When I was younger, it seemed easier. I might see a girl on the monkey bars at recess, decide to join her for a swing on the rungs, and by the end of the school day we’d be passing notes in class. But making friends as an adult has not been so simple.
Over the past several years, there has been a mass exodus of many of our best friends from Savannah, and it’s been a little lonesome around here. The frustrating thing is that I cross paths with lots of young women every day – women who might make good friends. But how do you approach a stranger without coming across as desperate?
Not too long ago, I was in line at Home Goods and there was a woman in front of me with a baby girl. We started chatting, and were having a nice conversation until her purchase was complete and she pushed her cart out the door. I watched her go and wanted to yell after her, “but wait! Let’s do lunch!”
But I was pretty sure she’d think I was nuts. I mean, what adult just throws herself at other adults for friendship?
When Lee and I take Cami for strolls around our neighborhood, we’ll sometimes pass other strolling couples on the street. We smile, we wave politely, but I have to restrain myself from chasing after them to exchange numbers.
I think I need to print some business cards that are reminiscent of those elementary school days. They’d read something like this:
Would you like to be my friend?
Check one.
Yes. No. Maybe.
And I’d draw little boxes underneath each option.
We put ourselves out there occasionally, but in all fairness, I’m sure we could try harder to turn some of our acquaintances into closer friends. I guess what we really want is to be near our old ones again. Really good friends aren’t easy to find.