You can’t make friends in college without getting out of your comfort zone

Right?

I mean, that’s what college is all about

Getting out there and meeting new people and making connections

Right?

The people who say that make it look so easy, though

They’re the ones who never meet a stranger

The ones who can walk up to you and start talking like you’ve known them forever

The ones who don’t even know what a “comfort zone” is

I’d like to switch lives with them for a day

Let them experience how it feels to step into a space where you don’t know anybody

And everybody knows everybody but you

Let them experience the feeling of wading through the crowd

And wedging yourself into a corner

Because you really don’t know how to go up and just strike up a conversation with a stranger

And miraculously hit it off

Let them experience how it feels to get excited when someone comes near you,

Working up a nervous smile

Thinking they want to introduce themselves

Maybe even strike up a conversation

Let them experience the disappointment when you realize

They were just passing by you to talk to a friend

Let them experience watching person after person walk past you

Not even glancing at you

And feeling more and more as each person passes that you’ve somehow become invisible

Let them experience the feeling of loneliness

So strong that it almost makes you pass out

As you listen to the chatter and laughter around you and wish that somebody Anybody

Would invite you to join in

Let them experience that loneliness getting so overwhelming that you finally flee the space for your comfort zone

Thinking sadly about how easy it is for you to go

It’s not like anyone will miss you

They don’t even know you’re there

Let them experience the desire to return to where you came from

Even if that place was no longer for you, at least you felt accepted there

At least you felt like you belonged

Yeah, let them spend a day in my shoes

Let’s see how quickly they change their tunes