newbie askin for help creating new friends

Fekket-cookie say, Making friends is like trying to catch a big fish: You'll catch a lot of smaller ones first.

That is, rather than hunt down people and nominate them for the complicated process of becoming your official friends, just buddy up with everybody you meet. Chat with people on the train/bus/carpool, get to know your cashiers, and so on. The odds state that at some point, one of them will turn from an aquaintance to a friend.

Unrelated: I'm wondering if I should move this thread to the 'family (and friends)' or 'general discussion' forum. It doesn't seem to belong in the 'simple life' one at all.

I think it's important to get involved in a hobby you enjoy and can do socially, so that you can meet like-minded people. I enjoy board gaming, and I've met a lot of people that way, through the board game nights I attend. You could join a hiking club, a gardening club, a new moms, club, etc - whatever is relevant to you. That way you're guaranteed to have something in common with the people you run into.

One thing I've noticed is that people who are "addicted" to their friends tend to dump on their friends. By that, I mean, they'll tell their friends about all of the gossip they've heard lately and want to tell those friends about problems in their lives, but won't just listen. I think listening is key to being a good friend, and the ability to ask someone else about themselves is a really important social skill. So when you meet someone, be genuinely curious about who they are and what they think; it makes people feel boosted when others care. That's how I've made most of my friends.

Hobbies are a great idea too.

I've found too that friends come into your life as you live it, rather than by actively seeking people out to be your friend. My hubby and I have a set of very special close friends that we have maintained a very special bond with for 30 years. We've often discussed with them what lies behind such a wonderful friendship, and there are two qualities that we believe lie at the source of it. One is absolute trust and the other is acceptance of their quirks and foibles and loving them not for what they are but for who they are.
I know it is fairly rare and very precious to have such a lifetime friendship and because we treasure it we are also careful of it. Even though we are totally ourselves and totally honest with our friends, we have always been careful about nurturing the bond between us... which means not using each other, smothering each other, or taking advantage of the friendship. and by respecting each others opinions even if they are different. It's good to be honest with friends but to season truth with grace.
I think the old adage is very true... to have a friend, you need to be a friend.