life

Neighborhood Flasher Gives Woman Good Cause to Pause

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 24th, 2005 | Letter 1 of 4

DEAR ABBY: I am 62 and my husband is 93. Our next-door neighbor, "Sam," likes to expose himself. Other than that, he's a good neighbor and always ready to help out.

One day, a couple of my women friends were over visiting, and Sam stood in his doorway naked as a jaybird, waving at them. Maybe he thinks it pays to advertise. Mostly, he does this when my husband has gone inside the house.

His behavior worries me. If anything should happen to my husband, do you think Sam would try to force himself on me? Could he attack me and try to rape or murder me, or is he just a nice guy who likes to expose himself, and not the least bit dangerous?

I don't want to be a bad neighbor, and I don't want my name revealed, but this neighbor is really making me uneasy. Should I report what he's been doing to the police? -- SCARED IN HAWAII

DEAR SCARED: Listen to your intuition -- it's the impulse that made you write to me. It is an alarm bell. I don't know your neighbor, so I can't predict whether he's a rapist in the making. However, I DO know that his behavior is deviant and highly inappropriate -- and for that reason, the police should be notified. Immediately!

life

Dear Abby for August 24, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 24th, 2005 | Letter 2 of 4

DEAR ABBY: My sister, "Emily," became engaged last week. She is planning her wedding, which will take place next year.

Emily's choice of a wedding date is causing a lot of hurt feelings among our family. She wants to be married on what would have been our father's birthday.

Daddy passed away while we were young, and it has been hard on the family. A lot of us feel she's being selfish to choose a day that belongs to our father and make it her own. Emily insists that she's trying to honor Daddy -- although some of her other actions suggest that she's acting out of spite for the rest of us. A lot of the family are saying they don't want to attend.

I would hate to see my sister heartbroken on her wedding day, but do you find her choice of date appropriate or selfish? -- ASKANCE IN SOUTHERN CALIF.

DEAR ASKANCE: I, too, would hate to see your sister heartbroken on her wedding day, and I'm having trouble understanding how her being married on her deceased father's birthday would be selfish or disrespectful to his memory. From my perspective, she has chosen a day that has been tinged with sadness and is trying to give it a happier connotation. Because her father cannot give her away, she's including him on her special day in a different way. More power to her.

life

Dear Abby for August 24, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 24th, 2005 | Letter 3 of 4

DEAR ABBY: My mom and dad are divorced. Mom has a new boyfriend and my dad has a girlfriend. When I'm with my dad and his girlfriend is over, I feel left out because he doesn't pay as much attention to me as he used to. The sad thing is, when I'm with my mom I feel the same way.

Do you think it would be fair if one day out of the week my mom would take me somewhere for, like, an hour, and THEN my mom and I do something with her boyfriend? The same goes for my dad, too. -- LOST IN THE SHUFFLE

DEAR LOST: From the mouths of babes. I think it's a terrific idea. But I also think your one-on-one time with each of your parents should be more than one hour a week.

life

Dear Abby for August 24, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 24th, 2005 | Letter 4 of 4

To order "How to Write Letters for All Occasions," send a business-sized, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Letter Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included in the price.)

life

Co Worker's Crude Comment Should Get Boss's Attention

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 23rd, 2005 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR ABBY: Most of your responses I agree with, but the one you gave to "Hurt and Offended," who was with her fiance in a restaurant when a man she works with approached and asked, "What's your bra size?" was somewhat "off." You told her to report it at work.

Abby, it happened in a public place -- not at work. I agree, the question was rude and out of line. (Maybe the guy is a jerk and thought he was being funny.) But it can't be sexual harassment if it happened outside the workplace. Rather than report him, I think she should drop it unless it happens again. -- JAMES S. IN WISCONSIN

DEAR JAMES S.: You didn't read the woman's letter closely enough. In the second paragraph she went on to say, "I have seen these men every day and had work-related discussions with them. Two of them have made reference to the incident, but neither has apologized." By referring to the incident at work, the men HAVE "brought it into the workplace." Read on:

DEAR ABBY: "Hurt and Offended" has done all that she needed to do. She said she had talked to her co-worker, who is the men's supervisor. As a supervisor myself, even if I'm told something in confidence and asked to take no action, I MUST take action -- even if I don't supervise the offenders. Their actions were intolerable.

