End Of

[poliphilo]

Yesterday's post was, I now suppose, a psyching up. My friend and I have been corrsponding daily for 20 years or so, but recently Trump and Brexit have driven a wedge and there's been shouting. Last night I wrote to her and said- in so many words- I'm fond of you, but this isn't working any more for either of us so lets call it a day. This morning I got her three word reply- OK. Fair enough.

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Kind of a shame. I probably would have said politics is a fraught subject, so let's declare our correspondence a no-politics zone. But that's me...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

We tried that one- and it didn't work. She was very upset by the election- couldn't stop talking about it- and was very angry at me for not entirely sharing her views.

[basefinder.livejournal.com]

A shame, but why keep knocking your head against a wall?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes. It's a great shame. But I've done a lot of banging my head against the wall this past few months. It was getting to be painful.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Way back when the present President was elected, I unfriended someone who posted a picture of Hitler and children dressed as Hitler youth. She said this was what America was headed for, after months of insisting that no one should vote for him. She was the one who insisted on mentioning politics. There are several people here with whom I do not agree, politically. It's too bad...but like basefinder said, why keep knocking your head against a wall?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm happy to agree to disagree with people so long as they don't try and browbeat me into adopting their views. These days (though I wasn't always) I'm quite a mellow person...

[michael john grist (from livejournal.com)]

That is a shame. Damn Trump, breaking up long-term friendships!! Sorry to hear it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's a pity, but there you go. These things happen :(

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

"OK. Fair enough."

Harsh words, both to receive and to send. It is a break-up in every sense of the word, even if it's no romantic break-up. And breaking up is never easy and should, of course, not be done on a whim.

These things are never easy, and assigning blame is often pointless - at least when no abuse of any kind has occured. Perhaps some lost friendships should just be mourned - and their duration celebrated.

The sorrow shall be written in water
The joy in stone.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Or as Yeats said of his friendship with McGregor Mathers,

"I thought him half a lunatic, half knave
And told him so, but friendship never ends."

I think it was right to end it here, now, before one of us said something unforgiveable.

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

Sometimes you have to say "goodbye and good luck" before you end up saying "goodbye and good riddance"... While there is still fondness and kindness, rather than mere acrimony.