I have this thing with friends where I'm always the one asking to hang out and always the one trying to start a conversation (unless they need to rant about relationships). Is this how friendships work, and am I unreasonable in expecting things to be different? I feel like you have so many good answers to the questions of life.
that is how some friendships work but they’re not particularly good ones. you are not unreasonable in expecting things to be different. imo and in my experience friendship, like real deal friendship not just acquaintanceship or being party buds, requires just as much mutual effort as a romantic relationship. personally i think the best way to deal with the dynamic you describe is to focus on your own shit, projects, hobbies, books, whatever, etc. be kind and open to new experiences and immerse yourself in whatever you’re passionate about. focus on being the best you you can be and others will wanna be around that. if the peeps you have to chase to hang with now fall away bc you’re not always contacting them first, those either weren’t particularly real connections or they have their own tough shit going on (i’m confident you can tell the difference). if you get more involved in the things you love you’re likely to meet new people that really understand and appreciate you and are willing to put in the work to be a true friend. however it’s also sometimes useful to be like “hey, you do this thing that hurts my feelings” and have a conversation about that with a friend who you feel is maybe not being a good friend to you. i’ve had many of these talks (and been confronted in this way) and it’s tough but it brings you closer if you do your best to be patient and honest about everything. a lot of the time it seems both of you are doing kind of hurtful stuff that you only realize when you talk to each other about it. sorry for the late response best wishes xo