How do I make more friends?

When I started at a new school in my junior year of h.s., I expected to be an outsider, without friends there. One day I was sitting outside with my nose buried in a book (Frank Herbert’s “Dune”) when three kids - Alonzo, Marcella, and one whose name I can’t recall now - came up to me and said something like, “Hi! We’ve seen you sitting out here by yourself for a few days now, and thought you looked like maybe you need some friends.” And suddenly I had friends! In fact, we stayed friends for many years, and last summer (more than 40 years later!) I ran into Marcella when I visited my home town, Santa Fe, NM.

I know you can’t conjure up people to do what my friends did. But I’m sharing this story with you because I think it answers the question: “Idk what to do.”

Look around and pay attention to different people there, until you know enough about someone to think you might like to be friends with them. Then just march right up and speak to them. You can take the direct route: “Hi, I’m Whitty. I think you seem interesting and I’d like to get to know you better.” Or you can be more indirect, and ask them about schoolwork, or about a topic of potential mutual interest: “Hey what do you think of…”

Don’t worry if it sounds like something someone else would do, not you. By the time your toe-to-toe with them and open your mouth, it will all just start to flow!