On the bench

An excuse is as good as a reason, but a bad excuse does not a good reason make. And, sometimes, the better the excuse the more unreasonable one sounds. So enough of this "Sorry I haven't been in touch for ages", "Let's meet up soon at some unspecified and permanently postponed date", "I've been thinking about you lots but failed to put Pen to keyboard", this excuse from Mary Ann Evans is the one I'll be using from now on.

"It is worthwhile to forget a friend for a week or 10 days ... for the sake of the agreeable kind startle it gives one to be reminded that one has such a treasure in reserve."