Ask Amy: Troubled teen’s stealing is the last straw
Dear Amy: I recently saw an old friend that I had not seen in 25 years.
While we were catching up and talking about our children, he showed me a photo of his 19-year-old daughter, whom I had never met.
I did not ask to see a photo. If she was a small child or baby, I would have responded with how adorable she was, but I do not otherwise feel comfortable commenting on a person's looks.
I did not see that she bore any resemblance to him, so I didn't say anything along those lines.
It would have been odd to respond that she looked smart or talented.
What is an acceptable response to being shown an unsolicited photo of someone?
I would have been happy to provide a little white lie if I had one in the holster, but I had nothing.
– Awkward
Dear Awkward: Your tone implies that your old friend was somehow rudely putting you on the spot in showing you a photo of his daughter.
You can easily dodge commenting on a person’s looks by asking: “Now, where was this taken?” “What is she up to?” etc. etc.
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