<p>Wow--CC seems to be a magnet for shy people! I, too, was extremely shy as a child, although I also had no problem with my few good friends. The ironic thing is that both of my kids came out of the womb as incredibly outgoing--making it very clear to me that this is a genetic trait. When I would take my son to the playground, at 3 years old, he would approach other kids' parents and ask if he could play with their kids! Although I had absolutely no interest in talking to perfect strangers, I had no choice but to talk to these parents.. The first time I took my infant daughter on an airplane--at about 4 months old--she kept smiling and trying to make eye contact with the serious-looking businessman sitting next to us until he had no choice but to pay attention to her!</p>
<p>As several of the other posters have said, I also grew out of my obvious shyness, although I am still a bit uncomfortable in social situations where I don't know people.</p>