Meeting like-minded people

[mrsflibble]

i didn't meet a partner on the web, but I MET MY BEST FRIEND through the interweb. I stil don't have many poeple I'd class as true friends who live near me, but those few i have from school (can count them on one hand) i keep in contact with via the net. it's cheaper than calling. and the couple of mummies i met through another forum I do talk and text with, but we still chat online too. most of my social life is kept within this neat little silver and black plastic box on my desk and accessed via my RJ11 cable. i've been going mad without my computer.
i find it very hard to make friends, and even harder to keep them as I'm a little wierd and most people can't handl my level of reandomnity for any length of time.



no, seriously. my brother has the same problem.

persevere though honey, you'll finally find someone you can have coffee with.

[WiseBird]

I was only saying the same thing to my husband the other day...we have lived in this small town for nearly 12 years and have yet to meet people who think the same way, let alone start up a friendship!

We moved from Cheltenham (population around 120,00) where you do not even know your closest neighbours, to Bridport in Dorset (population around 8,000) and it took about a year for me to get used to people saying hello in the street...even though I'd never met them!

But the thing we found was that when we got our dog and took him for walks we found a whole network of friendly, helpful and kind people who will always spend time chatting and are willing to help out at the drop of a hat...I just haven't met anyone who likes growing veggies...yet !!

[old tree man]

Are there any plans of a get togther some time this year Jane and i would love to meet up

Russ

[Annpan]

I think that it is a great idea to have a meet-up... so I started a new thread on the topic

[Green Rosie]

We moved from Cheltenham (population around 120,00) where you do not even know your closest neighbours, to Bridport in Dorset (population around 8,000) and it took about a year for me to get used to people saying hello in the street...even though I'd never met them!

You should move to France - everyone says bonjour - even people in hospital waiting rooms

But the thing we found was that when we got our dog and took him for walks we found a whole network of friendly, helpful and kind people who will always spend time chatting and are willing to help out at the drop of a hat...I just haven't met anyone who likes growing veggies...yet !!

I found dog walking a great way to meet people - you could always try walking near the local allotment to meet veggie growers

[Green Rosie]

Oops - sorry about double posting - either me or the computer threw a wobbly

[Stonehead]

(Thank you Stoney, for a lovely bun and stroooong cuppa - and I'm looking forward to next weekend when I'll try your tattie wine! )

I can always make time for someone who admires my buns...

[Stonehead]

Thanks everyone for your support. It's nice to know I'm not alone! I do agree that it is possible to be very happy and fulfilled and carry on doing your own thing (as Stonehead said) without worrying about other people, but sometimes it would be nice to have someone to natter to about life, love and the state of the world who didn't look at you a bit funny when you say you like knitting...

That's why I keep pigs. They're always willing to swap comments on the state of the world - provided I keep the belly rubs coming.



See, eight friends hanging on my every word...

[the.fee.fairy]

You should move to France - everyone says bonjour - even people in hospital waiting rooms

I got chatted up ina hospital waiting room once...

I think the Ish Dating Club sounds good!

I'm 25, i like rock music, folk music and Ish things.
I'd like to meet bloke a bit older, and a bit taller please.

Only problems: crap working hours - 2:30-11 4 days one week, 6 days the next.

My problem is that i don't have any time to socialise - when i'm not at work during the week, everyone else is, and when i finish work, everyone else is going to bed. People always forget that i work crap hours, and text me saying 'what are you doing monday night' so i say 'working' so then they start to ask about every other night of the week.

Roll on moving, and new job. lets hope it brings a better love life (to be honest, anything is better than nothing!!)!

[ina]

See, eight friends hanging on my every word...

What a brilliant photo! And now that I have met them "in person" (or is it "in pig"???), I fully agree. Pigs are so wonderful... And all their comments are intelligent - it's just us humans who are so stupid that we don't always understand their language!

[eccentric_emma]

My problem is that i don't have any time to socialise - when i'm not at work during the week, everyone else is, and when i finish work, everyone else is going to bed. People always forget that i work crap hours, and text me saying 'what are you doing monday night' so i say 'working' so then they start to ask about every other night of the week.

exactly the same problem here as well! work until 10 most weekend nights (work in an off license). problem is i really like my job and its 1 minutes walk from my home so i wont change it. oh and i get loads of out of date beer.

[mrsflibble]

you could try chatting up the customers?! :D

[Super.Niki]

goodness.... I'm glad I'm not alone!!!

I've moved to uni and although I've met some lovely friends I do wish sometimes they'd be a bit more enthusiastic when I say something like "oo my veggies have just been delivered and they still have mud!!" rather than "cheaper in Sainsburys" grr...

damn... my closest greenie best friend is probably... my bloomin' sister, and now I live in Leicester away from her! It's a disastrous situation!!

re: Ish dating: YES!! Good plan! I'll sign up! Put me down for a yes!!!

On the subject of friends: any Ishers from Leicester?

xx

[mrsflibble]

no, but my advice is to get yer bum over to belgrave road in belgrave, loads of cheap sari and salwar kameez (punjabi suit; trousers, tunic and neck scarf) material which is soooooo versatile- in my humble opinion lol.


I'm from nottingham originally.

[Wotta Wally]

One of the reasons that I think some people find it hard to find local friends is that the school and university environment gives you an immediate (artificial) network of potential friends who are all of a similar age and – especially with uni – have similar ideas to you. When you go out into the real world, you are mixing with all ages and types of people and you have to really work at finding friends. I saw it with my sister: she had a huge circle of friends at school and would come home and spend all evening on the phone to them before getting ready to go out with them at the weekend! As soon as she started her first job, she started to struggle especially as all her schoolfriends had gone away to Uni. To make matters harder, she then moved to a different area of the country and gave up work to have her first child. She gets really upset because she doesn’t have any ‘local’ friends. To be honest, her best friend is our mum and she is constantly calling mum for a chat. Sometimes you are lucky and find friends at work but again, it is the artificial environment of work that usually brings it on: a number of times I have made really great friends at work yet when I have moved on, a lot of those friendships have died a death too.

I suppose I am fortunate in that I like my own company so can get on without having to worry about it too much – but I must admit, I do have a goujon of worry when I think of my old age and how alone I could be!

Like Red suggests, try not to worry about it. If you do, it is like scratching at a scab and just making it worse! Keep doing the clubs and classes you are interested in and if you find a like-minded friend, think of it as a bonus. Just accept that you have friends on the internet you can always chat with. I know it isn’t the same but it is better than absolutely nothing.