"If I'm going to sit down and eat with you, just tell me the truth."
I liked a lot of what she said, especially her thoughts on friendship-- I agree that it's so important to really be able to talk to people about more than just the weather. Here, she describes what it was like to spend a lot of time with the high society crowd in New York:
"... It’s all very glamorous at the beginning. Going to the Metropolitan Opera, taking a table here, being on a committee there. Going out all the time all dressed up."
She levels me with a look. "And then I got bored to death.
Nobody tells you the truth. I once asked one of the ladies, 'Did you
ever have an affair?' And she stared at me like I was crazy. 'Why would
I tell you?' she said. Another time, someone had just bought an
apartment and I said, 'How much?' And she said, 'That is really none of
your business.' And I thought, Fine. Then we are not friends and I
don’t want to spend any more time with you. I was friendly with one
couple who I no longer see at all. They would always say, 'We're such
good friends.' And then I found out that their daughter had a complete
nervous breakdown. For a year, I was always told everything is
wonderful. Well, then what are we wasting our time here at [Upper East Side restaurants] Elaine's or
Mortimer's or Swifty's? I don’t want to sit in Swifty's and not say
anything about anything. I just totally stepped away.
... All I want you to do, if we are sitting down and it's after 6 p.m., is tell me the truth. Because we've all lied to each other all day long in business and we've all had these lunches and we've all ass-kissed to the point where I carry Chapstick. If I am going to sit down and eat with you, just tell me the truth and let me say to you, "Things are lousy and I’m sad.'"
