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<\/a>\nI am socially awkward. I have always been this way. I can recall my first day of kindergarten, sitting on the mat in a circle as we each took a turn introducing ourselves. I can also recall my anxiety rising as my turn approached. When it was finally my turn I froze. My teacher had to introduce me.\n\nI remember hearing people say, \u201coh Lori, she\u2019s so shy\u201d. The thing is, I am not shy. I have just\u00a0always\u00a0struggled with the introduction.\u00a0The introduction is a complex social mechanism. There are precise elements to\u00a0it (ie. the timing, location, register). The introduction should not be so complicated.\n\nAt the beginning of September, as I embarked on this marathon of studies, I asked myself how I would remedy my social malfunction. I decided that I would have to work on my introductions. I started by making a commitment to say \u201chi\u201d to the people in my classes. However, I found that once I started introducing myself I couldn\u2019t stop.\n\nThe results of my new little social experiment are promising. I met more people in the\u00a0first month of school than I had in the past year. Near the middle of the fall term, I approached a person I saw on campus frequently and introduced myself. Not surprisingly, they had also seen me around campus too. You know that person? The one you see every Tuesday, in between classes, walking up St. George or across the back field. You may or may not make eye contact. You may or may not be wondering if they also find it odd that you always see them on campus.\n\nIs it a coincidence? Do you subscribe to the notion that coincidences are opportunities disguised as chance? If so, you might also try saying Hi to them. What I have discovered is that most people are feeling exactly what I was feeling. In fact, this anonymous person I used to see everywhere, is now a good friend of mine!\n\nIn the fall, I attended a leadership seminar offered by