Oh yes, the dreaded socializing. Because my friend moved to a different school, I had a hard time doing that for a while because everyone else didn't seem interested in the things I was interested in. It was a horrible time. But luckily, middle school meant more people/more opportunities (which can be bad/good depending on how you look at it), and I ended up actually making friends! :) How about you, Celine?

When you're homeschooled but still have to interact with people you don't relate to at family gatherings/in everyday life--

I need a T-shirt that says something like "I'd rather be reading," or "Leave me alone, I'm listening to my music."

ALSO. Why is it that introverts are always told; "you should talk more, get out of your comfort zone!" but extroverts aren't told to; "talk less, make the zone more comfortable?"

And what sucks is when people around me pretend to be shy and quiet and use these tiny baby voices to pretend to be shy--like, just because we're introverts doesn't mean we talk in teeny baby voices. I have a fake friend (she's...a little toxic. long story) that does this all the time and it drives me nuts--because she's not shy at all. mostly pretends to be (i know this is the case because i used to be very close with her).

I'm homeschooled, so I'm very introverted. But, just becuase I'm introverted doesn't mean I'm shy all the time. For example, lately I've been able to socialize more at choir. My tip is just choose one person that seems nice, and talk with them, and if they don't seem into it, thqt's ok! Find someone else! Since I started with one person, I found it easier to make more friends. But also I often spend breaks reading. So, yeah, I definetly relate. I've had many awkward moments, and sometimes I just feel like I'm not friendly enough, or can't find the right thing to say, or am constantly apologizing for things that don't need to be apologizing for. That's one of the things I like about the CB: everyone's so nice, and you can actually think about what you want to say and not worry about people judging you for taking so long to answer. Anyway, gtg! 

ooohhh yeah. socializing. definitely not my strong suit. i get pretty worried about what people think of me and am therefore pretty bad at basic conversation. i also recently realized that i have different personalities in most situations? at home, at school, at dance, even in specific classes i act differently to fit in better with the people around me so i've been working on that a little recently trying to be more of myself at school. also, i have a lot of trouble..connecting with people i guess? my friends will complain about things or be excited about things and sometimes i just can't seem genuinely sad or happy for them. it just all feels fake. well at least there's a tv character with a similar issue on my favorite show ever and he's starting to improve a little (?) three seasons in so maybe there's hope for me too :D 

socializing is hard for me. because i 

A: assume relationships are closer than they are

B: put way too much work into every interaction i'm in, which exhausts me, and whoever i'm interacting with 

C: act like a jerk sometimes without meaning to

fortunately i have friends, so i don't really need to start new relationships. i wish i could though, 

I think socializing really depends on who you're socializing with. Like, if you're talking to your kind old Granny Atkinson whom you've known since you were born and who bakes you cookies, that's socializing! But it's easy; you know how to do it, because you're used to it. But if you're standing in front of your ~crush~ and He or She is looking at you and you're feeling extremely nervous and you really want to seem poised but it's not working and aaaahhhhhh this person is so cute and is rendering it impossible to function, it's going to be a lot harder...

Anyway, in ordinary circumstances (just talking to people at school, in other words)... my advice would be to try to make the other person comfortable. Just be polite and kind (although not to the extent that you're not being honest). You can start by mentioning something that you both have in common, like "What did you think of the project Mrs. So-and-so gave us to work on?" There aren't really any other rules. And smile! That helps a lot. And remember, if you do all this and the other person just looks terrified and stares fixedly at a smartphone, it's not your fault! You've done nothing wrong, it's the other person who is unsure how to socialize.

If you need further tips, reading books where people are skilled at socializing is a great way to see how to do it in action! In a lot of novels, the characters spend half their time either being rude or being scared to death of socializing, but there are lots of other books where the characters are just confident, friendly people. Elizabeth Enright books (the Melendy Quartet series and Gone-Away Lake) are wonderful in this regard. Edward Eager's fantasy novels are also good for seeing how people get to know each other and strike up conversations (aside from being amazing in their own right, with amazing characters and intriguing plots and -- okay, you've probably heard me wax lyrical about Eager before, so I won't bore you all to death again).

That said, it can be difficult to actually form a connection with others... But it definitely can be done if you just keep at it, and it's usually very worthwhile. I hope all this helps!