In the last week, I've had three different people tell me that they were glad to have finally gotten to dive with me, because previously they were afraid to.
Afraid to? Afraid to dive with ME? Good heavens.
But now I'm beginning to understand why I keep offering to dive with new divers and nobody takes me up on it.
Based on your postings, they see a perceived level of expectations or excellence that they don't feel they can live up to. Many of them may not have been here when you joined, watched your struggle to get a grip on this whole diving thing, and make the progress that you've done.
They are afraid that you will see them as less than perfect and no one wants to feel less than perfect in front of someone they look up to and respect.
Like it or not Lynne, you have a pretty big following here that feels that way about you and don't want to disappoint you. Just because they have that fear doesn't mean that it's warranted.