How to Reestablish a Friendship so You Can Ask For Help with Moving
As every therapist and even this 35 year-old New York Times column says, “friendships ebb and flow.” It’s normal to come in and out of contact with people. That’s why you shouldn’t feel bad about reestablishing a friendship prior to moving, just so you can ask that person for help. Maybe moving reminded you that you haven’t talked to them in a while, but you surely would have reached out eventually. It’s better that you’re reaching out to them now rather than because of some horrible tragedy. Imagine how you’d feel if, God forbid, something terrible were to happen to them and you’d never reestablished the friendship because you were scared it was wrong to reestablish a friendship just to ask them for help with moving.
We’ve helped you justify your actions. Now here are Banana Box’s tips for reestablishing a friendship so you can ask them for help with moving.
1. Invent an Excuse to Talk to Them
Reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while by saying “hey can you help me move” is a real a-hole move. You’re not an a-hole. You’re a good person. That’s why you need to invent an excuse to talk to them that has nothing to do with moving. In fact, they can’t find out that you’re moving for a while, and especially not during this first interaction. If this person follows you on social media, make sure you don’t post anything about moving until you’ve had at least two conversations. For now, you just need a reason to reach out. Sure, you can do a simple “hey, it’s been a while how r u” but that’s fishy. They’ll smell the moving boxes on you. Be crafty. Search Google news for something you know they’re interested in, select an article from the last 48 hours and text it to them saying, “omg did u see this?!?!?!?!” or “this made me think of you lol. btw HOW R U!!!” If the last text prior to your reinitiation of contact was from them, make sure to include an “OMG HOW DID I MISS THIS” or simply send them a meme on Instagram.
2. Keep the Conversation Going
If the friend responds, congratulations. You’re in, but the battle is not yet won. Next you need to keep the conversation alive and build to a point that invites future conversation or, better yet, an IRL hang out. If the guilt of knowing you’re only talking to this person because you need their muscles, truck or both is making it hard to come up with engaging topics of conversation, don’t worry. There’s a whole website dedicated to helping people in precisely your situation. Be enthusiastic about their responses, ask more than you share, and demonstrate what seems like a genuine interest in them. At the end of this first conversation, lay the roots for the next one. Push for an in-person hang by saying something like, “Dang – I’ve really missed hanging out with you, Goat. You should come over for a Domino’s Mix and Match Deal sometime.”
3. Plant a Mine, Don’t Drop a Bomb
You’ve laid the groundwork. You’ve shown your friend that you’re interested in them and their life. You’ve paid for two medium pizzas (at just $5.99 each). At this point, only a monster would turn down the opportunity to help you move. After all, they didn’t reestablish this friendship, YOU did. This point in the interaction still requires some finesse, though. Instead of just blurting out, “Hey, wanna help me move?” opt for something a little cooler. While hanging out, pretend to get a text and perform a little stress. When they ask what’s up, which they will, say, “My landlord isn’t renewing my lease and I have to move, and my friend Billy just bailed on helping me move.” One of two things will happen next. They’ll either ask when you’re moving and say, “Can I help?” Or they’ll say, “Oh that sucks, I’m sorry.” If they don’t offer, give it a couple days then ask them for help directly. You can even pretend that they’re a last resort. If they say no, seems like you’ve bonded with a fellow human being for absolutely no reason.
Enjoy a Seamless Move with Banana Box
Banana Box will help you move and you don’t even have to pretend to be our friend. Literally all you have to do is tell us how many moving boxes and what packing materials you need, when and where to drop them off, and when you’ll be done with them. That’s all. We can even help you find some moving help that fits your budget and won’t make you listen to their hopes, dreams and other burdens of friendship. We designed our moving boxes to keep your belongings safe. Our boxes are also stackable, making packing, moving and unpacking a whole lot easier. We drop them off when you’re ready and pick them back up when you’re done, so you don’t have to worry about hauling cardboard down to the trash like a discarded friendship. Hey, we’re just giving you a hard time. Friendships ebb and flow, remember? There’s no shame in reconnecting with a friend for moving help. There’s even less shame in scheduling your move with Banana Box today.