Brutal seminar type thing experience

[ZipIt12GFX]

I was blindly thrust into this situation. I had no idea what to expect. Here is the story, my mom started associating with this older couple around +70 years old that work for this business and the business was holding an "event". The event was free to get in if you were between the ages of 16 and 22 years old and the people that brought you paid. Since my mom isn't in that age range. My mom kept bothering me about going claimed they told her it would "help me set goals and better my life" (I thought I was already on a decent track being in school). I finally broke down and decided to give it a try, terrible idea with my horrendous case of SA. I assumed it would be some guy giving a speech everybody would clap every so often then go home. I found out the event was downtown in a hotel lounge, 12 HOURS, 8am-8pm and required "participation". I do not have my own car/license so they had to drive me there, no idea what I would have to say for 40-55 minutes of car ride. I surprisingly said more than I thought I would on the car ride there with only a few awkward silence instances, said a little bit about what I have going on.

We arrive at this hotel, we have an awkward introduction activity done. I was then paired up with a guy around my age that I never had seen in my life and was never comfortable enough to open up and be myself around. This guy and I were later turned in a group of six by adding four people and the instructor of this event instructed the group to point to who they wanted to be the leader, they all without hesitation pointed to the guy around my age. I felt so terrible for lacking not even the slightest outgoing personality. We later were told to share personal experiences and set random goals on the spot. My mind goes absolutely blank in these types of situations throughout the entire process I mumbled short answers every time. There were intermissions every hour and a half or so, even then people seemed to have formed their own social groups or cliques outside the lounge, none of which I fit in to, I just sat there awkwardly alone nearly every break. The entire thing was a disaster. I couldn't really focus on any of the stuff at the event helping me being so uncomfortable.

The car ride back with the old people was painfully awkward. I already used my 10-15 minutes of all the small talk I had in me on the ride there. There is a second session Sunday tomorrow at 8am-6pm FML.