Over the decades…
My demeanor has morphed…
Or perhaps I should say, my true demeanor has gone into hiding.
Years ago when I moved from New York to the Midwest…
I used to hear, “You’re so stuck up.”
Actually, I was pitifully, pitifully shy.
Then I used to hear, “You’re so sarcastic.”
Actually, I thought I was being funny.
But the truth is…
If I had said it to a New Yorker, they wouldn’t have even noticed.
So somewhere along the way…
Of trying to fit in the Midwest…
And making friends…
My persona acquiesced…
And I lost that New York edge.
Well, the other day, I found it!
I was watching HBO’s “Public Speaking”…
A documentary about Fran Lebowitz and …
God! I love Fran’s New York edge!
Here are a few of Fran’s quotes that I particularly love.
“Your life story would not make a good book. Don't even try.”
"All the time I'm not writing I feel like a criminal. It's horrible to feel felonious every second of the day. It's much more relaxing to actually write."
“Very few people possess true artistic ability. It is therefore both unseemly and unproductive to irritate the situation by making an effort. If you have a burning, restless urge to write or paint, simply eat something sweet and the feeling will pass.”
“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.”
"Having been unpopular in high school is not just cause for book publications."
"Having been unpopular in high school is not just cause for book publications."
Uh oh?
I think she’s got me on this one.
Anyway, here’s a quote of mine that I used to say
(only in my head for fear of insulting anyone)
“Never ask a New Yorker for their opinion…
if you can't take hearing the truth.”
So? Let me hear your thoughts…
On, Fran and New Yorkers,
Always, Em-Musing
