Author Archives: Tough Talk: An Advice Column

Tough Talk, My best friend has just gotten over a tumultuous relationship with her boyfriend. They moved in together and were preparing the wedding when she discovered that he was on line trying to meet other women. He begged her forgiveness. She forgave him and caught him doing it again, three more times. She kickedContinue reading “March 10, 2021”

Tough Talk, I have a two chronic diseases that keep me in the house and in bed some days due to the extreme pain that I am in. Some times I can barely move and the prognosis is not good. I have two to five years left depending on which doctor I speak to. MyContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 9, 2021”

Tough Talk, I was divorced several years ago and dated a lot after that but never seemed to meet the right person . . . until now. We have dated for almost a year and are thinking about tying the knot. The problem is her son who is a young teenager. I understand that itContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 8, 2021”

TT, I have a neighbor who is friendly and seems to be a decent guy. But he borrowed a pair of clippers and won’t return them after repeated requests. I always thought he was a cool guy, but one time I saw him laughing at me in a really condescending way. Maybe I was wrongContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 5, 2021”

Tough Talk, My wife and I have recently started taking yoga. We really love our teacher who is a Vedic Master and our fellow students. They are kind, decent and compassionate (unless you drag a 20 dollar bill between them – but that’s another story). However, my wife can’t go five minutes without getting upContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 4, 2021”

TT, My husband and I have three children and we love them dearly. Our youngest girl has returned home after losing her job last March. She likes to be home and at first we loved it. But she seems to be putting off looking for work and is also been getting surly, as if we’veContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 3, 2021”

TT, My friend Thelma is feisty, fun and bubbly. She is there in a pinch and would give you the shirt off your back. I love her like a sister. But she can be very superior if she thinks you’ve done something wrong and will spend a lot of time going over your failings. AndContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 2, 2021”

Tough Talk, My husband and I have lived in the same home for more than 40 years. We have had several neighbors over the years. A couple years ago a gay couple moved across the street. We have always been pleasant and defended them when they were attacked by other neighbors. Things settled down andContinue reading “Today’s Column: March 1, 2021”

Tough Talk, I have been dating a wonderful man for a couple of years now. He is kind, handsome, gentle to a fault and very much in touch with his feelings. I enjoy our walks on the beach together. He has a good career and I like his friends and family too. Everything is goingContinue reading “Today’s Column: February 26, 2021”

Tough Talk, My 79 year-old Aunt “Betsy” wants to have her entire family over for her eightieth birthday. Bless her heart, she wants to make all our favorite meals and a little catering too, for almost 30 people. However, she is from another generation and does not like all these new fangled devices like smartContinue reading “Today’s Column: February 25, 2021”