>> Yes. Because of course, I've *never* tried doing that, have I? :-P
> 
>       But you don't do anything *consistantly*! You're flittering from here 
> to there like a blue-assed fly and not giving anything a chance.

I spent 6 months doing drawing classes. Not that it helped any.

After all the time, effort and money I've wasted on this, it really 
makes me angry when people tell me I'm "not trying". I've *tried* 
everything I can damned think of! I'm not doing anything now because I 
can't think of anything more to try.

> It can take months, even years to 'get to know' someone.

Well there seem to be plenty of people where I work who have been there 
only a month or two and are already best mates with just about 
everybody. But I've been there for *years*, and still nobody wants to 
know me.

> IIRC, there was a 
> lady talking about the man she now loves and is happily married to, but they 
> were friends for something like 20 years before they got together.

Well when I was at uni, most of the guys in my class were my age, and 
not married. Now all of the ones I still have data on are married. Only 
a few years later.

>> [Actually I've tried all sorts of things to "get out there" and "meet 
>> people". None of them have worked.]
> 
>     Well, sorry, but there must be something wrong with you.

Yeah, thanks. Rub it in why don't you?

Well, there are two possibilities:

1. Accept that I have an incurable brain malfunction, and thus I will 
never be able to make friends. Thus, there is no reason for me to 
continue to be alive, and I might as well die now.

2. Assume that there's some way around the problem, and I just need to 
find it.

I'm currently going with the latter...

> When I met you 
> in London, you were a bag of nerves. It seemed to me that nearly everything 
> frightened you, worried you, like you've never met *anyone* in your life. 

Guess what? I *have* almost never met anybody. And the few people I have 
met have almost all reacted very negatively to me.

Besides, I was under the impression that it's "normal" to be nervous 
when you're standing around on your own somewhere, not sure where you're 
going, surrounded by strangers. I mean, unless you're super-confident...

> That's something that you're just going to *have* to defeat because it 
> really isn't good for you.

Yeah, I had worked that one out. That's like the government saying 
"banks need to start lending money again". Doesn't fix the problem.

>     To be honest, I seriously wonder how you would be if you did get a 
> girlfriend, really.

I guess we'll never know, will we?

> Over possessive?

Perhaps.

I'm told it's a common problem for beginners and they gradually get over 
it. Of course, most "beginners" aren't 30 - more like 13...

> When she wants to go clubbing until all hours 
> of the morning, and you don't, how are going to feel and handle it?

How about I go out with somebody who actually likes the same things as 
me? Isn't that what most people do?

> I could 
> go on, there's a huge list that you just don't know about yet, but I won't 
> spoil it for you, lol. ;)

Yeah. My mum always goes to great lengths to remind me that I'd be a 
terrible boyfriend and that I should just give up, etc.

>     Honestly, get out of your mums house, just get out, out, out.

Yes, because then I'd be broke and I'd have no reason to speak to 
*anybody* ever again. I can see how that would solve all my problems.

> And don't 
> give that rubbish about not being able to afford it, you can afford a place 
> easily.

FWIW, I did actually get as far as talking to a finance advisor about 
this. The conclusion was that actually... no, I can't afford it, 
realistically.

> You just don't get it though do you. If you moved out, your life 
> *changes*, and probably dramatically, whether for good or bad, but at least 
> whichever way it goes, it will be *your* decisions in which way you go in 
> life, and nothing to do with your mum.

Have you *met* my mum?? Unless I move to, say, THE MOON, she is still 
going to control my life. Nobody can escape her... >_<

(My sister moved to Hull - do you know where Hull is? - and she still 
got harassed at least once a week.)

>    Potential Girlfriend: "Where do you live Andy?" <------- This is VERY 
> good. +1
> 
>    Andy: "At home with my Mum."  <------- This is NOT good. -1
> 
>    PG: "Oh..."  <------- This is NOT good. -1
> 
>     You see?

Actually, Kate said "oh, so do I". :-P

>    Find a place close to your works, that way, you'll save a load on fuel at 
> least.

Or, better yet, find a job somewhere nicer, that pays *actual money*, 
and then move there?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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