ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: Is it vain to dream of fame? For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of the glitz and glam synonymous with fame. The paparazzi, fans, money and endless opportunities entice me. I thought I would've outgrown this by college; however, I feel like my hunger and desire have only grown. I have started enacting plans to reach the...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a college student at a small, private art school, and work part-time at the school's reception desk, receiving and directing phone calls and visitors. When dealing with rude and polite callers alike, I greet them with a pleasant tone and promptly answer their questions to the best of my ability.

What concerns me are the ...Read more

Dear Annie: In response to all the working mothers who are weighed down by guilt, I'd like to share my experience.

I am 75 years old, and when I was growing up, my mother worked from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. I usually came home from school around 3:30 or 4, and my memories of that time are nothing but warm.

Before leaving for work, my mother made ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After nearly 18 years of marriage, I left my wife. Our daughters were 10 and 12. We had married quickly, and only later did I realize how deeply judgmental her "born-again" beliefs were -- so much so that she gradually cut off my entire side of the family. I tried for years to reason with her, to no avail, and we divorced. What I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My younger sister admitted to me that she is jealous of me and has spent her whole life trying to live up to my name. I will admit that I have been successful in life, but not without hard work. I create documentaries and have been able to travel all around the world for them. My sister works a regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My summer internship went great and I've been hired! But I'm afraid I'm going to ruin it because my boss takes new hires out to lunch at her exclusive club. I had to buy a tie, which is fine, but I just know I'll use the wrong fork. Help!

GENTLE READER: Only if you promise never again to use that meaningless cliche about the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 22, working full time in the city, and recently started dating a guy I met through a mutual friend. We've only been seeing each other for about a month, and he really is a sweetheart. The problem is, the more I get to know him, the more I wonder whether we are simply in very different places in life.

He is in his late 20s, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My middle-aged son is on the autism spectrum and has recently come back home to live with us. He left home at 19 and has always had roommates. We didn't realize that he had autism until about a year ago.

We like having him here but are having a difficult time adjusting. My son has agreed to help with bills and contribute toward ...Read more

At the gym, my trainer told me he was going to a trainers' conference in Austin. He worried that he might be both the shortest and weakest person there. I told him, "That's the room you want to be in."

It's a trope in the motivation and hustle circles that you should be finding the rooms in which you are surrounded by those who are where you ...Read more

Dear Annie: For as long as I can remember, my mother has been extremely generous with gifts, sometimes to the point of being over the top. My sister and I have always thanked her, while also telling her she doesn't need to fill our cars with presents for birthdays and holidays. Still, she continues.

Lately, though, her gift giving has started...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My best friend and I got pregnant, each with our first child, with our due dates a week apart. We felt blessed to be going through this amazing experience at the same time. Our babies are now 2 months old. I am adjusting well to motherhood. I feel it's coming naturally to me.

My friend is having the opposite experience. Ever since ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Last week, I surprised a friend of mine on her birthday because I hadn't heard from her in a couple of months. I am so glad I showed up when I did, because it seems like she needed some love. I tried to conceal my shock, but upon entry to her apartment, it was complete chaos -- clothes, groceries, empty food containers, dishes ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I received a birthday card from a newish friend in the neighborhood. The card was unsolicited, though the giver had previously asked whether a party I was throwing had something to do with my birthday, and I admitted that it did happen to fall on that day.

The card had a few scratch-off lottery tickets in it. My family ...Read more

Dear Annie: I know I am stuck in the "old ways," but I am trying to adapt to changing times. It is becoming very common for couples to live together before marriage.

While I have come to accept traditional and extravagant weddings as an occasion to finally declare their commitment before church and family, what I still struggle with are the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been seeing "Brad" for nine months. We both have children of our own. He has a daughter, and I have a son. The little girl is a few months older than my 7-year-old son. I can see myself having a family with Brad.

However, one of my biggest pet peeves is when children use baby talk. Brad's daughter seems to be doing it more and ...Read more