Experimenting and Dishonesty

I am purely a basic hobbyist photographer. My camera is set to auto and that’s it...no bells and whistles whatsoever. I like raw photography that shows life as it is. I feel so dishonest doctoring colour and blur and background with all the editing apps available. These apps can create beautiful images but they are not what the eye sees through the lens, the reality that can be gritty and not postcard perfect. I did not see this horsedrawn carriage in a hazy golden glow ready for Cinderella but on a grubby parking lot on a greyish day. Call me the photography grinch !