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How to get the social stuff right.

15 replies

Molly500 · 10/08/2020 08:08

My head is not in the right place at the moment.I just have a constant monologue going round and round about why I hardly have any friends and DH does and what I must be doing wrong. Like many others the endless coronavirus stuff has highlighted my lack of friends. I have 3 friends that I occasionally hear from ,but hardly at all. I finally met up with them last week and came away deflated. I have some fairly serious family issues going on at the moment and when I raised it with them I got talked over and felt not listened too.

The trigger to this current wave of feeling awful is really stupid.But basically DH has been asked to be Godfather for some friends who I thought we were both quite close too. I havent aired my feelings of course and the rational part of me knows just because we are married it doesnt mean to say I should also be asked. But it's just enhanced all these doubts I have about getting the social stuff right. For example , I often misjudge friendships and think they are better than they are and then get caught off guard when something happens. For example , I think someone is a good friend and then they make a shitty remark or I notice that I am always looking after their children and they never reciprocate.

This constant self analysis means I find nights out really difficult and come away thinking of what I said or did wrong. For example, when I saw my 3 friends last week and they asked about the difficult family situation. One of them cut me off halfway through and moved the conversation on even though I hadn't finished talking. That happens alot so I think I must go on too much. But its not one of those situations that can be answered with a few words.
I have a tendancy to say the wrong thing and then come away wishing I could start again.

DH OTOH gets this all so right. He has a large group of old friends , but none he is that close too. For example,when his mum had cancer and then died there were very few of the who really knew or if they did, no help was offered. They said their condolences when she died but not alot was said in the 2 years where she was in a nursing home.But, he seems happy with this and he seems to always know what to say and be liked.

Although I have been with DH for 20 years , I have always felt like an add on in this friendship group. The couple who have asked him to be godfather are part of this group and they met the same time as us so the woman has known everyone for as long as I have. However , she is definitely more part of the group and when we were all younger she was very much part of the socialising when I wasnt. However, in the last 10 years or so we have spent quite a bit of time with this couple and I have even gone out with the woman alone so had it in my head that we were all close. But now I'm thinking I got that wrong and perhaps they just see me as 'DHS wife and therefore we have to speak to her'.

I just wish I was a better judge of people. We met a group of 4 sets of parents when the DCs were small who I immediately got involved with. DH warned me about one of the women but I thought he was wrong. Fast forward 5 years and I conceded he was right after she made numerous bitchy remarks and our DD was excluded from sleepovers and all other manner of BS. It went on between her and others in that group though, but DH insisted on walking away. I am fine with that but I admit it stings a little when I see them all over FB on holidays together and having BBQs. Yet again it's me that ends up within friends out of the situation..

I went to university and whilst most people talk about what a great time they had and their friends from there,I had a good time but left uni and that was the friendships gone. The same goes with work places , I just dont stay in touch in the way others seem too. My 3 friends are old friends though as I have known them for 23 years after meeting at a hobby.

I am clearly getting all this social stuff wrong. Just dont know how to change it.

OP posts:
Molly500 · 10/08/2020 08:11

I meant without , not within.

OP posts:
UnitedRoad · 10/08/2020 08:37

I hope people will be along to offer some words of wisdom soon

I’m in a similar position to you - three friends, while husband has a huge amount. The only differences are that my friends are separate. I’m no good in groups. Perhaps you’d be better off with friends that you see individually. The second difference is that I don’t think I want any more. I’m quite selfish with my spare time, and very introverted, but now I’m wondering if that’s just because I’ve had to be.

You said you met your friends through a hobby. Hobbies are good! Are you still doing it, and if not is it something you could return to? Do you have any other interests that might involve meeting people?

You really do need to find some new friends, as yours sound rubbish. The trouble with groups, is it only takes one person to be self centred and rude, and start talking over the top of the others - one of my daughters does it ALL the time. Is it the same person every time? She probably does it to the others too.

Anyway, I’m sorry I can’t be more help, but I’m interested to see what other people have to say.

Molly500 · 10/08/2020 08:43

Thank you.

I do still do the hobby , but the friends dont.

I struggle with groups as well and like my own company. We went camping with DH a and his friends a few years ago and I hated every minute of it. My idea of hell being with a group of 20 people for 3 days and nights. It rained one night and I said one of the children was scared so I had to stay in the tent with them so I didnt have to sit outside with them all again. Confused

OP posts:
missrks · 10/08/2020 08:53

I'm the absolute saaammme! I moved away from where I grew up and probably only see my 2 friends a couple of times a year.

My dp's friends and their dw are fine but very cliquey and I'm not part of that clique! I've honestly come to terms with that fact I'm different from them, I'll socialise when I have to and be pleasant but I stopped making an effort because it was never reciprocated. I feel like they have to entertain me through gritted teeth!

What about joining a fitness group or something and making some friends through that?

