Not the Reddit post.... in The Stuff That's Not Interesting But Is The Most Interesting Stuff I'll Write

I’ve often heard it said that it’s more difficult to make friends when you’re older than when you’re a youngster. Supposedly it has to do with the fact that we’ve learned in our later years how duplicitous and deceitful people can be. I learned that lesson when I was about 4, so I’ve always disagreed somewhat with that axiom.

Another writer simply wrote about how he’s been alone most of his life and people started chiming in about how sad that is and stories of relationship toxicity, which is nice that they’re trying to be supportive, but I’m not sure that’s supportive. You know, my little brother is visiting in just about a month and I really have no idea what’s going to happen.

My brother and I haven’t spent a significant amount of time together since he was a small child and I was helping raise him. I’m not quite sure what he expects to find. I have friends here and we both acknowledge to one another that we’re quite close, but we only see each other every other month or so. I’m not a social butterfly, which is the image my family has inside their head.

Because I was a performer and was always around people, I know that members of my family were always under the impression that I was a party animal. I mean, I go out and do things… Mainly, that was out of depression and boredom. When you hate your environment, you will do anything to spend as little time in it as possible.

But the reality is quite different. I’m not even sure my little brother will meet any of my friends, not because I don’t want him to, but because he’s coming during the main holiday season and most of my friends are traveling at that point. Being in Bangkok during Songkran is like being in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, sure it’s fun but you can’t swing a string of beads without knocking over some tourist.

I just want him to see that although I am still alone, it’s not borne out of loneliness, it’s because I’m a busy adult… and it’s not easy for adults to make friends. But I have. They’re just on vacation.