Lie To Me
Whilst sitting over breakfast this morning I was talking to a friend about a decision I'd made last night. I had been mulling over a situation for several days and had finally come to a verdict I was happy with. I sipped my cuppa tea. Stupidly peachy, expecting my friend to join me in my bubble of contentment. But as I looked over across the breakfast table, I was met with a spray of salty words that fizzed up my nose.
'That's a shame,' my friend replied looking out over her glasses. Not at all in favor. 'I wouldn't have done that'.
And just like that she popped my sweet little bubble.
Now let's get one thing clear here. I appreciate honesty. I welcome it. I rely on my friends to give me honest feed back and help guide me through life making sure I don't make too much of a fool* out of myself. No one wants friends who casually let you walk around with spinach in your teeth while wearing your knickers tucked into your skirt. And if you do have friends like that I suggest you unload them at Vinnies along with the crystal fruit platter your Aunt gave you for Christmas in 2009. IMMEDIATELY. Friends are there to aid, comfort, protect and steer you away from those rather awkward situations.
My first memory of this was in high school was when I watched a girl walk from our Art class to English with a big red stain on the back of her dress.
Just before you make assumptions, the poor girl had sat in red indian ink and as I followed her to our next class I watched as other girls laughed, whispered and took double takes of the pretty girl blindly unaware of the big red blob on her bum. I kick myself now for not being more assertive and pulling her into the girls toilet. Thankfully another girl did. That day I learnt a huge lesson in friendship and from then on I gently but religiously told my best friend whenever she had chocolate cake in her braces to avoid attention from mean girls. As former school prey would know High School is a jungle and if you're a beetle you sure don't want to attract any attention from the Common Dirt Shrew **.
My breakfast friend is someone who is brutally honest. It's her best quality. She's rescued me from countless embarrassing situations throughout my adult life. She's stopped me mid sentence to tell me my breath smells like a dead goat. She's told me when my dress is see-through and that my polka-dot undies will be on show the entire street if I leave the house without a petticoat. She's rubbed black smudges off my cheeks before important interviews, protected me from wanker ex-boyfriends and for that matter warned me of future wanker boyfriends. She's told me when I look like a Bogan with a credit card or when I look a million dollars. She's probably the most loyal and trust worthy friend I will ever have.
Yet today for some reason or another I just wanted my friend to lie to me. Hold off on the brutal honesty and let me munch my toast and gab blindly about my wonderful new decision. Could she just pretend for a minute that she loved the idea too? Why won't she happily let me float around in my fantasy bubble until ridicule bursts it open and I'm left clinging to the side of Candy Mountain. Naked. With a jar of 'Fool' under one arm.
There have been times when I haven't listened to my friend and things have turned out wonderfully.
Like the time I cut all my beautiful long hair into a pixie. I grinned for about a month straight.
There have also been times when I refused to listen and things have turned out terribly bitter.
Like the time I loved a man with all of my everything.
And my friend told me to flee and I couldn't/wouldn't. Eventually, I realized she was absolutely right all along.
In the end I am grateful to have such a loyal friend. Even if her brutal honesty does sting me sometimes - at least she wont let me walk around with lipstick on my teeth or bird poo in my hair.
:)
*
|
| n. & v. 1- A person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a stupid person. 2- decieve or play tricks on like piggy in the middle. Commonly ** Small in stature, the Dirt Shrew is a little rodent that tends to hunt in a pack eating anything smaller than itself. |
