So unrelated to this week’s topic, but I need to get something off my chest. As big a fan of Tame Impala as I am, I think his new album walked so The Neighbourhood’s could run.
Actually, I have an okay segue. Speaking of music, my fifth-grade teacher taught my class a song to prepare us for middle school. It was pretty short: “make new friends / but keep the old / one is silver, and the other’s gold.”
I love mixing metals — I think it looks chic, and life is too short to fuss about wearing a gold necklace with a silver ring.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the precious opportunity to explore Amsterdam with one of my best friends from childhood and one of my dearest sorority sisters from college. The two, along with some of their amazing new friends, are studying together in Copenhagen. I have a lot of pride in my pairing them — hit me up for more stellar matchmaking.
And, now that they’re friends, I’ll never need to invite plus ones for either of them at my gatherings because I know they’ll have someone to party with.
Some people do not like to introduce their friends to each other. Maybe these people are boring and afraid that their friends will like each other better than they like them.
Or, perhaps more valid, they’re afraid their respective friends won’t mess with each other. If you’re anything like me, you have an eclectic and ever-evolving personality. The different friendships I’ve forged and maintained throughout the years reflect the different versions of myself that needed different people.
I understand this fear, but I also kind of live for chaos, so I welcome some cross-friend-group beef. Like, my camp friends should definitely brawl with my Hillel friends. I’m staunchly anti-gambling, but if I weren’t, I’d put my last dollar on my camp girls. Especially those from the Five Towns. They’re a lot more hardcore than they look.
I am generally of the mind that the more, the merrier. If I could hang with two other people or five, I’m going to choose five almost every time.
That’s not the main reason I like mixing friends, though. I’ve been accused of being a bit of a doomsday prepper. I think a lot about my bridal party, specifically who will be my bridesmaids and my maid of honor.
I know, this is a bit far off considering I haven’t — really — ever had a boyfriend, so I’m not close to getting proposed to. But it’s never too early to start to prep? Spoken like a true doomsday prepper.
I’ve had a note on my phone since middle school where I keep track of who my bridesmaids and MOH will be, and it can be fun to see how my circles change over time. My current list of bridesmaids contains some real gems.
One aspect of these lists that remains uniform as they grow, shrink and warp is that I pull from various pockets of friends. I have friends from several cities across a few countries who have never crossed paths.
Now, I throw a great party, and I want my bachelorette to be no exception. I heard a lot of women dread going to them, which I get, but that will not apply to any of my invitees.
To foster excitement, I have begun introducing my girls. That way, when they see who else is in the group chat, they’re like, “omg — I went out with her in Chicago once — she’s so cool!”
Of course, I have moments where I wonder if the friends I’ve introduced talk smack about me while having more fun together than they have with me, but these worries are often fleeting and without evidence to validate them.
Mostly, I’m grateful that I have such excellent taste in friends, such that the silver and gold charms blend seamlessly on my necklace, dangling together right above my heart.
Sylvie Slotkin is a Medill junior and author of “Communal Shower Thoughts.” She can be contacted at [email protected] or by fax. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
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