A couple of weeks ago, in my local shopping mall, I ran into three different women I know. Well, to be more accurate, I didn’t actually run into them. I ran away from one, I ignored a second, and I ran towards a third.

The first woman – I’ll call her Libby, which isn’t her name – was a friend of a friend, someone I’ve known for years but don’t especially love. I caught a glimpse of Libby heading towards me as I walked to a café, and I literally ducked into a bookshop to avoid her.

To avoid making social arrangements I’ll later regret, I imagine bumping into the person at the shops.Credit: ISTOCK

It was silly, I know. But had I kept on walking, Libby and I would have been forced to........

© The Sydney Morning Herald