Six degrees of Merrylandgirl

Sometimes I only get the chance to blog once a week. And since I can't always get up the motivation to think of a topic, it's nice to have other friends to blog with so we can take turns. I enjoy being challenged to write about stuff that might not normally come to mind and also reading everyone else's thoughts on the same topic. Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about a year now, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week I chose the topic: Tell us about a time you were "set up" for a friendship with someone. Or a time you matched two friends together. (Or both.) Please keep it to "in person" friendships only since it's way too easy to connect people online these days.

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic:
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

My friend Denise (different from Darwin Shrugged) changed the name of the famous Kevin Bacon game so that it applies to me instead. This is because she claims I know everyone. I don't think I know everyone, but I happened to bring a lot of friends together at once. After I graduated from college, I decided to bring some of my friends together because I felt they would be a good fit. I had some friends from college who lived nearby and could easily hang out with some of my friends from high school. Back in 2001, Kris (from HS) reunited me with Lauri and Denise. (They later reunited me with Dawn.) Around that time, Kris, Lauri, and I started bowling together and I invited Jenny (from college) to join our team. From that point on, she started hanging out with us more often, even though we had different circles of friends in college (for the most part...she introduced me to some friends with whom I am still in contact, as well). I also remember seeing Little Shop of Horrors at a community theater with Cari, Rob (both from college), along with Kris and Lauri. I think this is the first time I had seen Lauri in forever and thus Cari and Rob's first time meeting her too. They all hit it off though. Soon enough, we had this group of my friends from both high school and college. I was really the link between both groups or they never would have met. At some point down the road, Denise became close with Betsy and Jenny. I especially love her friendship with Jenny. I mainly see them interact through Facebook, but they also take all these fun pictures together and I just know that they're good for each other. If I lived closer, I'd be hanging out with them way more often. Nowadays, I'd introduce one of my closest friends in my neighborhood (along with her husband) to this group of friends, as I feel they'd also get along well with them. Their personalities would blend in well.

Just because I like bringing friends together doesn't mean that I am excluded from being matched with friends too. One of my favorite friend matchmaking efforts was from my mom. She introduced me to Sheila, who worked with her at the time. We are the same age and my mom thought Sheila was really friendly. I think I came with her to the office once so she could introduce us. From there, we would get together for dinner sometimes and eventually started hanging out more often. I find it ironic that the one friend my mom introduced me to was the first person to buy me a drink when I turned 21. We also danced together on top of a bar at Boogie Nights (an 80s dance club). She even took me to my first gay club (a few weeks prior to going with "Will" for his 21st birthday.) Sheila has always been really easy to talk with and I've enjoyed her company when we got together. We've since both have outgrown our "party girl" ways and are now moms of three kids each. When I was in town back in 2012, we got together and I got to meet her first two boys while she got to meet my daughter. It was great to see her again and I hope we'll be able to get together the next time I'm back in town for a visit. I'm definitely thankful that my mom thought to introduce us!

I'm always glad to connect friends with each other if I feel they would be a good match (for friendship, that is). In turn, I'm open to making new friends, so if you think I'd get along really well with someone, please don't hesitate to make an introduction.