We all have those friends who became our friends because when we met, we just clicked. Those friendships are so fun because they feel so natural. You don’t have to try extra hard to keep the friendship fresh because it just happens because you get along so well and have a lot in common. Like if you enjoy listening to the radio while eating lunch, and you saw another girl doing the same thing and after a while you start sitting together and she ends up becoming your best friend.
There are times when we try to make new friends on purpose – like if you’re going to a new school and you don’t know anyone. For most of us, when we’re on a friend search, we look for people who are just like us. There’s nothing wrong with that, but sometimes we miss out on great friendships because we look past people because they’re not the type of people that we would normally hang out with.
There are people all around you who are very different from you because the world is such a diverse place. There are people who you can look at and count them out as potential friends, just based on their appearance, their back round, their race, age, or where they come from. Once you start talking to some of them, you’ll be amazed to find that you actually do have a lot in common, and you’ll discover friendships you never thought you’d have.
I once made a friend from the Philippines. I wouldn’t have originally picked her out as a friend, because we were from two totally different places and I felt like we could never really understand each other. We were in a group together, so eventually we started talking. Turns out we had so much in common, and our conversations were so good! We talked about everything, and I especially enjoyed hearing about what it was like for her growing up outside of America.
I’ve also made friends from Ethiopia, Uganda, South America, the Netherlands, and England. Some of them were brief friendships. Others have lasted over 15 years. I’ve made friends who are of different races, religions, and back-rounds from mine. It’s a blessing to have diverse friends, because they can teach you so much about the world.
A few of my greatest friendships have been with people who are much older than me. If you’ve never hung out with a senior citizen, I’m telling you, you’re missing out! They can be so much fun. You can learn so much from them just by listening to them talk about life. They can teach you how to cook and give you free food in the meantime because they never want you to be hungry (yesssss). Believe it or not, old people still like to go out and have fun, and they enjoy hanging out with others just like you do, even if it’s just sitting on the porch and having a simple conversation while sipping on sweet tea.
If you’re on the hunt for a new friend, branch out and open up to new possibilities. Talk to some people who you don’t normally talk to. Don’t limit yourself to only having a specific type of friend. There are many enjoyable friendships waiting for you; full of fun, great conversations, and genuine connections.
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