My pal Bob Wirth came charging into my apartment one morning.  He was in a hurry and I didn't have much time either.  He was here to pick up some of his equipment and flew in the door just as soon as I opened it.   He rushed passed me and applied the brakes on an oriental carpet just inside the foyer.  Lacking any type of carpet pad underneath it, the rug was simply not enough to bring this handsome yet speeding man to a full and complete stop.  Before either of us knew what was happening, Bob found himself flat on his back staring up at my beautifully hand painted ceiling.

This should clearly illustrate the importance of friction in our daily lives.  The next time one of your friends bitches to you about another one of your friends you will have a choice.  You can choose to get involved or not.  How we languish so about what to do in situations like this.   How we wonder about the proper course of action, phone calls to make and gossip to swap.  What a worry to predict how others will react and then behave in turn. 

What you really need to consider is not so much your own involvement in the problems between other people.  What you need to do is let them work it out for themselves.  Stop worrying about maintaining a facade; the perfect family; the loving circle of friends.  Friction is a good thing.   Without it we couldn't have sex.  Without friction the world would spin out of control.