When I was a kid, my family had beef with our neighbours. No point in boring anyone with a long blame-game story, but the result was that neither did we visit them, nor were they invited over. We shared cold vibes. It was a reasonable stance to take. Live and let live. Sometimes you have a Kramer for a neighbour, sometimes you're stuck with Newman. One doesn't have to like Newman. Because Newman's a tool.
Now, this being a housing complex, we had monthly society meetings that all the residents attended. Lunch was usually served and was delectable, and the adults thrashed out all manner of matters that are generally thrashed out in society meetings. I used to wonder at the inconsistent stance of my parents in avoiding our Newman neighbours at most times, but still mingling with them at these meetings, breaking bread together at the same table, and discussing grown up matters that concerned all the residents in a civil manner. Dad called it "being adults". What a pile of crock. Surely if you decide to avoid someone, you avoid them at all times. Or if you decide to engage with them when required at a public forum, you should engage with them at other times too.
No wait, this is untrue. I lied. I did not actually consider it inconsistent or unreasonable behaviour. Because I didn't have a stick up my arse that could have caused me to be an uptight sanctimonious idiot who was ignorant of the ways of the world.
