Posted by DRD #37 at user-38lc712.dialup.mindspring.com on January 21, 2002 at 14:40:19:
In Reply to: I need you to help me make a choice; posted by NEWMAN on January 21, 2002 at 14:26:23:
I, too, was a friendless wonder, up until the seventh grade. I was shy, depressed, and oftentimes suicidal. Why? Because I never shared my interests with anyone. I never told anyone what my hobbies were, what my goals were, what I was looking to get out of life. I never hung out with anybody, and I never even tried to find a girlfriend. I just stayed in my corner all quiet and depressed, trying my hardest to ignore the onslaught of insults and belittlement that came my way.
One day, out of the clear blue sky for no apparent reason, this girl named Jessica walked up to me and asked me if I wanted to go out with her. She was moderately good-looking, and seemed nice enough (but I was cautious about it anyway - I was very paranoid at that age), so I said okay. The next night, we went out to see a movie and we both had a very good time. After the movie, we went to Baskin Robbins and talked over milkshakes. I told her my interests, what I wanted to be when I "grew up", and what I wanted out of life. She told me her interests, what she wanted to be, and what she was looking for in a "soul mate", as she put it.
After that night, I was no longer scared. I had no trouble making friends, and I ended up making a slew of them. Surprisingly enough, a lot of people were into comic books and video games and John Hughes movies (well, maybe not the last one - but a few knew what "The Breakfast Club" was). I finished growing up with those people, and one day moved off to college and then off into the real world. I've never seen any of them again, except at my cousin's wedding I briefly spoke to this girl I dated shortly (she was a bride's maid).
The point is, individuality is important (how else would I have had the courage to like such geeky things?), but so is unity (how else would I have kept myself from committing suicide were it not for friends?). They play equal parts in who we are, what we do, and where we're going. So, go ahead and continue to have your interests - that's very important. But also try to find friends who you can be comfortable with, not just people you know will laugh at dick and fart jokes. Who knows? Just having them could save your life.