Hello dear friends. A number of things have been floating through my mind today, as most of it has been spent getting a boot off of my car, and the day just really hasn’t gotten much better. The only thing that made it better were friends from the three different pools of Georgia Southern University society that have helped me with this struggle-bus day.

First, a theater major friend dropped me off and picked me up from my apartment when I first became carless, a show choir friend checked on me via text to make sure I was okay, another friend that rolls with all the same friends texted as well and then my music major friends assisted me in getting my tickets taken care of and in getting a permit for my car. My point is that I met these people when I first got here, and they still have my back.

There’s no need in this precious world to presume that because things change, you have to stop hanging out with certain people. I made a point to avoid this by slowly inviting friends from each circle to parties and get-togethers, and now they’re friends too. One friend, “Freshman David,” now a junior, is still referred to as such by people in a different department. It’s a term of endearment, and it goes to show that even if you don’t feel brave enough, you can still be the orchestrator of what ends up being a large spider-web style friendship chart of people that support you, listen to you, and are there for you when you need them most. Exhibit A: I’m willing to bet most of you aren’t nearly as emotionally high-strung or Hot Mess Express as myself, and these people have been my rock throughout my time here at Georgia Southern.

I offer the following: plan an event. It doesn’t have to be anything the Twerk Team would call home about, but a gathering of people you can fit in your apartment. Invite your loners, stoners, gamers, gays, divas, nerds, drama geeks and whomever else you have in your arsenal. Don’t force it; just let them interact on their own. If it’s not a wild success, don’t punch yourself in the ass for it. Try; try again.

My song offering in reference to this suggestion is Sleigh Bells’ “Crown on the Ground”. My logic is this: we may all wear different crowns, but when we put them on the ground, we’re all just people. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t share our friends with our other friends. Sharing is caring, silly geese. Until next time, healins and blessins y’all.