I am an introvert, far prefer my own company. My husband was an extrovert, he was out visiting and talking with people all the time, coming home with new stories. That's something I really miss, knowing what's going on with people who live near me, without having to go out and engage.
When he was dx'd in 1998, his group of people shrank really fast. When I met him, it seemed like he knew almost everyone in the town we lived in. But by 1999, there were about 5 people he could count on, and most of them were sick or disabled like he was.
He eventually created a group from his fishing buddies, in addition to the friends who had stood with him. His memorial was a testament to how he had built a friends base.
But by being disabled, he was not longer "working" so he had the time to put in on making friends.
I also think social media has a lot to answer for in the area of making true friends. I really think people are forgetting, or not learning, how to make real friends, to be able to interact in person. I think most young people spend far too much time on social media when they should be out in the world without a screen, creating community.
I wonder if intro and extra connect for a reason. Us introverts might just be hermits if they didn't drag us out into the world. I think the older you get, or if you get sick, friends just fall away. It's amazing how he built up a good group of friends though even if he was struggling physically.
Yeah, I'm not sure. Kids go out no matter what, in desperation to connect. I think social media is jsut bad as it makes people feel bad about themselves and divide them from others.