ahoy mateys!! Davey and I paddled Walter (our dead-weight turtle floaty -- he's amazing) over to the random guys on inter-tubes in the middle of Lake Sammamish. Were they happy to see us? Probably not. Did they know us? No. Did we care? No.
I remember what it was like to be living in a bubble - a closed community that rarely introduced new people. It's a totally standard way of life these days in America.
People live with their families on private property, drive their own cars, sit in their own cubicles nearby their colleagues, and come home to have dinner with their life long friends.
When out to dinner, they are 'with their family' and not interested in interacting with anyone new. On vacation, they're 'with their family' and apart from a little "Where are you from?" small talk in the hotel lobby, nobody is going out of their way to make new friends. It's as if they have made all the friends they're ever gonna need and now they're locked in. Anyone trying to say HI is an intruder.
Thank heavens, I was introduced to a new way of life! Everyone in my friend groups is actively reaching out their hands to say HI. Festivals, raves, concerts, house parties, dinner parties, walks in the park, shopping for groceries.....every moment is an opportunity to make friends....not small talk.
Some of my friends, I made simply by noticing them in public (usually at a rave) and B-lining it across the room to their sexy bodies to introduce myself. People are always amazed when I share these stories - it's abnormal behavior but it's so beautiful, empowering and fun AND ITS SIMPLE. Watch little kids do it on the playgrounds across the world. "Hi, my name is ___. Wanna play?"
If you want to try but you're nervous, just lay it all out on the table. "Hey, I'm _____. I'm on a quest to make new friends and you guys look cool. Can I join your game of beer pong/tennis/hopstoch/whatever....?' You will get NOs but most of the time, once people realize you're literally just being FRIENDly and you're not a weirdo (unless you are a weirdo) they'll let down their guard and who knows....they could end up being your new bestie.