Rob Lawless has more friends than you’ll ever have. In fact, it’s actually his job to hang out with them.
Lawless, a Philadelphia resident and Pennsylvania State University graduate, created his project Robs10KFriends after he realized the need for connection when he moved to an unfamiliar city: “I wanted to recapture the feeling of familiarity I had with those around me at Penn State and wanted a personal goal to work towards after graduation.”
He chose 10 thousand people to meet for one hour each, based on Malcolm Gladwell’s 10 thousand hours theory which states that after 10 thousand hours of mastering something one becomes an expert at it. Lawless has been doing this since 2015, and he’s met almost 1,500 people so far. He hopes to complete the project in the next 10 to 15 years, but he’s in no rush: “It’s not something that I have a timeline for, it’s just something I want to complete in my lifetime.”
The project has opened to him up to new activities that he ordinarily would not come across. Some days he grabs coffee with his new friends, other days he has unusual experiences like surfing, meditating, giving blood and palm reading. He moved to Los Angeles for the summer and there toured Warner Brothers studio. He’s also seen a performance of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and Times Square from the rooftop of a music studio. Recently, he spent time at Dia Doce, where he hung out with WCU student Emily Hunsberger.
Lawless believes that the West Chester community of friends is just emerging: “It’s a new circle that’s emerging. Often times if I meet someone in one circle, that network will grow, and I think that’s starting to happen with West Chester.”
He had nothing but good things to say about the town of West Chester, which reminded him of State College: “The town itself reminds me of a smaller version of State, everything’s local and everyone knows about it.”
Lawless has met other West Chester students such as Nate Henty and Joyce Kong. He believes that this project has impacted the Philadelphia community for the better.
“It’s made people more aware of each other and people can learn about others that occupy the same spaces that they do. It ties a constant thread through different people. In the future, I’d like to make more realistic bonds through reunions.”
Lawless finances this project through sponsorship. This month, his project is being sponsored by Muttropolitan, a Philly pet sitting company.
To be part of this project and to meet Lawless, visit his website for more information or email him at robs10kfriends@gmail.com
Amanda Saleh is a fourth-year student majoring in communication studies with minors in journalism and Arabic. She can be reached at AS821872@wcupa.edu.