Short Answers / KEEPING IT SIMPLE

By Jeff Johnson and Paula Forman

Dear Short Answers:
I have several friends who have more than one email address. It’s confusing to me which address they use for which purpose so I usually just send an email to both addresses. I understand the business/personal rule that some people have.  But some of my friends have bizarre email rules like “please send anything that involves a specific date to my work address so that my assistant can enter it into my calendar.”  Or “please send anything that involves both my husband and me to our shared email address.”  Really??? I am supposed to keep track of all this nonsense???  What is the proper etiquette for this kind of thing?
Annoyed

Dear Annoyed:
Their “housekeeping” is their problem. Send one email to whatever address is handy and let them sort it out.

 

NO SURE THINGS

Dear Short Answers:
Through the last year I’ve changed a lot, I had a relationship, some great love making, a break-up and a broken heart. But now I’ve forgotten all those. I need to love and to be loved, but I don’t want to have such a relationship again! Somehow I think it might be a fear of being brokenhearted again! I want a relationship but I want to be confident that it’s going to be my last one and is going to last forever. What do I do? How do I find that?!! Is it possible? Or is it just one of those transient youth feelings?
Wishing and Hoping

Dear W&H:
Ahhh darling, we understand. Most of us want what you want but there really is no certain recipe for success — except to learn from your past and be brave about your future.

 

OLD NEWS

Dear Short Answers:
My husband of many, many years really hates my parents– and for good reason. But they are old now and I feel like he should have drawn his toe in the dirt years ago. But since he didn’t, now, just let it go! Am I wrong?
Monkey in the Middle

Dear Monkey:
This sounds long and deep. We are betting that if he could let it go, he would! If you haven’t let him know who comes first, maybe it’s time.

 

NEW RULES

Dear Short Answers:
Help!!! I sit in an open office space and one of my colleagues, who’s very sweet, sniffles loudly all day long. She seems to have allergies, so it never stops. I find it really distracting and have tried giving her tissues but she doesn’t get the hint. I can’t understand how she can be comfortable not blowing her nose — and why her mother never told her that it’s not good for you to do that. It’s like Chinese water torture. How can I tell her politely that it drives me crazy without sounding like a crazy person?
Tolerance Tested

Dear TT:
In the old world, people’s tics and personal habits were pretty much unmentionable but these are different times and require new rules. Tell her PRIVATELY, in as nice a way that you can muster, that this “habit” of hers is driving you crazy. Be gentle — she probably has no idea she is doing it. Perhaps an antihistamine would help.

 

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK
Dear Short Answers:
What do you like about your work?
Curious (Yellow)
Dear Curious:
We love our work because it is a fabulous outlet for our opinions (we have so many). And it is so much better than telling people who DIDN’T ask what to do.

Life is complicated. “Short Answers” isn’t.

Send a question about whatever is bothering you to [email protected] or go to www.shortanswers.net and a psychologist and sociologist will answer. A selection of the best questions will be printed every week in KonkLife.

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