Dear Annie: I have close friends who in the past few years have gravitated to both the far left and far right of the sociopolitical spectrum.

It has made it hard on both my wife and me, as we sit somewhere in the middle. Today’s environment does not seem to allow for compromise or conversations of differing opinions.

I love my friends dearly, but have found myself less and less likely to join them in social gatherings. This is because conversations always turn to politics, and the sarcasm, and sometimes vitriol, of my friends’ opinions ruins what should be a happy get-together.

The pandemic does not help, as it adds another layer of opinion to the conversation and limits the number of times we can all get together. I miss when we all could just get together and enjoy each other’s company.

Now, my wife and I would rather sit at home alone with the kids than go out and see anyone. I’m not sure how to deal with an isolation that is both pandemic and socially caused. How do we find a way to get back to a time when a get-together was a chance to unwind and visit with friends? — Stuck in the Middle

Dear Stuck in the Middle: You’re not alone. Our politics are extremely polarized these days. My advice is to agree in advance not to discuss politics, which includes a rule saying no snide cracks from either side.

That way, you can all enjoy the many things that made you friends in the first place. If they can’t go along, then you are right to stay home with your wife and kids, but try to persuade your friends to get together to share the many bonds and interests you all have without political interference.

Dear Annie: I was surprised your answer to “No Thank You in North Dakota,” who didn’t want strangers buying him or her drinks at bars, did not include anything about the wisdom of sitting in a bar during the pandemic.

I understand the writer is a DJ, which I suppose could allow for social distancing, but sitting at a bar does not. This is no time to be sitting at bars. — Missing the Bar in Pennsylvania

Dear Missing the Bar: I missed an opportunity there; you’re right. I implore all my readers to refrain from going to bars and dining indoors until we’ve gotten the virus under control with a vaccine.