Social Games

Why is it that when we go out with friends, it is usually friends we know really well and see all the time?

I find that more often than not, people are hesitant, maybe even scared, to go out with people they are unfamiliar with. But, why wouldn't you?

Going out with only one friend and meeting all these other people should be a reason for excitement! You can be a whole new person if you want. You can just be you and not worry about having an embarrassing moment or story come up. I guess you can equate to a blind date - you don't know what your friend's friends will be like, or if you will like them - but really, a couple of hours out of your life meeting new people can't be that rough.

I speak from experience on this idea of playing 'social games'. When I lived in Mexico City, I found that no matter what night, no matter where we went, there were always new people there that I had never met before, and often, I was the new person having tagged along with my friend. I found this experience, at first, to be rather nerve wracking. I mean meeting new people in a different country, can be rather scary.

However, I learned so much about myself as a person by meeting new people all the time. I learned how I want to present myself, how I answer the standard "where are you from" and " what do you want to do" questions. And often the answers to these questions changed. I found my self-confidence grew so much and I was more confident in everything I did - school work, exploring the city on my own, striking up conversations with random ppl in the market, etc. In the end, I made some amazing friends, whom I still talk with all the time, and I have so many more memories from my time in Mexico City, than I would've if I had chose not to go out with people I didn't know.

But, don't just take my word for it. I have another story. This one is about two people who met at a birthday.

On my 25th birthday, my friend's Tom and Brianne came out to help me celebrate. Tom is a friend from high school, and I think he only knew maybe 2 other people there. Brianne I know from University, and she didn't know anyone else. It would have been so easy for both of them to bail and not come, out of fear of not knowing anybody. However, they both came and they ended up talking all night long. They are still together today.

This just goes to show that you never know what will come of a new experience - in this case, meeting new people. It can change your life, or just your day. But, no matter what, it will make you a more confident person.

So, please, let's all stop playing these social games - being afraid of not knowing anybody. People aren't rude, they will make small talk with you at first, and maybe, just maybe, you will end the evening with a new friend, or a new love.

- xoxo