Hello everyone! Glad I found this group, and hoping to find some
support and advice. Soon... I hope.

I am a 25 year old woman who really wants to make friends, but have
difficulty doing so becuase I am very shy AND I have a job that has
me working long hours (working with only three other people, so
there's no way to really make friends there either). I'm really at a
loss as to how I can improve my situation.

When I was a child, my mother was a woman who was afraid to even
leave her home without a close family member to go with her (and she
still is this way)- It's my understanding she used to be very
outgoing when she was young, but she was horribly attacked as a
young woman and never really recovered.

As I went through school I started off with lots of friends - I very
outgoing, and was told by many I was 'fun & funny, and creative'-
but by the time I hit high school, my personality was
considered 'weird, odd'. I have the distinctive "honor" of being
nominated "Most Likely to be Abducted by Aliens" in college.

I am very fortunate to have a loving family and a wonderful husband
who think I'm good just the way I am. But... I still feel
disconnected socially.

I thought perhaps the best way to go would be to start with the
Internet, since it's there 24/7. But while I'm seeking friendship,
all I seem to find are people/services for dating (I'm married and I
plan on staying that way!).

Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Similar situations? I'd
love to hear from you. Thanks for "listening"!