The Myth of Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Every once in a while, I'll hop on this website called Quora. Although I was a bit wary of it at first, wondering if it had something to do with Islam, I soon found out that it was an acronym for Question Or Answer. 
Anyway, I tend to answer more questions than I ask, and one of my most popular answers was in response to the question, "What are some gaps that homeschoolers have?" I was homeschooled for ten years, and I know several other homeschoolers and ex-homeschoolers, so I felt I was able to answer that question.
Now, if one is homeschooled correctly--at least one parent is highly involved, the curriculum is decent, and the kid spends more time actually studying than messing around on the computer--there are no, or very few, academic gaps. I mentioned this in my Quora answer, using myself as a reference. The main point of my post was that I had no idea what to do on my first date. Most of the comments were kind--"You did a good job," said one. "No one knows what to do on their first date," said another. Unfortunately, the art of talking about one's accomplishments without coming across as bragging is a difficult art indeed--one I have yet to master. And so the haters started pouring in.
"I can't believe he asked you out to begin with," one commenter said. "You're totally bragging," another said. "Try feigning interest in someone besides yourself," said yet another. And then, of course, "It sounds like your social skills are lacking in general."
Oh, for the love of God.!

This leads me to another story--one that just happened yesterday, in fact. My class of sixth- and seventh-graders is normally a bit rowdy. That's to be expected. What I wasn't so thrilled about, however, was when one of the boys started reciting a "roses-are-red" type poem that somehow ended with the technical term for part of the male anatomy. I marched him to the office, dropped him off with a worksheet, and came back to find the rest of the class red, giggling, and asking what that term meant. I explained it to them gently and quietly.
I'd say that takes social skills.
Just because I was homeschooled doesn't mean I was raised under a rock in the garden of a Tibetan monastery, without friends or wi-fi or movies rated anything other than G. Co-op met once a week, church was twice a week, and there were always the neighborhood kids to hang out with. You know what I missed out on? Bullies. Peer pressure. Perverts. School shootings.
I've interacted with dozens of homeschoolers. Some of them, yes, were a bit geeky. But the boys were still boys, playing with Legos and making things explode. The girls still loved playing with dolls and talking to each other. In fact, boys and girls played together a lot--we had a co-ed spy ring at church, and we rarely self-segregated at co-op.
And as for the guy who asked me out? I'm meeting him at Sam's Club tomorrow--it's their grand re-opening after a remodel and they have free cupcakes.
​What's your favorite way to socialize? Let me know in the comments below! God bless you, dear readers, and don't forget to Like us on Facebook