I'm the same way, myself. ^^

Actually, just a few years or so ago, I was really really antisocial. In highschool, for half a year, I sat completely by myself at lunch, kept to myself in my classes, etc. Then the next year one of my acquaintances made it to high school. We weren't really good friends (actually our older brothers were friends, so we just knew each other out of convenience at first, really), but we got along. We started talking to each other after that, and now she's still someone I can talk to about anything. She never was in any of my lunches, but her friends were. One by one, I kept meeting more and more people, and it started because of joking around. My friend and I loved to be silly and irreverent (the irreverence was a bit more on my end, though XP).

I love to laugh. I love to smile. I guess I just need to be around the right people who bring that out in me (it's always there, but sometimes it just needs a nudge).

I was still pretty awkward in my classes, though. Every now and then, someone would come up to me out of the blue and say something like "I saw you sitting alone, so I came to talk." It was a very nice gesture, but those conversations normally got kinda awkward... Like, how an average Joe adult would try to cheer up a birthday boy whose friends didn't show up to his party.

I really suck at normal conversations. =/ I don't mean debate or philosophy or anything; I'm just bad at talking about general things.

(I wouldn't say it's that weird as I've noticed I respond the same way. Well, I guess it might still be weird if I do it but at least that means it's not uncommon. I think what it is is that I'm afraid of looking like a fool so in serious class discussions I tend to just clam up and stick to the sidelines, whilst if everyone's joking around I've nothing to fear. )

I'll just add that I'm like everyone else who's commented so far, in terms of communicating with others. Especially with overlord's mention of references and jokes. =P