An Odd Reason People Don’t Invite You or Reach Out

One that has nothing to do with you at all

Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

I’m always the one asking

Each week I reach out to a particular friend to join me for a weekly practice— the kind that is best if you bring a partner. I would only go if I had someone there who I enjoyed working with, so every Wednesday, I reach out to see if he is going. He traveled often so I always confirmed first.

Then I got injured.

Alas, life would have to wait until I was healed. I distracted myself with other things for the six weeks it took to recover.

The week I was ready to resume the practices, I picked up my phone to message my friend to see if he was going — and then it hit me.

Every week for the past three months, I was the one reaching out to him. He never invited me to join him or checked to see if I was going to these practices.

I was the only one initiating contact.

And when I suddenly disappeared for 6 weeks, I didn’t hear a word from him.

I didn’t realize just how one-sided this friendship was.

Or was it?

I clearly demonstrated that I valued spending time with him and wanted to work with him at…