Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Being Friendly

I think I lived in Seattle for too long. I don't know how to make friends anymore. Did I catch the Seattle Freeze? Maybe I did, because I think I project feelings of disinterest onto others. Like, I feel like other people probably aren't really interested in being my friend because they've already got plenty going on in their lives and were perfectly content here before I came along. At the same time, sometimes people here genuinely are trying to be friendly and welcoming, but I'm not sure how to respond.

Example: we went to a church on Sunday where an older lady wrote down her name and phone number, plus the neighborhood where she lives. She gave me the slip of paper and said, "Here - now you know someone in Memphis!" But I was confused. What, exactly, should my next move be? Do I call her up and say, "Hello, friendly grandmother-type, this is Salmonista, the newcomer with whom you discussed the beauty of the Seattle waterfront as viewed from your Alaskan cruise ship. Would you like to invite us over for dinner now?"

Then again, we've only been here for 2 months. I should probably adjust my expectations. Friendships might take a little longer to form. For now, I'll be content to have a few acquaintances.





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