Is it just ME?

Or have your friends become very flaky, too?

Now, there’s a ready-made excuse — the pingdemic. What a fabulous ‘reason’ to not show up

AM I the only person in the post-pandemic world with flaky friends: people who want to hedge their bets now we can finally socialise again?

Oh joy, I thought, when Freedom Day arrived. After a year of treating the general population as though it had a fatal case of nits, how delighted I was to be plunging back into the world of invitations and outings.

In my naivety, I thought everyone would be anxious to get back out there with me, snapping my hand off for a chance to eat in my garden or sip my margaritas. But apparently not.

‘Can I confirm on Tuesday,’ says one friend in response to being asked to supper the following Wednesday. I’m thinking, ‘Why?’.

Surely you assume that if you accept an invitation, the intention is to attend — not to wait to see how you feel about it the day before? But not so. Every plan is suddenly fluid. Apparently, it’s not just socialising that’s back — its ugly sister Cancellitis is right behind it, ready to put the boot in.

And of course there’s a ready-made excuse — the pingdemic. What a fabulous ‘reason’ for not showing up if you can’t be bothered — one that nobody can argue with.

As far as I’m concerned, there are two answers to the question: ‘Can you come to lunch?’ One is ‘Yes, thank you’, the other is ‘No, thank you’. ‘Yeah, OK as long as nothing better comes along in the meantime,’ is unacceptable and plain rude.

Is it just me? Or is the whole post-Covid world afraid of commitment?

It’s deeply disappointing — just when we are able to go out to play — to have all your playmates pencilling in things you thought should really be in ink. Damn them all. I hope they really do get nits.