Thursday, June 01, 2006

Advice to a confused man

Today's newspaper advice column:
DEAR ABBY: I recently got a phone call from a woman I hadn't heard from in 30 years. "Vivian" and I once had a short fling. We had a long talk, catching up, and she said she had gotten my number from my sister, who lives out of state.
All of a sudden, I began getting letters from her -- but I never gave her my address. In every letter she would pour her heart out to me, ...
We sat on my front porch, and I had a long talk with her. I explained that a lot has changed in both our lives; ... I said I was feeling depressed and confused, ...
I feel I'm being stalked, and it's giving me nightmares.

DEAR VIOLATED: It should be apparent by now that your old "fling" has mental problems. Her behavior could, indeed, be considered stalking. If you still have the letters and recordings of her messages, give them to your legal counsel ... You should document every incident of harassment, and while you're at it, consult your physician about the nightmares and stress you've been subjected to. Your attorney should have all of this information at his or her disposal.
She has mental problems?! She is just expressing her love. He is the one who suffers mental problems: He is depressed, confused, paranoid, unsure about his sexual orientation, unable to engage in a relationship, unwilling to given Vivian a straight yes or no answer, and having nightmares.

Even worse is Dear Abby -- she wants to make a legal case out of it! It is not a big deal if she somehow got his address in order to send him a letter. Most men have their addresses in the phone book, and do not become psychologically unglued if an old fling contacts them.

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