I am shy.  I think a lot of people have some degree of shyness, but for some of us, it can be crippling. Now that I am older, I am much more relaxed and comfortable in the world, and I am not nearly as uptight as I used to be. I am much more able to see myself and where I fit in, in a more objective, big-picture type of context.   

However, when I was younger, I struggled with extreme anxiety when faced with new situations, meeting new people, participating in activities involving people I didn’t know well, in fact many of the social situations we have to deal with every day.  Even struggling to fit into a crowded subway car was difficult.  

I like people, but it takes me time to relax around people I have never met before.  I need to get to know people before I can open up.  Social gatherings always found me sittin