Out and About

I'm currently at a work conference on museums and the web... I have never been to a museum conference with so many hip-like people or so many twitterers. Kinda weird and intimidating. At first, I felt like I had forgotten all social skills learned in my 28 years... I was shy and certain that people thought I was silly or uncool or awkward. And then I remembered that I'm not in seventh grade anymore and that I'm a frikkin' professional at this with just as much insight as anybody else.

It's quite amazing how deep childhood insecurities go and how they can creep up... How the social mores of our past continue to shape our interactions in unfamiliar settings. Because I was awkward and weird growing up, I was bullied. What I always forget when I close up and get insecure is that the bullying happened because I challenged and subverted the conservative culture that my fellow students lived in and agreed with... and cause I was a geek, I'll admit it. As an adult in the field I'm in, those things are actually often valued and applauded. It's better to be weird here than not. And, as I reminded myself when I got all squidgy, in the end it's better just to get yourself out there instead of wandering around being hard on yourself...

I really think that this week has proven how complacent I've gotten about socializing. I have great friends, but perhaps volunteering or taking a class will help me get back into the "talking to strangers" game. For some peole this has always come naturally, but for me, even though I'm gregarious and energetic, it's a bit harder. I guess practice makes perfect!

Anybody else out there experience this or am I just in need I a lot more therapy?