David Eddie's Damage Control  My shyness is ruining my life
From Thursday's Globe and Mail  The question  I recently moved
into a house that is shared by five people. Four of the
housemates have been friends for years and have lived together
for three. I am the newcomer. I'm usually very shy, but I made
an effort to come out of my shell and be involved in the goings
on in the house. My efforts to be friendly weren't exactly
rebuffed, but they weren't received all that warmly either. For
the past few months, I've withdrawn more and more, and feel
increasingly isolated from the people I live with, to the point
that I find it uncomfortable to be in my own home. My shyness
has been an obstacle my whole life, and I don't want to let it
rule me any more. Any suggestions on how to reintegrate myself
into the house?  Story continues below ad  The answer  Ah, your
question brings me back to my youth - when I actually liked
people and wanted to hang out with them.  Now that I'm in my 40s
I've decided, with a few excep