The supervisor she spoke to had better learn the law and take appropriate action immediately, or the company could be held responsible. -- MALE SUPERVISOR, SEBASTOPOL, CALIF.

DEAR MALE SUPERVISOR: Thank you for pointing it out. She should also make a point of documenting any further references made by those co-workers.

DEAR ABBY: If "Hurt" allows those co-workers of hers to get away with what they said to her, she can be sure they'll do it again to some other woman. Although the writer feels she would have "nothing to gain" by confronting them, I do not agree. I was raped at 15, and finally -- at age 50 -- I was able to say to the person what I needed to say. I have felt a whole lot better ever since that day.

In my opinion, she should go to her supervisor and tell him or her that she would like to have a meeting with everyone who was involved. She should ask that the supervisor be present. The following issues should be presented:

(1) The question she was asked was rude, and embarrassed both her and her fiance that night.

(2) How would they have felt if she had made a comment concerning their anatomy in public and in such a manner?

(3) If they were in her situation, how would they have felt if their wives, mothers or sisters were treated in the same way?

They need to be told that what was said was not cute or clever, not a joke, and above all, will not be tolerated by her again. In reality it was sexual harassment, and will be handled as such if it recurs.

There are courts of law that take care of such situations. And those clowns need to know that she will go to one if they pull that stunt again. -- FREE AT LAST, AUSTIN, TEXAS

DEAR FREE AT LAST: I applaud you for having the courage to confront the person who raped you. I hope that "Hurt and Offended" will understand the parallel between your experience and hers, and have the courage to stand up for herself as you did.

life

Dear Abby for August 23, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 23rd, 2005 | Letter 2 of 2

For everything you need to know about wedding planning, order "How to Have a Lovely Wedding." Send a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds only) to: Dear Abby, Wedding Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)

life

Giving Kids Access to Health Care Ensures a Healthy Future

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 22nd, 2005 | Letter 1 of 4

DEAR ABBY: As a practicing physician, a mother, and CEO of the nation's largest health foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, I care deeply about the 45 million Americans who lack health insurance -- especially the 8.4 million uninsured children.

These kids often do not receive needed medical care for sore throats, earaches and asthma. However, many of them are eligible for programs that provide low-cost or free health-care coverage, even if their parents work and earn only modest incomes.

These programs exist in every state and the District of Columbia through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Eligibility varies by state, but families of four earning up to $38,000 a year or more may qualify. The programs cover doctor visits, hospitalizations, prescriptions and more.

Making sure our children have health-care coverage is an investment in their healthy future as well as our nation's. Thank you, Abby, for helping America's kids by printing this. -- RISA LAVIZZO-MOUREY, M.D., PRESIDENT AND CEO

DEAR DR. LAVIZZO-MOUREY: Thank you for the important heads-up. That a country as rich and powerful as the United States does not have a comprehensive national health program protecting all of our children is a national embarrassment.

Readers, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsors a program nationwide called "Covering Kids and Families," and encourages parents of noninsured children to call (toll-free) 877-543-7669 (877-KIDS-NOW) to find out if your children are eligible. The need is great, so please don't wait to place that call.

life

Dear Abby for August 22, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 22nd, 2005 | Letter 2 of 4
life

Dear Abby for August 22, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 22nd, 2005 | Letter 3 of 4

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I rent a house from her mother. I run a home-based business and use our bedroom as an office. On several occasions I have returned to the house and found my business documents rearranged.

I suspected someone was going through the house in our absence, so I set up my camcorder and left it running one afternoon. When I came home later, I played it back and saw I had caught "on tape" my mother-in-law going through our personal belongings and my private papers.

I'm afraid if we confront her she might evict us. How should we handle this? -- DISAPPOINTED SON-IN-LAW IN FLORIDA

DEAR DISAPPOINTED: Do not confront her. Install a deadbolt lock on your bedroom/office door and keep it locked whenever you're away from the house. And as soon as you can save enough to rent or buy another place, get the heck out of there.

life

Dear Abby for August 22, 2005

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | August 22nd, 2005 | Letter 4 of 4

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more attractive person, order "How to Be Popular." Send a business-size, self-addressed envelope, plus check or money order for $5 (U.S. funds only) to: Dear Abby Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Postage is included.)

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