rainstreet
Well-known member
During the first 20 years or so of my life, I was extremely shy. I am beginning to realize just how much this affected my emotional and mental development into young adulthood and beyond. Because of my fear, I had few friends. The ones I did have were also "misfits", which is how it usually works. I refrained from involvement with peers in activities at school, church, etc... I didn't learn how to relate with others in "normal" ways. As a teenager, my limited attempts at changing this were generally disastrous. I begin to develop distinct feelings that I was very different from other kids. I learned to dread the humiliation that accompanied most attempts at social involvement. I gradually closed into myself, finding creative ways to cope with the loneliness.