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| All the friend I need. |
It may not surprise you to learn that I don’t have a lot of friends. Here’s why:
9) You Have Offended Me in Some Small Way
I can hold a grudge like no other, even if it’s over some
stupid, petty shit you did in passing two years ago that no one remembers but
me. No, I don’t want to talk about it. Go away.
8) You Hang Around with Assholes
I have a lot of flaws. For example, I'm a terrible judge of character. But I've learned that if somebody's friends are assholes, they're probably an asshole too. Quit bringing your asshole friends around, asshole.
7) You’re a Bigot
I run into this a lot more often than you might think, and these people never seem to realize what’s wrong with them. I’ll meet
someone and they’ll seem perfectly normal, and then they’ll say, “Say what you
will about Donald Trump but at least he speaks his mind,” and just like that,
all bets are off.
6) I Already Have Enough Friends
The older I get the more curmudgeonly I get, and I was never
a social butterfly to begin with. What I’m trying to say here is that I already
have, like, three friends. That’s at least four more than I need. All friend
positions have been filled, but there are still some openings for casual acquaintances.
Please write a letter no more than two pages in length detailing all the
reasons why you think you should be my acquaintance, then throw it away and buy
me a beer.
5) Don’t Take This Personally, but You Exhaust Me
No really, don’t take it personally. Everyone exhausts me; I'm an introvert.
I know most people seem to desperately need to be engaged
with others ALL THE FREAKING TIME EVEN WHEN THEY’RE ASLEEP, but I socialize the
way some people exercise. That is to say I often don’t want to, and sometimes I
hate every minute of it, but I do it anyway because I know I will get sick and
die if I don’t. When I invite you to get a coffee that means I want to get a
coffee. It does not mean I also want to then get lunch, see a movie, go for a
hike, get dinner, accompany you grocery shopping, and then go back to yours to
watch another movie.
4) You Won’t Shut Up About Your Political or Personal Beliefs
Unless they happen to be the same as mine, of course, in
which case I will happily listen to you talk about them till the end of time.
3) You’re Judgmental
It’s probably judgmental of me to say so, but stop being so
judgmental. Surely you can think of something better to talk about than how all
the other people in the restaurant are clearly living their lives wrong because
they need a haircut, or are fat, or dared to bring a child out in public, or
are wearing mismatched socks. Have a little fucking compassion, why don’t you.
 |
| Also, I am fat, and probably wearing mismatched socks. |
2) You Don’t Laugh at My Jokes
Tbf, most of my jokes are stupid, but when someone tells a joke – especially someone with whom you claim to want to
be friends – you do one of two things: you laugh, because you found it funny,
or you pretend to laugh, because you are polite. What you don't do is heave a big, put-upon
sigh and say, “Ohhhhhkaaaaay."
1) You Offer Your Condolences When You Find Out I Lived Abroad
Okay, so I’ll admit not everyone is a big enough douchenozzle to say “I’m sorry” when I tell them I lived in France, but it’s happened more
than once, most notably at my grandmother’s wake, when an old school friend of
my mother’s offered his condolences for ENTIRELY THE WRONG THING. I mean,
seriously, if you’re going to offer someone some fake-ass jokey condolences for doing something awesome, DO NOT DO IT AT THE FUNERAL OF THAT
PERSON’S BELOVED RELATIVE. That’s solid life advice, kids – take it.
