We’re told that we should drop everything for our friends. A flaky friend is a bad friend, a flaky friend cares about nobody but herself. But Jane and I have a low-maintenance relationship and it suits us both just fine. She’s not the only one though. I have a raft of delightful, busy, chaotic and unreliable pals and I don’t care a jot. One friend dropped out of a weekend away the night before we were due to leave. Those of us remaining shrugged and carried on regardless. One pal and I have already changed plans four times this week and it’s fine. Another friend even told me about her birthday meal after the event, saying: "I’d have genuinely loved you to come but I knew you’d be really busy so I didn’t even bother inviting you." Some would have been offended but I knew she really didn’t mind and neither did I.