleanor, because you were a rock star.)

But the evolution of Hillary Clinton, and the authenticity of Michelle Obama, are proving to be an important lesson for women, old and young - as well as our daughters and granddaughters: Undoubtedly we'll be the most content, and make the biggest difference, when we remain true to ourselves; when we are guided and empowered by our inner voice, and steadfastly ignore the toxic judgments and images of the media, and those around us who seek to control, weaken or destroy.  

Hillary Clinton is thrilled to be near retirement, feeling "so relieved" to be at the stage of life when her appearance is "just not something that deserves a lot of time and attention." A tremendously accomplished woman, she has made quite a difference in this world.

Still, I can't help but wonder what more she might have accomplished - and how much happier she might have been - if she'd long ago ignored the aides, pollsters, and critics, dissed the contacts for the glasses, let the blonde turn gray, and the world see the bright personality beneath the polished veneer.

Authentic Matters. 

QUING Hereby Decrees:  Spell it out loudly: B-E-A-U-T (pause) H-E-N (pause) T-I-C! Be authentic! Be AUTHENTIC!