hello

Hi,

I'd like to introduce myself. I have never posted on the site but for the last month, am here at least once a day because so many of the issues that come up resonate with the ones I face. I also have a specific problem and it would really help to know what people here think.

I am 33, single and live at home with my mother. SA began at the age of 17 because of social problems at boarding school, my parents' divorce and other issues. I also never completed grad school because of all this. I have no friends and only meet professional acquaintances at work.

Currently I work as an editor at a childrens' book publishing firm. I got this job after a break of 7 months. Although I have had SA related problems in my workplace, work had been pretty regular until this break.

Ever since last month, the anxiety became really difficult to manage and I worked on the meditation, self-help books, thankfully landed a job, and joined a meet-up group in my neighbourhood. (First meet-up this Wednesday. Major anxiety.).

This is my specific problem:
Yesterday, I felt like looking up an old acquaintance from grad school on the web. He was only someone I ran into on and off campus a few times but considering how I felt as a student in New York, it was more than I had with most.

Although he asked for my number on one such occasion, I don't know if he ever did get in touch. This is because I left New York soon after. I was in hospital (and at the end of a relationship I was already in.) It had been 5 years more or less alone there and it just wasn't working. I quit my temporary job and came home.

From the profile of this person, I gathered that he is moving next month to my part of the world: same city (and country) for a year. Am not sure whether I should get in touch with him.

1) The gap: he is a successful author in New York. (he was trying to get published when I met him). I have described myself.

2) Don't really know him. Has been 3 and 1/2 years since I dropped out of school.

3) He already has many friends here.

What would you do?

Thanks for listening- apologies for the length of this post.