Do You Wanna Be My Friend or Just Borrow My Charger?

Making friends as an adult is a whole different game—awkward, exhausting, and sometimes surprisingly beautiful. In this episode, CeeCee gets real about the emotional gymnastics of adult friendship: how hard it is to make new connections, maintain old ones, and navigate the shifting dynamics of who stays in your life and why.

She shares her personal journey of rebuilding connection after a medical whirlwind, finding unexpected community through Pokémon Go, and learning that friendship doesn’t have to be constant—it just has to be real.

This episode is a warm hug for anyone who’s ever felt alone in a crowded room or unsure how to reach out.

Transcript

 CeeCee’s Shenanigans

Season 2, Episode 2: “Do You Wanna Be My Friend or Just Borrow My Charger?”

 Episode Theme

Making friends as an adult: the emotional rollercoaster of awkward introductions, social fatigue, and finding your people in unexpected places.

CeeCee:

Helloooooooo, my beloved Hooligans!
 How are we really doing today? Emotionally? Spiritually? Hydration-wise?
I hope you’ve been thriving—or at least surviving with snacks and sarcasm—since our last episode.  Now, before we dive into today’s chaos, I have one tiny, slightly judgmental question:
Did you ever respond to that text from three weeks ago?
You know the one. The one you mentally replied to while brushing your teeth and then promptly forgot existed.  Listen… I’m not here to shame. I’m here to gently roast and lovingly remind you:
Ghosting your people unintentionally is still ghosting.
But don’t worry—we’re all guilty. This is a safe space for spiritual replies and inbox anxiety.

So, today… we’re diving into the beautifully awkward world of adult friendships.
 You know—the kind that start with a shared side-eye in a waiting room and somehow evolve into trauma bonding over memes and missed appointments.  We’re talking about how hard it can be to make friends, keep friends, and figure out what the heck is happening in those friendships as they shift, stretch, or quietly fizzle out.  Let’s be real: adulting didn’t come with a manual, and neither did friendship maintenance.
Sometimes you’re the clingy one. Sometimes you’re the ghost. And sometimes you’re just trying to remember if you ever replied to that “we should catch up!” text from 2019.  Whether your friendships are thriving, on life support, or stuck in the “we like each other but never hang out” zone—this episode is for you.

Today’s episode is serving up a full platter of friendship chaos—so grab your emotional support beverage and settle in.
 We’ve got talking points that might hit a little too close to home (in the best way) and some listener confessions that prove friendship can bloom in the weirdest places.

Whether you’re friendship-starved, friendship-overwhelmed, or just friendship-curious, this episode is here to validate your vibe and maybe help you find your people—or at least laugh about trying.  

Does anyone else feel like making friends post 25 feels like dating, but without the apps? 

For me, the struggle started even earlier. I didn’t go the traditional college route, so I missed out on those built-in social mixers where acquaintances magically blossom into lifelong friendships over bad cafeteria food and shared academic trauma. No forced bonding. No dorm hallway heart-to-hearts. Just me, trying to figure it out in the wild.

And let’s be honest—adulting itself is enough to make you want to cancel all social plans forever. Between managing a partnership, raising tiny humans, chasing career goals, and juggling a dozen other obligations, it’s hard to even think about making new friends, let alone nurturing the ones you already have.

Plus, we’ve all been through some friendship drama by now. We’ve been burned. We’ve been ghosted. We’ve learned lessons—sometimes the hard way. And now? We’re picky. We’re protective. We’re scanning for red flags like TSA agents at emotional baggage claim.

Personally, when I think about who I want in my circle, I ask:

• Are they reliable?
• Do they give support as much as they receive it?
• Do they actually want to connect—or are they just filling space, scrolling through their phone while I talk to the air?

Because our time is sacred. And the older we get, the more we realize that time isn’t infinite—it’s precious. We don’t have hours to waste on surface-level connections or people who treat friendship like a convenience store: in and out, no eye contact.

And let’s not forget the fear of rejection. That quiet panic that whispers, “What if I reach out and they don’t want me?”
 We’re all in different stages of adulting, and I swear, some days I feel like I’m living in a tornado while everyone else is calmly alphabetizing their spice racks. But the truth is—we’re all winging it. Every single one of us.

So if you’ve felt alone in this, you’re not. If you’ve struggled to make or keep friends, you’re not broken. You’re just human. 

Okay, so let’s say you’ve decided you’re ready to make a new friend. You’ve emotionally prepped. You’ve showered. You’ve maybe even put on pants with a zipper. Now what?

Because here’s the thing: when you’re a kid, friendship happens by proximity. You sit next to someone in class, you both hate math, boom—you’re besties. But as an adult? It’s like trying to join a secret club where no one’s handing out the password.

Let’s talk about the usual suspects—the places we think we’re supposed to meet friends, and why they’re often just a hot mess of awkward energy.

-The Gym

You’re sweaty, self-conscious, and trying not to pass out mid-squat.
 Making friends here feels like trying to flirt while gasping for air.
 Also, is it just me, or does everyone at the gym already have a gym buddy and a protein shake cult?

