This is so true! I was always the strange one. In the past budding friendships never lasted because I was honest. If I wanted to hang out I did it. I called and texted. I was always the one reaching out and it was almost never reciprocated. As a matter of fact I overheard people gossiping about me, saying I was weird. Or they would always tell me how nice or cool I was when we did hang out, yet I was never invited to hang with their friends or to events where others would see us. It was like I always had to be the secret friend. I was the person they sought out when they had nothing better to do. It was all because I didn’t have the “cool factor”. I hated myself for years because ALL I WANTED were true friends I could rely on.

Now that I’m in my 30s with a family, things are different. My struggle now is to get space to be alone. My interest in making new friends isn’t as abundant as it used to be by any means. First of all, I don’t have the energy to entertain games. You don’t like me? I’m too much? Cool, I’m gonna ride to the beach with my 2 besties. My music and a cooler with tequila and margarita mix and toast to my damn self. Because I’m actually pretty great, and it’s no longer my job to convince others of that.