I still get days when I don't want to bump into people I know, but they are few. If I can sit or lean on something I am glad to stop and talk. And believe me I was never a social creature. Get it and go home was my motto.
Those seemingly little things are most often the biggest achievements of all. I've noticed that I'm coping better with actually going to certain places that I wasn't able to a few months ago, but I'm still having trouble with some social interactions. A couple of weeks ago, I was grocery shopping with my mum when I saw a good friend of mine from school. I didn't feel ready for the "bumping into a friend at the shops" situation, so I avoided her even though I'm sure it would've been fine.
I'm glad you felt more comfortable with those interactions. Pushy salespeople are so difficult and I know going back to when I first signed up the site, it would've been hard for you to say no. Well done!
I noticed when a young saleman came to the door, how nonplussed I was. He tried to create rapport and I was bored but his attempt to talk about my sports jersey. I was unimpressed with his "too good to be true" pitch that I'd get a free furnace, and ask him to leave.
Today I walked to to front, to face some new information about a summer home project, and passed my neighbour and his son-in-law.
In both cases, I used to be afraid of people, but have become engaged with the routine matters of daily living, so I don't feel the fear as I used to, and am countering those gremlins better.
I wonder if others are discovering those valuable signs, since they can't be taken for granted, and are important small steps to health.
