Not that it matters now, but I’m curious. I don’t know if I was popular. I had a lot of friends in middle school and I would say I did in high school too, but a lot less people knew me as the middle school I went to was smaller.

  • MerrySkeptic@sh.itjust.works
    8·
    1 day ago

    I went to a private elementary school where I was pretty picked on. One of my parents grew up poor and was an immigrant, the other grew up poor and rural, so neither really understood why I had a hard time socially in a suburban private school with mostly wealthy kids.They didn’t know how to help.

    I transferred to a public middle school where I was neither popular nor unpopular. My elementary years taught me to avoid relationships so I just tried to blend in and keep things very surface level with other kids. I had no close friends but I was not being picked on.

    In high school I developed a couple of closer friendships, but I would not say that I ever completely let my guard down. Like middle school, I wasn’t really picked on but I was certainly not one of the popular kids. I did let myself join athletics so I developed more self confidence, but social relationships were still superficial.

    I’m now in my 40s and have been confronting myself about the fact that other than my wife and kids, I’ve not let myself have too many close relationships. I know it was self protective, but it also kept me isolated. My wife cannot and should not be the one person who meets all my needs.

    I’m putting myself out there a bit more but man is it hard to make new friends at this age. Better late than never I guess.

      • burntbacon@discuss.tchncs.de
        3·
        22 hours ago

        Bingo bango. I seethe inside when I hear people talking about forming friendships and smoothly sailing around in social situations, telling others to just be themselves and be happy. The majority of them could never even comprehend what true bullying is. That shit affects you for life, and you’d be lucky if you ever get someone close enough to be able to be open again.

        • Fluffy Kitty Cat@slrpnk.netEnglish
          3·
          19 hours ago

          The fact that schools are fertile ground for this type of abuse isn’t talked about enough. It’s only good because it’s the only option left where large numbers of kids gather in one place. If school sucks for you the internet is your only other option

    • dingus@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      24 hours ago

      Hey I applaud you for putting yourself out there!

      I think the fact that you’ve managed to marry and have kids is fantastic. It’s a big social hurtle that a lot of hermits never end up making it with, so you should be very proud of yourself for being vulnerable with another human being like that.

      Tbh, I think over time that it ends up quite normal for people as they age to really just have their spouse and kids as their main “friends” without many others externally. So I think you’re doing pretty good on the weirdness and socialization scales haha.

      But yeah I totally get you wanting to allow your wife a breather and have some other buddies to share the “social burden” with (I don’t mean it negatively, just not sure how to phrase it).

      Best of luck to you!