This section then moves to stories about what it was like for me growing up and into college where I
battled shyness, social anxiety, and social phobia. A phobia is often characterized by avoidance of the
thing that you fear. So, this might be the best way to characterize my experiences.
By avoiding what you fear, you never feel the symptoms of anxiety. So, I didn’t have sweaty palms,
racing heart, and other symptoms as I contemplated trying to meet someone or ask someone out on a date.
In this section, I do discuss two females that I dated in college and had all of one date with each person.
Section Two will move on to discussing my first love.