It’s hard to be a person on this planet. One of the biggest problems is that the people you love are the ones who have conceptions of who you are.
One of the biggest things Smith has taught me is that I can only be me. I can try to be completely agreeable to everyone around, but it still won’t eliminate all friction.
Smith is the Anti-hero, Anti-PC. It’s odd, because normally such folk lie right rather than left.
When we shacked up, Smith told me he’s gonna say what he’s gonna say, and I might not like it. For example, he might think a girl’s purty, so he’ll say it. And if I try to control him, tell him to not say such things, he’ll start clamming up around me, and we won’t have fluid communication.
Most people filter what they say so as to not offend. But for someone who’s trying to be honest and creatively fertile with their writing, someone who’s trying to uncork expressiveness, gloves come off.
There are drawbacks to this philosophy but there’s also a remarkable freedom.