The problem in standing still

The problem in standing still

I have a superpower where, no matter where I am, I can single out the one person or group of people who watch doctor who or read graphic novels or something I can relate to. On an off day, I can narrow it down to one topic I can comfortably discuss with people I’m uncomfortable around. A lifetime of moving around has helped me get pretty good at this. When I do open up, I’m great at making friends. The problem seems to be keeping them.
The people I consider to be my best friends at this point in my life are not the people I text everyday or see often. A high school friend I see every few weeks to catch up, a former Americorps friend I send funny pictures to and swap stories with occasionally, a convention friend I talk about boys with sometimes. I don’t know how to be the friend who sees the same person everyday and still has things to talk about. Someone I know joked recently that I “collected” people. I laughed until I realized the truth in that statement. I wander around, making connections with each location, then relegating said connections to Facebook on the off chance I’ll see people again. I rarely see people again, or stay in touch. Even people I’ve known for ages surprise me or I fail to understand. I sound like a terrible person, but sometimes I don’t know how to care about the petty issues in the lives of people I pass day to day.
I love humanity, how can I not when global issues fill me with a sense of empathy that hurts? I just don’t know how to care about the individual, the person who wants to tell you all about how an article of clothing caused a massive controversy on television. I don’t understand why I don’t care, but I don’t. I want to be your friend, but I think I have friendships the way some people have loves: brief, intense, passionate, over. I don’t want to collect people so that I can say “oh, I know people there.” I want to listen to what someone has to say and actually be interested in the person, not about how being around them will benefit or influence me. Now, I’m in college. I’m stationary. I can’t run away the moment I get bored. I have to buckle down and make some friends that I can be around. Is it too late to learn?