u/momotaoz

I’m an introvert and I recently started a new job. My colleagues are generally nice and friendly, but somehow I still find myself feeling a little out of place and empty at times. I think part of it is also because my department is basically a one-man show, whereas most of the other departments have more than one person in their team. So while I do interact with some people, I don’t really have that “team” feeling or someone I naturally stick with at work.

I don’t know if it’s just part of getting older, but I feel like it’s becoming harder and harder to make genuine connections with people. Sometimes even when I’m surrounded by people, whether it’s colleagues, relatives or my in-laws….I feel like most of the conversations I have are quite surface-level. We can chat and/or laugh, but somehow I still don’t feel that sense of closeness or connection, if that makes sense.

I’m an only child, and when I was younger, friendships were always very important to me. I would be the one initiating conversations, asking people out, and making the effort to build friendships. But as I’ve gotten older, I feel like I’ve become “lazy” when it comes to socialising. 😅 It’s not that I don’t want friends, I just don’t really have the energy or motivation to mingle and start from scratch anymore.

My social circle has also gotten much smaller over the years. Sometimes I’m perfectly fine with it, but other times I look around and realise… wow, I actually don’t have that many people I feel genuinely close to.

Starting a new job probably made me notice this feeling even more. Everyone is nice, but I still feel like I don’t quite belong anywhere yet.

Does anyone else feel this way as they get older? Like you still want genuine friendships and people you can really connect with, but at the same time, you just don’t have the energy to actively make new friends anymore?

Hi! I recently came across a female Bichon puppy whose estimated adult weight is around 2 kg. Both of her parents are apparently small/mini Bichons as well.
I know “mini Bichon” isn’t an official size category, so I’m a little concerned about whether being significantly smaller than the usual Bichon could come with additional health issues.
For anyone who owns a very small Bichon (around 2–3 kg as an adult), I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience:

Did they grow to the size the breeder/seller predicted?
• Have they had any health issues related to being very small?
• Any issues with hypoglycaemia, teeth, joints/knees, heart, liver, etc.?
• Were the parents also unusually small?
• Is there anything you wish you had checked or asked before bringing your Bichon home?

Not looking to judge breeders or “mini” Bichons — I’m just trying to understand the potential health considerations before making any decisions.

Thank you in advance!