I think a lot of us with this problem are great actresses, and indeed could win a grammy for our efforts, it suprises people when I share with them how I really am.

One of my fav things to do is going to the movies, you ask why? because you are in the dark, I feel totally relaxed, I am good on the telephone as well, it is all about the non-face to face stuff.

I love shopping and that is my real social event, my hubby often asks did I see anyone i know, and I say NO and thats the way I like it, I like to be amongst the crowd, anonymous.

Sirrahbed I can relate to the closing of the curtains, not answering the telephone, but that is usually just on a down day, and let us face it we all have them, but i like to close off from the world and its day to day pressures sometimes, and it helps too.

The strange thing is sometimes I am really better off in a large crowd, other times I feel better in a smaller crowd with people I know, it all depends on how I am feeling at the time, and for others this part of it , is hard to understand, even for me, and probably why hubby thought i just picked and chose my events to attend, but I didn't it all depended on how my coping mechanisms were working at the time.

PS I never knew there was such a thing as a shy American lol, just joking.