She said that it was a mistake to have made as few superficial friends as I have done in my life, and to have concentrated only on the few things I have concentrated on--her, for one. My children, for another. Sportswriting and being an ordinary citizen. This did not leave me well enough armored for the unexpected, was her opinion. She said this was because I didn't know my parents very well, had gone to a military school, and grown up in the south, which was full of betrayers and secret-keepers and untrustworthy people, which I agree is true, though I never knew any of them.
The speaker reflects on advice given by a significant person in his life, who suggests he has made a mistake by forming only a minimal number of surface-level friendships. Instead of diversifying his social connections, he focused intensely on a few key aspects of his life, such as his relationship with her, his children, and his career in sportswriting. This lack of broader social engagement, she believes, left him vulnerable to unexpected challenges.
She attributes this narrow focus to his upbringing, pointing out that his relationship with his parents was not deep, that he attended a military school, and that growing up in a southern culture filled with untrustworthy individuals influenced his worldview. While he acknowledges her perspective, he also notes he did not personally encounter the deceitful characters she describes.