WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND?

If you thought the school playground was savage, have you ever attempted to befriend someone new as an adult? We challenged three writers to step out of their comfort zones and get chummy with a stranger

I heard of Annie long before I met her. She was a friend of a friend, and we were both short-listed for the Northern Territory Literary Awards last year. Annie was a lover of words, like me. She came from an interesting family, like me. And she lived in the NT, like me.

When I moved from Alice Springs to Darwin this year, I desperately wanted to put a face to Annie’s name. We had so much in common and because I’d heard so much about her I felt like I already knew her. I had visions of us meeting and becoming fast friends. I made a mental note to ask my friend for Annie’s number once I settled in, and then I promptly misplaced the mental note in the ever-growing to-do list of my mind.

As it usually does, life got in the way. I became bogged down in work deadlines, a busy dating schedule and finding my feet in a new city, so my friendship aspirations took a backseat. At least that’s the excuse I gave myself. In reality, I think I was a bit nervous to make the first move. Besides, what would I say to our mutual friend? “Your mate sounds really cool. Can you hook us up on a friendship date?”

I haven’t had any trouble asking my mates to set me up on romantic blind dates with single blokes they know, but asking to be introduced to their other friends makes me feel more vulnerable. I guess I care less about the opinions of random men than about those of a well-educated, incredibly talented woman who my friend holds in high esteem. Go figure.