-In Facebook Groups & Online Communities

Ah yes, the digital jungle.
 You join a group for “Women Who Love Chaos and Cozy Socks” and suddenly you’re knee-deep in comment threads about trauma, tea brands, and someone’s cousin’s MLM pitch.
 But every now and then, you find someone who just gets you—and that’s worth the scroll.

-Waiting Rooms

This one’s honestly underrated.
 There’s something about a shared discomfort—whether it’s a doctor’s office, a pharmacy line or a DMV line—that makes people drop their guard.
 You bond over the broken vending machine or the absurd wait time and suddenly you’re trauma-linked for life.

The truth is, most adult friendships don’t start with a grand gesture.
 They start with a shared laugh, a kind comment, or a mutual eye-roll at something ridiculous.
 They start when you’re not trying too hard—when you’re just being real.

And sometimes, they don’t start at all… because we’re tired.
 We’re busy. We’re scared.
 But that doesn’t mean we’re broken or unworthy of connection.

So if you’ve been feeling like friendship is out of reach, I’m here to tell you: it’s not.
 It’s just hiding in plain sight—probably next to you in line at Walgreens.

If you’re ever out and about doing anything or attending an event, to connect with someone you could comment on the atmosphere, the venue or your surroundings in general. 

If you see someone wearing a shirt with your favorite band on it try to connect over the band and ask their taste in music. Open ended questions are inviting to most people because it leaves room for them to tell you about themselves. 

Share an interesting or funny story that relates to where you are or what you’re doing with others around you that people could relate to or feel more inclined to share a similar story. 

If you feel the opportunity, always compliment or praise something specific or meaningful. 

Just for a little encouragement, I want to share something personal with you all—because if you’ve been feeling isolated or unsure about how to connect with people again, you’re not alone.  

By now, most of you know I’ve been through the medical ringer. Diagnoses, treatments, fatigue, the whole chaotic carousel. And when everything in your body feels like it’s shutting down, your mind starts to follow. I needed something—anything—that was low stress, low activity, and still gave me a sense of joy.  

Enter: Pokémon Go.
 Yep. That little app I downloaded back in 2016 suddenly became my lifeline. My in-laws would drive me around to catch Pokémon, battle in raids, and spin Pokéstops. It was silly, it was simple, and it was mentally stimulating in a way that cut through the fog of depression I was drowning in.  

Over the last few months, as I slowly started rebuilding my physical strength, something else began to shift—I started wanting to be around people again. Not in a big, dramatic way. Just… a little more open. A little more curious.  I joined a couple of Facebook groups focused on community play and started growing my friends list. After months of sending gifts and trading virtual creatures, someone mentioned a local Discord group for PoGo players. I hopped in, lurked for a bit, and eventually went to my first meetup. It was small. Chill. Just a few battles and some casual Discord conversation. But it felt good. So I went again. And that time, I met a couple of people face-to-face—no car windows, no screens. Just real humans, connecting over a shared love of something light and fun.

Since then, I’ve met more mutuals. We’re not hosting dinner parties or hanging out every weekend, but we’re building something. A friendship. A rhythm. A connection rooted in joy, not pressure. And that’s the point, right?
 Friendship doesn’t have to be grand or constant. It just has to be real.

So now, I’d like to wrap things up with some listener confessions of how they accidentally made a friend! 

These responses come from the CeeCee’s Hooligans Private Group on Facebook. 

“I was watching a streamer named ThatNerdViolet (check her out, she's hilarious and kind and adorable and everything) and she was playing a game i like (Dead By Daylight). She was the killer and through watching that, I became friends with the people she tried to kill in that game! We were friends for a few years before life happened and it's crazy to me the amount of friends I make through gaming!”

So, if today’s episode reminded you that adult friendship is weird, wonderful, and sometimes wildly inconvenient—you’re not alone.

Whether you’re building connections through Pokémon raids, awkward coffee meetups, or chaotic group chats, just know: it doesn’t have to look perfect to be real.

Friendship isn’t about constant hangouts or dinner parties—it’s about shared joy, mutual support, and showing up in whatever way you can. Even if that means sending a virtual gift or replying to a message three weeks late with, “Sorry, I meant to respond… in spirit.”

We’re all navigating different stages of life, different levels of chaos, and different emotional bandwidths. But the desire to connect? That’s universal.

So keep showing up. Keep being picky. Keep protecting your peace.
 And if you’re out there wondering whether anyone wants to be your friend—the answer is yes.
 They might just be waiting at the next Pokéstop.

That’s it for today my lovely hooligans. 

Thanks so much for stopping in and sharing this space with me today. I hope you found a sense of joy, peace or comfort from today’s episode. 

If you’d like to connect with other Hooligans like yourself, be sure to follow the CeeCee’s Shenanigans Facebook Page for a Private invite to CeeCee’s Hooligans Facebook Group where we connect beyond the soundbyte. 

You can also find us on the following socials! 

@CeeCeesShenanigans on TikTok 

@CeeCeesShenanigansPodcast on IG and Youtube. 

Until next time Hooligans! 

CeeCee, OUT!