COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM Dear Annie: I’m 18 and a senior in high school. I have been with my boyfriend, “Mike,” for a year, and I love him more than anything. However, my friends feel differently. They find him loud and
Dear Annie: I’m 18 and a senior in high school. I have been with my boyfriend, “Mike,” for a year, and I love him more than anything. However, my friends feel differently. They find him loud and rude. Mike thinks they are immature, and he disagrees with some of their personal choices.
Mike makes an effort to get along for my sake, but my friends make it really difficult. They don’t want to be around him, and the feeling is mutual. This hurts me tremendously. And the part that really burns me is that my friends’ boyfriends treat them like dirt, yet they think I’m the one with a lousy relationship.
This is putting stress on me and often results in arguments with all of them. I plan to be with Mike for a long time, and I also want to keep my best friends. How do I do this? — Trying To Be the Glue
Dear Trying: Your friends may not accept Mike for any number of reasons, not the least of which could be jealousy and possessiveness. But someone who can’t get along with your friends may also have a few personality issues that you are purposely disregarding. Not all high school friendships survive graduation, and not all boyfriends last. Take your time. Let your friends get used to you and Mike as a couple. Ask Mike to be more tolerant of their “immaturity.” Refuse to be pressured by anyone, and you eventually will be able to decide which of these relationships are worth keeping.
Dear Annie: “Baffled Nurse in Indiana” wrote in dismay about parents allowing their children to play with tongue depressors and exam gloves. You printed several responses, one of which was from “Morris, Ill.,” who said doctors are greedy because they overschedule, making patients wait an hour or more.
As a physician who has been in practice for 23 years, there are legitimate reasons for this. I may have had an emergency or got stuck in surgery. Patients show up late and talk too much about Great-Aunt Tillie’s big toe problem. And keep in mind, if I take an extra five minutes to comfort a patient or calm a frightened child, I will give you extra time, as well. If I scheduled fewer patients, you would need to wait six months before you could make an appointment. — Frustrated Doc
Dear Doc: Thanks for weighing in. Here’s more:
From Oregon: In my 22 years of practice, I have never known a doctor to run late because of a leisurely lunch or golf game. In fact, most doctors spend their lunch (and sometimes dinner) trying to catch up. Medical care is by its nature unpredictable, so bring something to keep you (and your children) occupied.
Florida: Parents are teaching their children that if they have to wait too long, it’s someone else’s fault and so it’s OK to take gloves and tongue depressors. Those are not condiments at a fast-food place. I always brought books, paper, crayons and small toys with me when I took my children anywhere that might require a wait. And I always brought a book for myself.
Oregon: I have six children and never would have dreamed of helping myself to medical supplies in order to entertain my kids. The greatest compliment I ever received was when we flew overseas with five children under age 10. It was obvious at each plane change that the flight attendants were not looking forward to having us on board. But at the end of each flight, these same attendants complimented us on our children’s behavior.
Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd St., Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. To find out more about Annie’s Mailbox, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
