Ask Amy: DNA match creates cousin confusion
What is wrong with me? Why don't I like kids?
-- M
Dear M: I don't know why you don't like kids. I don't assume that you actually dislike human children, but that you are bored by a topic that you don't see as relatable.
Perhaps if you pretended that children were dogs, you could at least feign an interest in them. Maybe not.
There is a high likelihood that I wouldn't be overly interested in your photos from your most recent travel adventure. But if you showed these photos to me, I would politely engage with you, because your travels and your pooches are important to you.
Friendship and collegiality confer a certain amount of benign politeness. You might not be overly interested in a friend or colleague's golf game, her kids' soccer score, or her grandbaby's first steps, but a nod and a smile are all that is required; then you can go back to your office.
Dear Amy: Thank you, thank you for your response to "Tightrope Walker," whose co-worker had survived a suicide attempt.
Yes, after a crisis, it is such a relief to interact with people in a "normal" capacity. Not directly addressing the crisis isn't being in denial. It is demonstrating that you see the survivor as more than their illness.
-- Been There
Dear Been There: Re-entry is so hard after a personal crisis. Thank you for your wisdom.
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(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)
