Socially Retarded

I've known for quite a while that I'm pretty retarded when it comes to social situations/behaviors. I don't know how to interact with other people - I don't know common social etiquette.

I like most people and I prefer to generally give people the benefit of the doubt. But I think that I come off as a jerk a lot when I'm just not sure how I'm supposed to act or what to say - so I don't do or say anything and I avoid looking directly at people.

Sometimes I'm in a good mood - my self-confidence is up or something and I'm able to interact somewhat normally with people (strangers, etc) in social situations. But I'll still get paranoid about doing or saying the wrong thing.

This doesn't happen so much with relatives and friends I've known for a long time, but I often act rather distant even with these people.

I've been in Wyoming for a few weeks now and I don't get any reception with my cell phone. I knew that people were likely trying to call me, but I didn't check my messages until today and it seems that a few people are a bit concerned about me. I still haven't called them back. I'm not trying to avoid them, I'm just not good at keeping in touch with people I guess.

It's normal for me to go for months without speaking to members of my immediate family - not because we are at odds or anything, just because none of us are very good at keeping in touch.

I guess my advice to these people is to email me - I check my email pretty much every day and I find it easier to communicate through email than over the phone.