If you're socially awkward, how did you meet your OH?

[MinnesotaViking]

I find socialising really difficult if I don't know the person well. I was selectively mute as a child and I can stutter with nerves if I have to talk to someone I don't know. I also shake so usually drop things or knock things over if I'm out in public.

I am so lonely. I have a cat but I want a boyfriend and eventually children. I just have no clue how to get one.

I downloaded Tinder but looking at all of the photos really just freaked me out. I don't even have anything interesting to type let alone say on a date. I think it would take me a lot of courage to go on an actual date.

I don't know how to fix myself.

I tried online dating. Terrified me.

I met dp in my best friends kitchen.

He was her bil. He was getting divorced and relocated back to his home town (no kids). I walked in and ignored him. Didnt even notice him, best friend pointed him. I stuttered hi and went into her room.

We were going for a night out, I had a glass if wine. He made small talk, I just nodded along. As I was leaving he made a joke and smiled and I was smitten.

Totally put it out of my head and knew nothing would come of it and had my night out.

We got to know eachother and now been together 2.5 years. I love the bones of him. It helps that he didnt mind me taking the lead a bit.

We got to know each other whilst literally "walking the streets" as special constables at the local police station. 35 years on and still happily together.

There's no way I could ever socialise and meet people the normal way in pubs & clubs etc and I never went to parties, so it was always going to be at work or some kind of voluntary activity that I met people.

I'm a very "one to one" person, so happy enough to chat and make friends that way, but as soon as I'm in a group situation or with, say, 2 other people, I turn into a gibbering wreck if I contribute, so usually just stay mute and let them get on with it.

Online dating for me! EHarmony, it's expensive and you have to answer a load of questions and it takes a while (I was so nervous it took me a week to finish it as I didn't know what to write).
I got matched with a guy and you go through guided communication so you get to pick questions to send and they send you some. We exchanged numbers and decided to meet up after 2 weeks of chatting.
We met and I was very awkward, didn't know what to say, but he was the same. The good thing about E Harmony is that they match you with people with similar interests so we always found something to talk about.
5 years later we are still happy and he still gives me butterflies!! We live together and welcomed a son in 2017.
There is someone out there for everyone and I never thought I would try online dating but I'm so happy I fought my nerves and did it.
He was my first ever internet date and I was his second!!
Good luck x

At work, so just normal work chat to start with.

At university, got to know him as a friend first.

In a coffee shop. Have only ever dated people who randomly approached me in public. Not sure why, but I’m quite awkward and don’t have much of a social life.

Online, but it wasn't online dating. We got chatting on a forum and became online friends. After a long time he persuaded me to meet in 'real life' and we real life friends for a bit before we realised we were more than just good friends!

Thank you

DH is my DBros oldest friend (over a decade) Who is also socially awkward.

We’d met a few times at BBQs and such (I left my hometown as a teenager and only pop back three times a year), he was the quiet boy sat by the fire pit and I was the one hiding behind the shed away from everyone having a sneaky smoke and staring longingly at the quiet boy

Anyhoo, DBro buggered off abroad to live and suggested (to us both, separately) that we “hang out”.

When DC were at ExDPs I invited him over for “Netflix and shut up, no small talk required except to discuss what we’re ordering from Deliveroo”

I had been single for a very long time, I’m introverted, I was a Masters student so broke as fuck (now a PhD student - I’m 36), I have DC, I have Inattentive ADD and Aspergers and was genuinely fine with being single pretty much forever and was happy to just make a new friend who was happy to join me in binge watching TV when DCs weren’t around.

Only went and fell in love like a twat

I have social anxieties and I wouldn't of met anybody by going out and I met my dh on 1st day of new job, we got chatting over course of around 18 months and I asked him out, he said yes and we've been married since Sept 2017, will be 4 years together in November and he's a lovely kind man

We met through friends at university (my flatmate dared his flatmate). Didn't get together then as we both had different partners. Got to know each other years later when I joined dps martial arts class.