There are a thousand beautiful women out there, but only a handful of them possess the grace required by such beauty to stop it from looking ugly.

He remembered that she was pretty, and, more, that she had a special grace in the intimacy of life. She had the secret of individuality which excites and escapes.

The pretty ones are usually unhappy. They expect everyone to be enamored of their beauty. How can a person be content when their happiness lies in someone else's hands, ready to be crushed at any moment? Ordinary-looking people are far superior, because they are forced to actually work hard to achieve their goals, instead of expecting people to fall all over themselves to help them.

So it's back once more, back up the slope.Why do they always ruin my ropewith their cuts?I felt so ready the other day,Had a real foretaste of eternityIn my guts.Spoonfeeding me yet another sipfrom life's cup.I don't want it, won't take any more of it.Let me throw up.Life is medium rare and good, I see,And the world full of soup and bread,But it won't pass into the blood for me,Just goes to my head.It makes me ill, though others it feeds;Do see that I must deny it!For a thousand years from now at leastI'm keeping a diet.

There__ something in my voice that brings him back to me, overrides his buzz. __aby___ll traces of playfulness have gone___f anything ever happens to me, you__l be fine. You__e strong enough to look after yourself. I hate to admit it, but you don__ need me. Never did._ A smile. __ut listen, nothing is going to happen today. It__ all good.___ude, we__e high enough up to get a nose bleed.___o come with me.__ blink. __uck off.___ mean it. We can do this together._ He raises his eyebrows at the girl who checked his harness. She nods.I risk looking over the side. There__ a river far beneath us. So far down we can__ hear it. My entire body goes numb.__ou__e got about thirty seconds and then I__ going on my own.__hat a choice: watch my brother jump out of this car or put aside my own fear and go with him. Share the recklessness. Why didn__ we go to Paris? We__ be arguing over where to buy cheese right now.Adrenaline begins to burn through me. __crew it.__ude breaks into a wide smile. __eriously?__ glance at the yawning space beneath us. __urry up before I change my mind.

Falling into ruin was a bit like falling in love: Both descents stripped you bare and left you as you were at your core. And both endings are equally painful.