I'm one of those people Rick's talking about who's learning in pretty much a vaccuum. We have a weekly session, but it's loud and ungentle. It's not a bad idea to at least learn how to play in that sort of situation, but as a relatively new player, I don't think I'm quite ready for it. Nobody seems to play much outside of the session, and when they do, it's the same music.

The fact that I knew what I was getting into when I decided to learn guitar doesn't make the current situation easier, but at least I was somewhat prepared. It would be fun to play with others, and I'm sure I'd learn a LOT faster - it definitely worked that way with fiddle. The fact is, I have to not care anything about getting feedback from people, and I have to generate my own enthusiasm for playing and not depend on that boost I get from hanging out with other players. This is the toughest part, and I hope I can keep it going long enough to get somewhere.

I can get frustrated, and ask myself "Why keep going? You're never going to get anywhere and nobody cares if you learn or not." On good days, my answer is "I play JUST because I enjoy it, and I care."