One is Silver...

When Doug spots someone his approximate size he shrieks and runs full force toward them. About two feet in front of them he comes to a screeching halt, sticks out his belly, reaches out his fist -as if to present them with a bug or small carpet muffin- and then boom, they are now best buddies. This friendship ritual has yet to fail him.

As a child, making friends was a piece of cake. “You like pizza! I can believe it! I like pizza, too!” Link arms and skip into the sunset.

In junior high it was a little trickier but usually we gravitated towards the people with similar grooming habits. If we were lucky we would not deviate from these friendships and smooth-sail through high school.

College was also easy. Move into a random apartment, offer to share the contents of your closet, and pray that your roommates are A) not interested in the same guys you are or B) not as cute as you are. Provided either A or B are true than these friends fulfill most social needs for the semester.

Now that we just moved to Dallas, Ryan and I are once again starting from scratch in the local friends department. I find this stressful because I have forgotten how to make friends. In the past I have minimal social requirements and therefore dodged getting-to-know-you shindigs like the plague... or squash. But now I find myself in a more vulnerable state. Ryan has more responsibility at work, my hormones are ricocheting off the walls, and my toddler needs some buddies himself.

I don’t like forced awkward friendships, but I do love dear true friendships based on common interests, goals, experiences and natural chemistry. I am good at these types of relationships. Unfortunately, I have to “do the time” on order to achieve this level of friendship. It is time for me to bite-the-bullet.

I began my quest to find friends last week at church. I thought Doug’s method might be as good a start as any. I went up to a woman approximately my size, stuck out my belly and said “You’re pregnant! Look, I am pregnant too!” Okay, so I am not yet a well-oiled machine but this technique seemed to work. She is now my friend. Thank heavens that I didn’t overdue it by also giving her a bug.