The Art of Manners/Addiction

Yesterday evening I was invited to dinner at the house of an art dealer whose gallery I really like. I knew that it would be a lovely event but my expectations were surpassed by the wonderful Xmas decorations laid out, and the quality of the food and our hosts.

I went with a now ex-friend and what transpired was that my addict friend went crazy for a fix when we were still eating. I’d taken her drug off the table – cigarettes – before we’d eaten, and personally it disgusts me that someone would ever put a pack of cigarettes next to food. That was bad enough, but she started jonesing (spelling?) and wanted a fix next to the table whilst we were eating. I told her to wait until we were finished and just leave it. She continued to pollute the occasion with her very vehement cravings and insults.

I basically walked out of the dinner rather than get any more furious than I already was, and it was such a shame for the hosts and myself. The addict, of course, didn’t care.

It’s sad that people who know about this occasion say ‘Well, she’s French.’. It’s become such a synonym that certain types of bad manners are synonomous with being French. What a shame.

Personally I really look forward to the day when smoking is not allowed to intrude so easily into other people’s lives, when people sneak off to do it in private like they would a heroin fix.