Anyone else find forced social situations difficult?

[HipChick]

So this is the third week I've been with this new company - tonight I had to attend this quarterly social they have, I know its all about networking and all that crap...but I really just wanted to grab some food,beer and run off home to watch Lost..I hate networking in this social setups - I know I need to do a better job, but I really,really hate it...

[Skittles]

1. you want I should kick your ass and teach you some social skills, HipChick?

oh wait, I hate those fucking things too

[Dr Morbius]

2. I avoid such situations with great success.

I am officially regarded as "no fun."

As the Klingons say, Q'Pla! (loosely translated, Boo-Yaa)

[Forkboy]

4. What he said.

Minus the Klingon part.

[tblue]

3. You'd find me by the potato chip bowl.

Or by the wine. Or if there are young children, I'd be hanging with them. I hate those things. People talking about nothing. And asking questions when they don't even care what the answer is. Usually a waste of time. Sometimes, tho, you find somebody with a good sense of humor to hang out with. Then, it's okay.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. I went to a company function once where they had a standup buffet...

.
...of GREAT Mexican food.
.
Was taking my OVER-FUCKING-LADEN plate to a neutral corner
where I could demolish it when I very publicly, very loudly,
very obviously stumbled and the plate went flying and landed
upside down (with almost all the food in place) with an audible
VERY wet sploosh" on the not-yet-a-week-old carpet.
.
Salsa, guacamole, sour cream, red chile and ALL.
.
Many snickers and some scattered applause.
.
NOTHIN' embarrasses me... but I was just MORTIFIED.
.
.
'Til the young woman walking by me about half-an-hour later
stopped momentarily JUST to say, "That was AWESOME!!!"
.
.
.
.
It made me realize something.
.
.
.
.
.
It HAD been awesome.
.
.
.
.
The stuff LEGENDS are made of.
.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. I try to avoid company outings

unless the venue has a bar and pool tables. Then maybe I'll go.

I do not "meet and greet" well.

:hi:

[meow2u3]

7. I've always had trouble socializing, especially in large groups

Every time I've been invited to parties--birthday, Christmas, or other social gathering, I had to go off by myself because I couldn't keep up with all the confusion and noise. This is especially because all my friends have kids (teens and tweens)--some of them with ADD or a disruptive behavior disorder--and I'm a middle-age ADDer who hasn't raised a kid. I get overstimulated, so instead of screaming my brains out, I go off somewhere alone to calm down.