Making friends has never been hard for me.
My first few friends came naturally – we were neighbors, lived within walking distance, or our parents were friends. They were the ones that still fade in and out of my life,never really staying long enough to make a connection, but still made sure they were seen. They were the ones that taught me that friendship didn’t mean talking for hours every day- it just meant reminding them I was there.
The Catholic school friends came next- they didn’t like me that much back then, after all, who would like the weird kid who read giant chapter books and made fun of you for not understanding the words? I was a little shit as a seven-year-old, but for some reason, the boy who lived behind the school took pity on me and one of my best friendships was formed. He taught me that it was okay to like books more than barbies, and from that friendship, our shared love of storytelling and creativity was born.
Public school was where I started to pass through all the social groups, but didn’t settle in one. It’s also where I discovered the internet and accidentally stumbled upon many more friendships that have come and gone. They were amazing, we discovered all the wonders, and terrors, that the internet held- but I couldn’t tell you a single one of their names. Through them, I learned that letting go could help just as much as it hurts.
I gained another best friend in middle school; she was the only one to rival my obsession with reading. It also was when I entered the comic convention scene, and now looking back, realize I was that cringy fangirl who would make new friends who were equally as cringy and we would learn and grow and reflect on how weird we were. As if we still aren’t.
I wouldn’t say I was popular in high school, more or less I did so much that everyone knew of me. It was guaranteed that we would be in the same club at some point during our high school career. I had a lot of friends in a lot of different social circles – and I liked it that way, it meant I always had someone to talk to everywhere I went. This is when my ability to lead started to secure long term friendships and I finally realized how powerful friendships could be.
The only problem was that a whole lot of my friends wanted to stay right where they were, and I wanted to go as far away as I could.
So I did, because I know that the friends will come- I’ve already started to make some! Without all the other friends I’ve had leading up to my college years, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Knowing how much my friendships shaped me into who I am today makes me look around at who I’m surrounding myself with and wonder what else could I gain from all these new people. There are four years of friends, I’ll gain some, I’ll lose some, I’ll come in contact with old ones and befriend people I never thought I could.
I think I’m going to like making friends here.