When I first started the blog, almost 16 years ago (holy heck - tijme flies!) I had a series called "Lonely on a Friday Night." This was in the heyday of blogging and readers would live write back and forth on the post, keeping each other company.
There are still singles like me out there who don't know what to do with their Friday night. Maybe they don't like crowded bars, don't drink and drive, have a boring mate who wants to watch old movies.
Today, there's a million ways to not be lonely on a Friday night and they involve online chat. I thought I might share some TV series and movies that make you feel like you're hanging with friends -
(SHOWS)
Friends
Ensemble cast of quirky friends who go through all life's trials together.
Sex and the City
If you're a single girl, this is a group of ladies that remind you how to balance single with ambition.
How I Met Your Mother
Adorable young New Yorkers baffled by love and supporting each others point of view.
That 70s Show
Teen friends figuring out life in the 70s when freedoms were occurring by dads still ruled.
Big Bang Theory
Nerdy professionals in a prolonged adolescence.
Happy Days
Friends without cliques in the 1950s.
WKRP in Cincinnati
Workplace friendships.
(MOVIES)
Stand By Me
Nostalgic movies of pre-adolescent boys on a summer adventure.
Now and Then
Group of girls from 1970 and how they grew up to be who they are today. Nostalgic soundtrack.
The Goonies
A group of neighborhood friends have one last adventure before they must move from their recently sold town.
The Breakfast Club
An eclectic mix of teens making friendships in school detention.
The Sandlot
Nostalgic 1962. A boy new to a neighborhood joins the neighborhood baseball team and has adventures.
The Big Chill
Baby Boomers from the 60s reunite at a friend's funeral and realize the bonds they had made long ago.
Bridesmaids
A woman's life is going down the shitter, but her best friend is getting married, bringing a ragtag group of women to support the event where everything goes wrong.
St. Elmo's Fire
A 1980s classic about friends out of college trying to adult.
The Women
Great cast of women (only) in a movie about a friend whose husband cheats on her and her friends try to support her struggle to find herself.
The Secret Garden (1993)
A young orphan girls befriends a cousin and a tenant on her guardian's property as she works a piece of earth in a walled off garden.
One of my favorite things on a night alone is to do a movie marathon or put on nostalgic songs from my adolescence and sing.
Look up old chums from your school years. They are likely on Facebook or Instagram.
Follow groups on Facebook for your town and activities or things of interest, such as photography, science, recipes. There are plenty of people to meet this way and you get the time to see their commentary and get a feel for how interesting they may be.
Send virtual cards to friends. Plan a date to hang out with a friend to do putt putt golf, go for a hike, or plan a themed party to get everyone together down the road.
Learn to be okay with being alone sometimes. I know a lot of folks who are constantly out and about because they simply don't want to be in their own quiet company. Meditation, hobbies, and renovations are just some things to do on your own and get to know yourself.
In your area you might have some great meetup groups.
Check out your city's calendar of events and show up at some cool jazz festival or chili cookoff.
A nice bowl of popcorn and some buddies to make fun of bad B-movies sounds like a fun. Give MST3000 a try. It used to be my standard Friday night routine before I started doing nostalgic movie marathons.
Go outside and enjoy some skywatching. Be prepared for a possible UFO or shooting star. Get some appropriate background music like Brian Ino.
A self-care evening is a good choice after a long week. Pull out a pedicure kit, some lotion, a face mask, maybe go online and put your face on different hair colors if you're considering a change.
Be in the moment. The reason we feel lonely has more to do with lamenting where we are in our life right now. Find something that you can throw youself into that you are completely in the moment, gardening at night, rearranging a room, plotting a vacation and researching it....
The occasional lonely Friday night can be renewing. After a long week of focusing on others with your work, you're likely to need a reset. Slow down everything. Eat dinner by candlelight. Play some music that makes you feel nostalgic. Sit outside and enjoy nature. Just be sure to allow yourself to do no chores, no responsibilities, and lots of daydreams.
It might be the perfect night to check in with yourself. You won't always be lonely on a Friday night, but having that situation is a great opportunity to contemplate what you really want. Start a journal.
Remember - Lonely versus Alone. When we use the term "lonely" it's really a feeling of longing, absence. If we use the term "alone" it sounds more like a temporary choice, a logistic.
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