Hi Frogger, welcome

Good advice above. Believe in yourself, trust yourself. It sounds like you know who you really are deep in there. And what those other people have to say about you is unkind, and who are they to judge!

I really like Faraway's idea to approach any of these "friends" with an opportunity for discussion, they would probably run and hide!

And you sound like a great catch of a man to me. I've got a strong & stoic type man right now, but dammit, I would really like him to show some fricken emotions!!

Good luck, keep posting