{"id":19326,"date":"2025-04-06T21:57:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T03:57:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pjmaclayne.com\/?p=19326"},"modified":"2025-04-06T21:57:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T03:57:32","slug":"make-new-friends-but-keep-the-old-openbook-blog-hop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pjmaclayne.com\/?p=19326","title":{"rendered":"Make New Friends But Keep the Old #OpenBook Blog Hop"},"content":{"rendered":"

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April 7, 2025<\/p>\n

How do you\u00a0know you\u2019re going to become friends with a new person you\u2019ve just met?<\/h3>\n

My criteria have changed as I get older.<\/h4>\n

It’s a matter of broadening my social circles, things I learned during the Covid crisis, and the political climate in the US.<\/p>\n

It’s sad, but I don’t trust people as much as I used to. I’m friendly with lots of folks that I wouldn’t call a friend or seek a long-term relationship with. The fear of betrayal has grown, so I am more closed in revealing my deeper thoughts and feelings.<\/p>\n

That may have stemmed from my involvement in computer security, and seeing how naive people are. Not only did I have to protect myself, I had to protect others as well. (And yes, I can take myself too seriously.)<\/p>\n

But I have an escape in my writing.<\/h4>\n

It is also a shield of sorts. A safe topic. Even when people don’t truly understand what I do, it’s always an easy – and perhaps forgettable – subject of discussion.<\/p>\n

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So, back to the original question. How do I know if someone will be a friend?<\/p>\n

You’d think at my age, the signs would be obvious, but I can’t give you a list. Despite my outgoing public persona, I’m an introvert. (Well, most of the time). True friendship grows slowly. And that’s on me. It’s even harder to maintain those friendships. I can be too clingy or too distant. Finding the right balance is difficult.<\/p>\n

And the title? It’s from a song we used to sing around the campfire in Girl Scouts. (In rounds.) Even then, I didn’t quite fit in. The song advocates for a great philosophy, but it’s hard to follow when age and miles keep you apart. (And that is on me as well. If you follow this blog, you may remember that I’ve moved all over the United States.) I’ve never gotten good at maintaining friendships over the internet.<\/p>\n

How about the other authors on this blog? How do they know when a new acquaintance will become a friend? Check out the links below to find out.<\/p>\n

And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.<\/p>\n

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You are invited to the Inlinkz<\/strong> link party!<\/p>\r\nClick here to enter<\/a><\/div><\/div>\r\n