Do you remember when you were, like, 7 years old? It was so easy to make friends. Really, all you had to do, was find another human who was sort of your size and just ask to be best friends forever. It didn’t matter what they looked like, what they ate, what they did in their spare time…chances are you could find something in common with them. “Oh, you pick your nose!? I pick my nose! Let’s pick our noses together and be best friends forever and spend the night at each other’s houses every weekend!” And, more than likely, it happened! You guys were friends until one of you moved or (hopefully) grew out of nose picking.

Why, then, is it SO hard to make friends as an adult!? I get that most people already have their tribes and it’s hard to add to those groups when you have adult responsibilities and a life to keep you busy. But what about those of us who have lost our person or people? Life happens, people die, couples break up, and people who you thought you would be close to forever drift away to their own islands sometimes. So, we try to fill our groups back up with people as they go missing.

In an effort to do that, I’m pretty sure I went full “Single White Female” on someone. There’s a gal who comes in to work who seems super cool. She’s funny, seems laid back, and doesn’t mind my very straight-forward snarkiness. Of course, this means we should be Facebook friends! I ask…she says she doesn’t have a Facebook BUT she does have an Instagram. She gives me her blessing and I look her up only to find that she’s a power lifter! I went full geek, stalked her entire IG page, told her that she was awesome, and said we should hang out….pretty much the equivalent of a teenage fangirl. *eye roll*

Luckily, she hasn’t completely stopped talking to me or taken out a restraining order. She even invited me to lift with her some time. So, while making friends is still hard, there are still people who will sit next to you and metaphorically pick their noses in tandem.