What Lengths Are You Willing to Go to, to Find ‘Your People’?
Have you ever noticed how lonely it gets to be an adult? It’s not just that we’re busy; it’s that the people we’ve known for years start to feel like strangers. Their priorities shift, and suddenly, you’re the only one holding the rope.
I started seeing the signs in my own friendships. I was always the one showing up, always the one with their back, but they were less and less there for me. It’s a heavy feeling when you realize you’re giving 100% to people who can’t even give you 10%.
And thought you understand their circumstances and even still hold them dear, but sometimes, that frustration builds up so much that you don’t even know how to speak it. You might have physical or emotional scars from just trying to cope, but the people closest to you don’t even notice. And even if they do see you’re hurting, they still put you in the same situations that caused the pain in the first place.
At first, I just pulled away. I told myself it’s better to be alone than to keep expecting a hand to pull me up and getting disappointed. But eventually, you get tired of your own company. You see an ad for a “Dinner with Strangers” and you think maybe. Maybe there’s someone else out there who is looking for a “me” too.
So, I took the leap. I paid the fee (it was less than $7) and went to this fancy restaurant. They told us we’d be matched with people who share our goals and interests. In my head, I saw a table of four to six deep-thinkers.
The reality? Only three of us showed up.
One was this guy who wouldn’t stop bragging about owning his own company. But when the bill came, the “CEO” disappeared. Even though the survey we took beforehand asked if we were okay with spending 20k+ on dinner, he spent nearly thirty minutes arguing with the manager. He was furious that his $5.5 event fee didn’t cover his whole meal.
It was so embarrassing. He’s trying to impress us one minute, and the next, he’s causing a scene over a few thousand francs. And to top it all off? When the organizer finally came over to fix the situation, the poor guy’s (the organizer) pants zipper was wide open. Just fully down.
I’m sitting there in this expensive place, looking at a guy with an open fly trying to calm down a “businessman” who wanted a refund or such, and we (two of us remaining) just had to laugh.
But honestly? It wasn’t a waste.
I actually really hit it off with the other girl at the table. We bonded over how ridiculous the whole night was, as well as our background, religion, and other aspects of life. We left with a connection that actually feels promising, the kind of genuine friendship I went there to find in the first place.
At the end of the night, I realized it was an adventure. Even with the empty chairs and the drama, it gave me hope. It reminded me that I’m not the only one out here looking for something real.
So, would you take a leap like that? Would you put yourself out there, knowing it might be messy, just for the chance that someone is looking for you too?
