Redheaded Jill

The introvert makes friends…

Making friends has never come easy for me. Oftentimes I’m “adopted” by extroverts, or I find someone that I have so much in common with I overshare until there’s no going back.

Well… Here’s how I made friends in law school.

Day 1, Friend 1: I walked into the lecture hall. Probably 50-60 seats? (I attended a small school.) I told myself, “I have to be outgoing just long enough to make a friend!” and I did it. I walked up to a girl sitting all alone. She was wearing bright yellow and in the second or third row from the top. I don’t know why that sticks out to me, but it does. I walked up and asked her if I could sit by her, she said yes, we introduced ourselves and bam. 1L bffs. Our names both start with R, our home states both started with K, it was meant to be.

Week 1, Friend 2: One day while sitting in a mostly empty classroom I heard a girl I had been wanting to meet telling stories about her college life. She went to a school connected to the school I attended and we had a mutual acquaintance. I briefly inserted myself into her conversation and was content with that small interaction, but after class she pulled me aside and said, “We need to talk! We have so much in common!” Turns out we did. Our dads are both preachers. We knew several of the same people. It was another instance of instant friendship.

Week 2, Friend 3: Though I was on a tight budget I spent many a Saturday crammed into a corner booth at Panera Bread with my laptop and law books as I tried to make a single bagel last me all day while I read case law and cried. (Law school is hard!) On my second Saturday the girl behind the counter said, “Do you go to _______?” And I said, “Yes.” She said, “Me too! My name is ________.” Later when she was on break we talked some more.

It just so happened that these three girls who I made friends with individually were all good friends and especially during my second semester we sat together and studied together and just generally supported one another. The biggest regret I have about not graduating was not getting to graduate with these amazing women. I did go visit them once after I dropped out and before they graduated, it was so fun. They sent me a photo of the three of them at commencement and they looked so happy. My first two friends are still practicing law, I’m not sure about my third friend. But whatever she’s doing I hope she’s happy and healthy. I have no desire to ever return to Alabama, but if I had the chance to see these girls again I would do it in a heart beat.