What types of socialization do you enjoy?

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I do best if I either know the person well or if the situation is structured, i.e., we plan to play a certain game. I listen better than I talk.

Watching hockey
Riding bicycles (you can have interesting discussions with people, believe it or not)
Over dinner/lunch

Other than that, it's very difficult, and is difficult under any circumstance with strangers.

Being with little kids and babies; also the elderly....for some reason, I'm more at ease with folks at opposite ends of the age spectrum. I also like being with my aunt and maternal grandparents - they're sweet people who never give me any reason to be afraid of them. I like being with my dad for the same reason. Being with eccentric, creative people and other people who share one or all of my interests is great, too.

I also liked it when my stepmother's niece and nephew came to visit - they're really nice folks who love to have fun, have new and unique experiences, and they're funny without teasing (that is, saying things that I don't know whether to take seriously or not).

....Does enjoying going to animal shelters and pet stores and playing with the puppies and cats count as "socializing?"

I like a lot of interactions, its just hard to feel secure about them. If I want to socialize with people I have to be comfortable meaning my favorite thing is watching TV in my apartment with small groups of people or being in a room with a few people talking. At first I was so afraid of people and terrible at it, but over time I've learned the words and when to say them so there are a lot of days where I can really handle interacting with people.

sharing activities we both consider fun, where talking is minimal unless it's flowing well and we are laughing and i'm not having to think about what i'm going to say, and that's usually with someone i know well enough to know they won't get put off by me being wierd.

i also feel really privileged when someone is willing to tell me something deeply personal or is being very honest. it can be tiring, but i still enjoy it so much. authentic connection is so hard to come by and i feel proud to be trusted by someone. i remember with my boyfriend or husband when they would just let down that manly ego thing and admit a truth instead of blaming or hiding, when they would trust me with their secret shames or fears or just be willing to admit they didn't understand something about themselves, i loved them most.

listening to anyone who has something genuinely interesting (not just information) about a subject i like, which usually has to do with causes and conditions or concepts or the history of things, that i did not already know or hadn't put together in quite that way.

i have a hard time with straight data (dates, names, etc.) and with procedures i have to be hands on so i tend to tune that stuff right out in those conversations and just excuse myself as soon as possible.

I like to

Have chats about mutual interests
Exchange information and facts
Share jokes
Share certain activities (intimacy, tenpin bowling when its not too busy, going on day trips together, visiting museums together etc).

Sometimes I like to just BE when I am with someone. Talk. Or not. Learn something new. Or not. Share food. Something incredibly healthy or delicously decadent[ maybe a little of each]. Maybe a little wine. Share fears and pains and dreams. Make plans on how to make the world a gentler, kinder place, and accept the fact that on this day the most we can do is make a huge pot of chicken and dumplings and share it with the homeless in Denver. And do it. Laugh. Cry. Tell each other that our tired old selves are still gorgous. And believe it.. Enjoy intelligent conversations. And act like a couple of idiots. Or 85 year old crones. Or 5 year olds. Wonder together if dogs should eat mushrooms. Then look it up. But not before looking up some Miley Cyrus 'wrecking ball" parodies and researching why Michael Luther King Jr. changed his first name to Martin [and kept the Jr. part] Just being. Yeah.