I Always Get Asked Why Im So Quiet

I don't mind this question as much as I used to. It's a bad question, sure, and I can't provide an answer to it that does not make me feel awkward, but I recognize that many people simply don't know how to handle a quiet person. They think maybe they're doing something wrong to prevent that person from opening up. I can at least tolerate it more than the disheartening demand to "speak up".

I've been quiet my entire life. Introversion and shyness are not the same, but lucky me, I'm encumbered by both. My instinct is not to say something unless I have something relevant to contribute, and I often feel that I don't. I respond when people address me, but I often don't take the initiative.

I [i]can[/i] be talkative, but I have to be talking about something I'm interested in and with people I care about.