Weekly Column Archives
November, 2004
Cutting the apron strings perfectly appropriate
Dear Straight Talk: My mother is 53 and I am 21. She and my father divorced when I was 14 and I am her only child. Mother never dated much after the divorce and she drinks more and more each year…
Vegetarian gets respect by giving it
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 14 and a vegetarian and I find it very difficult to get people to respect that I don’t eat meat. Everywhere I go it seems that meat is being served. How…
Stick with friend through death of mother
Dear Straight Talk: I don’t know what to do about my friend “Tasha.” Her mother died about 8 months ago. We’re both 16 and used to be good friends but now she’s so…
Men & women hold hands for many reasons
Dear Straight Talk: Please help me because I don’t know who to talk about this. I was visiting my cousins in L.A. and we went to a restaurant and I saw my best friend’s dad there holding…
Can’t breathe while kissing wants advice
Dear Straight Talk: I’m a successful, college-educated 26-year old woman and I hope I’m not too old to write your group, but perhaps you have some insight for me. I am currently intimate…
October, 2004
“Supersized breasts” make women feel inadequate
Dear Straight Talk: My daughter is 18 with a lovely, slim figure (34A) and she’s obsessed with having her breasts enhanced and has begun saving money for it. It seems shallow to me and I’d…
Reasoning with an alcoholic probably won’t work
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 16 and my step dad “Frank” goes crazy when I talk to my friends on the phone. He recently “rigged” the phone so it wouldn’t work–I…
Tattoo removal expensive and painful
Dear Straight Talk: I’m writing in response to the daughter who wanted a tattoo. I’m 25 and I just spent almost 2 years and $6000 having two tattoos removed. It was incredibly painful.…
Online hottie not so hot in the real world
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 16 and met “Justin” on the internet. We corresponded for a couple of months, eventually exchanging photos and talking by phone. It was “hot”…
September, 2004
Vote your heart; this is America
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 18, living at home, attending community college and I plan to vote for the first time in the November election. I’m writing because I have different political…
Say ‘no’ to wedding plans that exclude family
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 19 and I’ve graduated from high school and plan to get married in the spring. My parents are divorced and my dad is going to pay for the wedding. My mom is not…
When it comes to drugs, teach by example
Dear Straight Talk: I’m a 47-year-old father in a wonderful marriage with three children, ages 7, 9, and 10. I’m wondering how I can instill in them a drug-free lifestyle when I, myself,…
Pregnant teen needs to get help from parents
Dear Straight Talk: I’m pregnant and I don’t know what to do. I’m so scared that my parents will find out. I’m 16 and I flunked a lot of classes last year and this year…
Guys shaving their legs is metrosexual trend
Dear Straight Talk: My son is 17 and as his father, I never thought I’d be writing your group of teens but I need some input. My…
August, 2004
Body piercings, tattoos, what’s a mother to do?
Dear Straight Talk: My 15 year-old daughter “Alexis” is fighting me tooth and nail to get a tattoo on her lower back and pierce the side of her nose. I think tattoos and piercings look…
Girlfriend’s tiffs must go
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 17 and my girlfriend, “Julie,” is driving me crazy. She keeps thinking I don’t like her. No matter what I do, she acts like I’m doing it as…
July, 2004
Mom suspects daughter needs birth control
Dear Straight Talk: My daughter is 16 and has had the same boyfriend for two years. They are both good kids and real responsible. I happen to be a realistic parent and considering how in love they…
Drugs give their own personality to users
Dear Straight Talk: A few of my friends are very heavily into smoking pot and it’s getting worse. No matter how much I talk to them and warn them of all the harm they’re creating they…
Boy learns truth about his adoption
Dear Straight Talk: I’m a 13-year-old boy and I live with my dad. My stepmother died last year of cancer. When she was dying she told me that I was adopted, that my dad had adopted me with…
Teacher getting too much “information” from students
Dear Straight Talk: I am a high school teacher. I recently graduated from college and just finished my first year of teaching. In addition to being young, I look young for my age and it seems the…
Why are we all so fat?
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 15 and my grandmother, who is 62, went with my family for a day at the river. She couldn’t stop talking about all the teenagers she saw in there bathing suits.…
High school graduate nervous about his first date
Dear Straight Talk: I just graduated from high school and have never been on a date. How do I go about asking a girl out? I’m so afraid that she will say no. And if she does say yes, what…
June, 2004
Spare kids “he said-she said” divorce routine
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 16 and my parents are going through a divorce. I thought I had parents who would never get divorced. They got along so well that I didn’t see it coming. They…
Step-sister needs to focus on strengths
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 15 and my step dad’s real daughter, “Nicole,” who is also 15 and lives some distance away, is spending the summer with us. She’s pretty and…
Question: To home-school or not to home-school?
Dear Straight Talk: I’m finishing my freshman year in high school, and although I’m getting a 3.6 GPA I don’t enjoy school very much. There are fun times…
When a friend mentions suicide, tell someone
Dear Straight Talk: A friend of mine is in a lot of trouble and has mentioned suicide as a way out. I know it happens, but he doesn’t seem like the type and I don’t know whether to…
Self-knowledge key to finding perfect mate
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 22 years old and have dated since I was 17. I can’t seem to find anyone I feel compatible with in the long term. Sometimes there’s great chemistry but…
May, 2004
Call 911 if threatened by violence
Dear Straight Talk: I’m a 13-year-old boy and I live with my mother and her boyfriend. My father is out of the picture. My mom’s boyfriend regularly comes home drunk or loaded and threatens…
Treat gay friend with compassion
Dear Straight Talk: A friend recently told me that he’s gay and now I don’t know how to relate to him. He’s always been shy and not real sure of himself. He said I was the first…
Don’t pretend friend’s pot use “okay”
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 16 and my friend, also 16, smokes pot. I don’t know what to do about it. She’s been my best friend since third grade. Do I tell her parents and then lose…
April, 2004
Become ally to son who is almost a man
Dear Straight Talk: I’m afraid my son, who is 17, is hanging out with the wrong crowd and may be getting into trouble. I won’t let him hang out with them, and he hates me for it. I’m…
Gain Mom’s trust by introducing your friends
Dear Straight Talk: I’m 15 and having trouble with my mom. I’ve been pretty shy up until recently and now I’m starting to make a lot of friends and they want me to do things with…
