Friendship

When you're in grade school and you have a fight with your best friend, it usually involves name calling, stomping, and pouting. Then you're friends again the next day. In high school, fighting with your friends varies little from grade school fights with the exception of the fact that the name calling becomes more colorful and instead of fighting over who's "it" you're fighting over boys. As an adult, what ends friendships? Are the issues more mature or just as idiotic as a third grader's issues?

Since I've been an adult, I've only outright ended one friendship and looking back, it could probably be considered for petty reasons by some. A year later, I still would have done the same thing though. However, there are some people that I've been acquainted with over the years that I wish that I weren't but didn't know how to say, "I don't like you. Go away." So, instead of being forthright about the situation, I became "unavailable". How childish, right? I'd stop taking their calls. "Oh. The battery on my cell keeps dying. Don't know what's wrong with the darn thing." I'd block them on IM. "I haven't seen you online lately." "Oh. Well, I just haven't been in the mood to sit at my desk." Things like that and we just eventually lose touch. I currently have a neighbor that I don't like. She's ok, but he's an ass and their kids are snobby and bratty. My solution? I stopped sending my kids down to play and I don't wave when we pass each other on our road. Is it more mature to evade or to tell someone they're asses?

This brings up another issue: Is it possible to be friends with someone when you don't like their spouse? I've been in this situation a few times and I still don't know the answer. I don't think I'm as close with the people that I don't like their spouses as I am with the people that I do like their spouses though. I think it's hard to form a close bond with someone when you have such a huge barrier in the way because you can't be completely honest.

Luckily, I'm not currently in a situation where I'm trying to get rid of a "friend". It's probably because I haven't seen any of my friends in 3+ years with a couple exceptions, lol. But this is my thought for the day. Opinions? Just don't ask me to clarify because I refuse to name names and to be specific.