[MiddlePathWalker]

I'm a social isolate or not far off of being one. I belong to a church, I volunteer at the local hospital one or two mornings a week, and for five months out of the year, every Saturday morning, I operate a vendor table at the farmers market selling baked goods......that I myself bake.

That's it for social contact. OK, those venues are manageable for me, I understand how the social rules work, I feel reasonably comfortable there and I believe that I actually belong there. But not really anywhere else.

Belonging is an issue for me, actually believing that I belong somewhere and that I'm not an unwelcome intruder that doesn't have the sense to just not show up.....

I think I'm reasonably bright; I can manage personal grooming, I think I'm reasonably articulate verbally......but I simply seem unable to enjoy social company and I'm clueless at how to pursue personal relationships.
So I'm alone....a lot. I'm not happy as things are, although I'm not desperate either.....

The notion of trying to fit in somewhere is intimidating......I can only imagine myself as an awkward misfit, but I do not care to keep existing along like I have been..

 

[Blue Dino]

I can relate for a long time. Eventually I just become content with having any socializing and just settled on that. I haven't found myself feeling a belonging to anywhere and any social cliques. Even when I do, they last a very short time. So far I've felt happier this way instead of stressing about wanting to fit in. But living this way for me, it's likely going to cause problems down the road because I often get stigmatized for being "alone". Eventually that stigma will catch up to me.

 

[MiddlePathWalker]

Thank you, Blue Dino for your reply. I agree with the stigma catching up notion. I think that humans are hard wired to require some meaningful social connections, but for some of us (me for instance, maybe you too) finding the right fit with the right people to the right degree in the right venue is a tricky thing to get right.....