"A little white lie doesn't hurt anyone.  Sometimes, it's better than a painful truth."  Or how about this popular tune: "People lie.  It's just human nature." 

I've heard those words or variations of them over and over.  And it's pure top of the charts bullshit.

A lie is a lie is a lie.  Hiding the truth is a kind of lie -- a lie of omission, and just as harmful.

Sure, I expect someone who doesn't like me or is fucking with me or whatever to lie to me.  That's all part of the you-suck routine.

But a friend?  No.  With people you like and trust, everything they say becomes a part of your foundation, a part of your reality.  Because you believe them.  And you build on it -- your friendship, your love, your every night life.

A lie is a termite in that foundation, devouring its integrity.  It doesn't matter why that termite's in there chomping happily away -- Oh, I didn't want to hurt you or I was worried you'd get jealous or I thought you wouldn't understand or even the classic, I had your best interests at heart -- the fact remains that the termite is in there.  And it ain't coming out on its own and it ain't coming out without doing damage.

I have a lot of trouble remembering things that happened the first fourteen years or so of my life, even things that I've done.  But I'm gonna find out and learn my own truth.  (Yeah, I could be wrong about the 'fourteen years or so', I suck at dates and time.)

So night by night, friend by friend, I'm building a foundation, a solid one I hope.  A foundation to live my life by.  And I'll never lie -- not to spare a friend's feelings, not to ease a lover's jealousy, and I'll never believe a lie is in anyone's best interest.  Not even the teller's.

I expect the same -- no lies.  No matter how painful it is, no matter how ugly, if I ask, give me the truth.  The truth will never come between us, but a lie will.

I believe deep down, we all crave the truth -- mortals and nightkind.  I think sometimes we're scared to ask for it.  But we gotta, if we're ever going to move ahead.

Bonne nuit, mes amis.