Make New Friends This Year
Building Friendships While Pursuing Interests
A short guide to making new friends.
New school year. New neighborhood. New job. Life offers continual opportunities to make new friends. But no matter how friendly or social someone is, often this can seem more of a challenge than a blessing. In this Internet age, people can get stuck in social networking sites and endless rounds of e-mail, planning to meet in person but never quite getting there. Though there’s no argument that the computer can be a helpful tool, stepping away from it and trying the following tips can lead to fresh friendships:
Show Your Interests
There are numerous ways to find friends with similar interests, that don’t involve joining a class or already-established group (which can sometimes be costly or too time-consuming.) One option is to make interests public – an example is to take a digital camera to a picturesque location and start snapping away (note: be sure to snap only the natural surroundings, not people!) Someone nearby may share an interest in photography… or books, knitting, painting, drawing. Partaking in a hobby in public can make starting a conversation – and perhaps building a new friendship – easier.
Note: When meeting someone for the first time, adhere to the same guidelines as the “meeting someone from online” rules – stay in public and limit excessive personal information.
Volunteer
This is always suggested in columns about making new friends, but there’s one difference here – volunteer work doesn’t have to be 100% altruistic. Yes, helping out at a soup kitchen is commendable and charities always need volunteers – these are things that enrich people’s lives.
However, sometimes finding oneself is separate from the charity volunteer work listed above. For the purpose of pursuing friends, choose an interesting field or business and ask to volunteer one day or afternoon per week. Examples include a restaurant or diner, office, single- or double-screen movie theater (as opposed to a multi-plex) or any type of store. Consider what may be valuable and fun to learn about, as well as the co-workers and customers to meet.
Start Your Own…
Can’t find any place where you feel “at home”? Start a group – yes, even advertise online – but first be sure to have a public meeting location picked out in advance. Be more creative than suggesting the local coffee house. Find a meeting room or space and get permission to use it for a set amount of hours on a certain day.
Steer clear of cliché advice
Columns about meeting new people tend to give the same repeated suggestions. Don’t get pushed int a group or activity that is a “tried and true” way to make friends if it doesn’t ignite enthusiasm. Continue to pursue interests and be open to new friends.
