Sometimes finding ways and even reasons to hang out with your friends can be difficult in our busy lives. That's where having traditions comes in handy – they're the perfect reason to meet and hang out. As long as all people involved want each other there.
The woman whose story we're discussing today had a tradition of attending an event with her friends for nearly two decades. For the last couple of years, she wasn't so thrilled to attend it, but she still did, as her friend wanted her there and even bought her a ticket. So, when one year he didn't, she started questioning what had changed.
More info: Mumsnet
Having traditions can be a good way to maintain bonds between friends, as long as everyone wants to maintain them
Image credits: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels (not the actual photo)
A woman had a tradition of attending an event with friends, and despite not liking it that much for the last couple of years, she still went as one of the friends used to buy her a ticket
Image credits: benzoix / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Marty O’Neill / Unplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: thoonerismspread
Then, one year he suddenly didn't and she learned it through this girlfriend, which baffled her – why couldn't he tell her himself?
The post’s author has gone to an unspecified event with her friend group every year since forever. At first, it was only close friends going, but with time the group expanded – now there are around 20 people in it.
Yet, for the last 5 years or so, the OP hasn’t been enjoying it as much. Still, she went, as her friend insisted. Plus, she didn’t have to pay for the ticket herself – for the past 17 years, one of her friends used to buy it for her. It wasn’t for no reason – her birthday was close and it used to be his gift.
Buying tickets for friends can be a tricky dilemma. As this Quora thread suggests, there are many factors to consider regarding such questions – friendship dynamics, different levels of income, an event’s type and subject, to name a few.
For instance, if we’re talking about two friends, maybe both of them are interested in attending the event, but one of them can’t afford it. After all, nowadays prices of entertainment events are so high, it even has its own name “funflation.” So, the other friend decides that they can cover the price of both tickets.
In fact, the responses in this Reddit thread show that people aren’t shying away from covering the cost of two tickets, just so they can experience something together with their friends. The original poster's friend was one of those people – he just wanted to have fun with his pal.
Until this year. Interestingly, she learned he didn’t when his girlfriend told her she should buy the ticket herself before they sold out. After learning this news, she intended to ask her friend about it but didn’t. Then, a few days later his girlfriend tagged her in a post about the tickets selling out quickly.
Image credits: Drazen Zigic / Freepik (not the actual photo)
So, now the woman feels weirded out by two things – why her friend didn’t buy the ticket and why he didn’t tell her he hadn’t. After all, since he had been buying them for nearly two decades, maybe it was normal for her to expect the same thing again?
Well, him not buying the ticket she could get behind, but him not communicating it bugged her the most. Why did his girlfriend inform her instead of him?
In the Mumsnet poll about whether the woman was reasonable in her post, the majority voted that she wasn’t. Some said that she was overthinking it all. He informed her, just not by himself. Perhaps he simply felt too awkward to do it himself or wanted to silently start cutting her out from his life, no matter how old their friendship was.
Others theorized that maybe the friend got sick of the woman constantly telling them she didn’t enjoy the event so much. Why bother buying a ticket for a person who doesn’t really want to go? To this, she clarified that she hadn’t said anything to them for the last 2-3 years, so it doesn’t seem like a suitable theory.
Later, in the same comments, she provided an update. She talked with her friend and apparently, he purchased the tickets for him and his girlfriend while under the influence of alcohol. Since he wasn’t sober, he simply forgot that he always gets her the ticket. It wasn’t anything sinister – just a drunken mistake.
Both the friend and his partner wanted the OP to come to the event, so he suggested buying her a ticket once again. Therefore, we can say that the whole situation ended up being solved. Which makes us happy, because who doesn’t love a happy ending, right?
People online theorized that maybe he no longer wanted her to attend since she didn't like it, but after getting in touch, the woman clarified that it was just a drunken mistake on his part
