How do you make friends?

I know this sounds like a silly question but I feel like ever since I became a hermit I forgot how to make friends. I'm sort of scared of crowds of people, besides otaku folk at conventions. It's hard for me to go up to people because I'm so weird and awkward. Is it useless? What should I even say to people? Anime is all I know... but I can also be really random. I like cats, guys. I sometimes go around stealing them when I see them in my yard and around the neighborhood. Thanks in advance!

uh, i dont think you should be stealing cats!~ >< just be friendly i guess! just talk to people at anime-conventions and stuff. maybe we could be friends! :P

But I don't have many options! They're so cute and stuff, guys. Oh no, I don't really have a problem with making friends at conventions but I think I find myself in checkmate when I'm outside of my element. Haha, sorry mate, I don't really know what being friendly means... Is it, being nice? or is there more? I'm kind of a hikkikomori. Sure let's be friends, guys! Friends are nice! It seems so easy to do on the internets and conventions but people seem so intimidating. Thanks for the advice, Jessie-chan-san-sama-kun! I'm Xing.

I go up to people and talk to them, if they carry their end of the conversation, it makes me a little happier. If they talk to me, it's great, because then it's not one-sided at all! :3 If someone doesn't want to talk, well c'est la vie, you move on, but if anything, don't be afraid to talk to people :)

I feel ya bro, but mines the other way around... I can talk to people, but I think since I hid my love for anime and all that. It makes it harder for me to talk to otaku people over other's I just met when I go out and do my normal life stuff. Yeah I'm kinda random as I'm sure you can tell. It's to a point I would like to find a women in my area that likes the same things as I do.

I've had a similar problem since I moved a few months ago. I get busy with my job, but I don't want to surround myself with acquaintances from the military...kinda been part of that whole military brat lifestyle my whole life. Anyway, I volunteered and met a friend (we'll call him Greg) who was outgoing and understanding to my situation of being the new guy in town. See, Greg was in the same situation, just getting settled down at a nearby church where he got a job as assistant pastor. Weeks passed and Greg introduced me to his friends from seminary school, and now I got peeps! I'm hoping to volunteer at some cons or just hang out and meet some fellow anime lovers in the nearby future. If all else fails, I am glad to have found this forum as a connection to other otakus as sort of an outlet for my anime geekiness.