ArcaMax

I remember picking up my first campaign check from the P.O. box I had rented. I knew the name: a gruff older man in the community who had stopped me at a social function to ask if I was indeed running for office. Now I held his writing in my hands, a small bid for support in a realm I had very little experience in.

There's energy in that ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a best friend whom I love dearly, and we have been close for years. She is funny, generous and has been there for me during some difficult times. But lately I have noticed a pattern that is starting to wear on me.

Whenever I try to tell her something about my life, she interrupts before I can finish and somehow turns the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a single woman in a friendly neighborhood. Every month, I have the neighbors over for dinner and a movie. I like to be inclusive -- bring the kids, bring the dogs! One couple recently had their elderly mom move in, and I installed a ramp so she could join us. Babies cry, dogs bark, women breastfeed, but all are welcome. I put ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I moved away from my small town in Ohio to go to fashion school in New York City. When I was out and about, a girl stopped me at the train station and asked me who I was. When I confirmed my name, she exclaimed that we went to school together and she graduated a few years before me. We chitchatted for a bit about how we've been ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm turning 30 and decided this would be a great age to throw a birthday party. My long-term partner recently left me, and I really want to show my friends how much I appreciate them being in my life.

When I've gone to events after COVID, I've noticed they have a lot less structure and are overall less formal. While I do want...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband has recently become obsessed with Twitter. He spends hours a day on his computer away from his family. I've supported this unusual hobby until recently.

I noticed he and another female Tweeter calling each other "besties," and they have cute nicknames for each other. I confronted my husband about it, and he told me that...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a man in my 40s. A woman and I had a relationship that ended badly. We met on the job, though we work in different departments. Everyone knows about our previous relationship, and it is extremely awkward. Every time I walk by, there are lots of smiles and chattering; when I approach my co-workers' desks, I'm greeted with silence ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter is going through a lot of drama with her post-grad roommate, and I don't know how to help her. My daughter has gone above and beyond to help her roommate adjust to living in Los Angeles. My daughter introduced her roommate to many of her friends and has helped her feel more confident. Recently, the roommate got sick, ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Starting about 1 p.m., my next-door neighbors began a very loud party. It was Saturday afternoon, and I've been on the other side of "too much noise" complaints myself once or twice, so I decided to be tolerant.

After several hours of very loud, pounding music that necessitated closing my windows so that I could hear my TV, I...Read more

Dear Annie: My entire extended family is in a group chat together. Sometimes it's fun, and sometimes it's useful, but most of the time it's just noisy. The worst offender is my cousin "Daniel." At least once a week, he sends political rants, tweets and reels to the chat. It's wearing on everyone, especially my mom's side of the family, which ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A dear friend of 10 years experienced a severe mental health crisis. I did my best to reach out to her, but she pushed me away and flaked on plans and important events at the last minute at least a dozen times. Once her mental health began to improve, I approached her and told her I understood her behavior had been largely out of her ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Over the years, I have become extremely specific with my scheduling, which encouraged me to also become extremely efficient at work. I try to get all my work done within work hours. I generally leave work at 5 p.m. on the dot. I am not doing essential or life-saving work, so I no longer feel the need to overextend myself by ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am flummoxed. On two separate occasions, I have offered to host a birthday party for a friend. They were both enthusiastically receptive to my offer.

In each case, I asked for their guest list with email addresses to send e-vites to their invitees. I also asked each birthday girl for any favorite appetizers or beverages, so...Read more

Dear Annie: I have two sisters, and one of them, "Joanie," tragically passed away from cancer last year. It's obviously been hard, but what's making it harder is my remaining sister. She has always been competitive. And she has somehow turned even grief into a competition.

For example, a few weeks ago I mentioned I hadn't slept the night ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband (80) and I (72) have been married 25 years. This is the second marriage for both of us. Until three years ago, I felt I had a wonderful relationship with his family, so it's hard to deal with what he's done to me and my relationships with them.

A new daughter-in-law, "Jean," who has a granddaughter, "Sophie," has fostered ...Read more