In Icelandic, there is an expression "að viðra sig", using the analogy of clothes that smell of closet and the act of taking them outside to get some of that old smell out of them, that is used to describe a recluse who finally spends some time with other people.
While I don´t expect the same analogy to be used in English, is there any other idiom/expression that refers in any way to the same act/effort?
Updated
I was not as clear as I could be with the original question… The act I am trying to pinpoint is a one-off effort to socialize, rather than a permanent change from recluse to non-recluse. Using the Icelandic expression as an example, it would be used by a parent about having forced a kid who is a World of Warldcraft addict to participate in a family dinner. Again, I am not looking for an exact corresponding expression, but hoping to get as close as possible.
Note
In the comments to this question, a few expressions were mentioned but it was pointed out that they are not intended for people:
"De-mothball" – used for military equipment
"given an airing" – used for papers and ideas that are brought back into discussion after neglect
While difficult to use for my purposes, they might be useful in a different situation as long as you take into account the weirdness of referring to people in this way… so i thought I'd mention them here. Thanks to mplungjan and 'Colin Fine'
Best Answer
I'm a fan of "emerged from his/her cave." It seems to fit the concept described in the updated version of your question, of someone who is making a rare foray into society, rather than entering society on a permanent and ongoing basis.