ArcaMax

I've spent most of my career as a freelance writer being a generalist. You don't delve too much into one subject because, really, you can find an expert on a topic who would love to rattle on with acronyms for at least a solid hour.

It's been one of the privileges of journalism to meet with people who believe in your capacity to share their ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 23-year-old son graduated from college two years ago and has been unemployed ever since. He earned a degree in a competitive field but has not had any luck landing a job in his chosen profession. While we understand that finding the right opportunity can take time, we are growing increasingly concerned.

He refuses to consider ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After their 25th anniversary dinner, my nephew "Will" was blindsided when his wife announced that she had never loved him and has been in love with her stepbrother since her teens. Will had supported her completely and gladly. (She wanted to be a stay-at-home mother; he makes good money.) This hurt him terribly.

Will has met another ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently got promoted at work, which I was really excited about until things got awkward with a close colleague of mine. Before the promotion, we were on the same level, working side by side for over two years. Now that I'm her supervisor, the dynamic has changed, and it's been uncomfortable. She's been distant ever since I got...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have asked my friends to help me swap an engine on my pickup truck, and they have generously agreed.

Mechanic etiquette says that if your friends are helping you on a car project, you provide drinks while they work. A worker is worthy of their wages. However, I am unsure how many beers I should give them for their ...Read more

Dear Annie: I met my husband three years ago, about eight months after he lost his first wife of 20 years. Their marriage was often toxic, and she was very abusive toward him. After she passed, he was ready to move on.

Right away, I knew something wasn't right with my husband. In his mid-50s, he was having short-term memory issues, falling ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been amicably married for 16 years. We enjoy each other's company and are home together a lot. However, over the last year or so, I have had an increasingly hard time hearing what he's saying. He sits in his chair and mumbles to the point where I can't tell if he's talking to me or to himself. He also tries to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Recently, I saw that one of my cousins came out on social media. She posted herself and a partner kissing, and a lot of her friends were commenting, congratulating them and admiring their courage.

My cousin is 11. Some of the photos are of her and her partner holding hands, some show kissing and some seem set at home or in their...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: One evening, quite late at night, I received a long, impassioned text from a stranger by mistake. In it, he talked about having had a "wonderful few hours" with someone and hoped to see them again. He also revealed some personal insecurities about their time together that are, obviously, none of my business.

I'm aware that ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend recently started dating someone new, and ever since, she's become distant. We used to talk daily; now I'm lucky if she texts back within a week. When we do hang out, he always tags along, even for things we used to do just the two of us.

I'm happy she's found someone she likes, but I miss our friendship. I tried ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm in a long-term relationship with an incredible guy I'll call "Jerry." We both have grown children, his parents and family are amazing, and we all get along wonderfully.

Jerry works hard as a health-care professional. I work as well, but he supports us financially, for which I am grateful. He has an autoimmune disorder and, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My cousin decided to plan a family reunion this year. We have a large family spread throughout a few states and a few countries. My cousin refused to allow anyone else in the family to help her plan this grandiose reunion, despite several people asking. It was a huge undertaking, and in the end, there were a lot of missteps. Many...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a dinner party, my companion quietly excused herself after the meal to smoke a cigarette. She went outside, over our nonsmoking hostess's protestations that inside was fine.

As I escorted my friend outside, I heard a fellow guest, the wife of a mutual acquaintance, shriek, "What? She SMOKES?" in a tone that would have been...Read more

Dear Annie: My fiance, "Mark," and I have been together for four years and are set to get married next spring. We live together in a small house we bought last fall. For the most part, things are good. But lately, something's been bothering me.

Mark has a weekly "guys' night" every Thursday with his two best friends from college. It used to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I had two sons, "Seth" and "Jason," who were best buddies. Seth passed away a year and a half ago, which has been really hard on us all, but especially on Jason. He's now 17 and in high school. He's doing OK, but he is still sort of listless and keeps to himself a lot.

My sister's son, "Matt," was the same age as Seth....Read more