DEAR ABBY: Due to medical problems, I have a large raised scar on my chest. As a teen I used to be really self-conscious about it, but I decided that practically wearing a habit to cover it up is not fair to me.
I get lots of stares, which I don't mind so much when it is a child. One little girl came over, touched it, and asked her mother what it was. It made me smile.
My problem is with teenagers and adults. I would have hoped that by then people would know that staring is not only rude, but uncomfortable for me. Short of wearing nothing but turtlenecks, how do I inform people that I'd prefer to talk to them rather than their forehead? -- TIRED OF THE STARING
DEAR TIRED: When people of any age see something unusual, whether it's a piece of jewelry, a dog dressed like a child, a scar, etc., they are curious, and so they look. If their fascination with your scar has distracted someone from the conversation, tell the person you have noticed it and that the staring makes you uncomfortable. It's either that or ... you already know the rest.