DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband goes on and on about aliens, saying that they are living among us. Now there is a cable channel devoted to them, and he is even more passionate in his arguments -- though, honestly, they seem nuts. When we are hanging with friends and he starts in about aliens, I cringe; I can see that most of my friends don’t want to hear it. How can I get him to tone down this talk? It’s embarrassing in public and overbearing in private. -- No More Aliens
DEAR NO MORE ALIENS: When it’s just the two of you, you can excuse yourself from the conversation. If he wants to know why, tell him that you are not interested in the subject and that it bothers you how obsessed he is. You may want to add the recommendation that he curb his enthusiasm about aliens when you’re hanging out with friends. Suggest that he notice how people react when he goes on and on. As with any other obsessive conversation, people typically don’t want to be held hostage listening to it.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)