I realised recently I have no friends when there was a show coming up next year, asked my friends from home and they said no and have no one to go with!

Molly500 · 10/08/2020 09:00

Glad it's not just me Grin

I dont have friends from 'home's either as I dont have a particular place I grew up. I moved slot due to complicated reasons and went to a new school every year or so. Hence, it took me until I was almost 30 to realise that people stayed in touch when they left somewhere. Confused I honestly didnt know. I also think I missed out on some of the lessons given by other children (unwittingly) about how to make and sustain friendships .

OP posts:
Mintjulia · 10/08/2020 09:04

I’m like that too although getting better with age.

I keep things very light, cheerful and superficial for a long time. If I’m having a bad time, I don’t say anything unless someone asks, and then I keep the details minimal.

A real friend will want to know more, a fair weather friend will change the subject because they don’t want to hear anything gloomy.
Your dh has a lot of mates to have a good time with, but would they support him if he needed them?

Molly500 · 10/08/2020 09:15

No they wouldn't tbh @Mintjulia. I was surprised when DHs mum was I'll and does that so little help was offered or comments made. He does the superficial thing well. You're so right about good friends wanting to know more. Theres a woman in DHs group of friends who is a bit of a central character in that she is always nice to everyone , gets invited everywhere etc (and is the Godmother to the other friends baby). I told her about my family situation one day and DH said after that he didnt know why I had done that. I have known her for 20 years so it really didnt seem odd to me that I would share this with her.Brew

OP posts:
Molly500 · 10/08/2020 09:16

No idea where the mug came from.

OP posts:
Molly500 · 10/08/2020 09:20

Excuse typos.

OP posts:
UnitedRoad · 10/08/2020 10:48

Have you watched Motherland? I think the first series is on Netflix. There’s a queen bee on there, probably very much like your ‘central character’, and it shows that she’s not very likeable, and that people keep on her good side because it’s easier. She’s not the main character in the programme though - it’s about the ordinary ones who are just getting by.

If you’re still doing your hobby without the others, are there some people there who you could forge a bit of a stronger friendship with? A coffee and chat afterwards or see if a few want to go for a pizza or something? I think lots of people are lonely

The camping trip sounds hideous.

Camomila · 10/08/2020 11:14

But basically DH has been asked to be Godfather for some friends who I thought we were both quite close too.

It might not be anything personal, with DS1 DH picked the godfather and I picked the godmother. With DS2 we are a bit stuck because we are running out of friends that have been baptized!

Molly500 · 10/08/2020 11:43

@UnitedRoad. I know what you meanGrin but the friend is definitely not a queen Bee type. She's one of those people with many friends that everyone loves , but actually not particulalrly close to anyone.

@Camomila. I know I'm being ridiculous about the Godmother thing, I think its because I"m not in a good place mentally. But the other person they picked was part of the group of friends that DH has and not close to either of the parents of the child. It's a daft thing to be worried about anyway. It was more of 'I wonder why I didnt get picked ' thing rather than 'how dare they not pick me'. It just highlighted my insecurities.

OP posts:
EscapeTheCastle · 10/08/2020 11:56

It's hard navigating friendships, it really is. I often have no idea how to do it.

Modern life makes it extra complicated I think.

Fearandsurprise · 10/08/2020 12:24

OP, I find navigating social situations hard, too.

I found a book quite useful (although a bit twee in places) - it was called “How to talk to anyone” by Leil Lowndes. Not of all it applies to my life, but it gave me a few good ideas, particularly for the “getting to know you” phase of potential friendships.

FastFood · 10/08/2020 13:42

OP if it makes your feel better, I think no one really knows how to navigate friendships!

I think what you get "wrong" is what a lot of people (including me!) get wrong:
We tend to conflate popularity and worthiness.
We assume that if someone has a lot of people around them, therefore, they're likeable.
And with Instagram and stuff like that, it's even worse!

What you can ask yourself is what would be best for you? What kind of relationship would you like to have? What kind of activities would you like to share with these relationships?

My two cents:
I had a big Clique back home (left 4 years ago) Big big Clique. Ridiculous amount of people.
Well, after seeing then, I was feeling drained and worthless. I was comparing myself with them all the time.
But somehow, I thought that I wasn't getting it right, because I had a lot of people around me. How I was feeling was somehow secondary (so silly when you think about it)

Now I have just a few friends here in London. People I see generally in 1 to 1. Sometimes a tiny group of 4 or 5.
But after I see them, whether it's for a walk, or a coffee, or for after work drinks, I feel good, energised and connected.
Less people means more time with them, more room to show vulnerability (which I think might be the main component for meaningful relationships), we learn from each other, we coach each other etc...

And maybe for you that group of 3 is already too much, or too cliquey?. Maybe you could just see one of them at a time?

Anyway, don't think that your social life defines your worthiness.
People like you who are happy with their own company are the luckiest IMO.

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