Our short Issue 11 is a reunion of sorts: four people whose letters we published in earlier issues who have written us again to follow up. Click on the links to re-read their original dilemmas.
But first: last week, Coach Mac asked us for advice on how to keep students engaged as we get into spring. Thank you to everyone who submitted ideas! Here are our top three:
- "Motivate us with money." ~ anonymous
- "Punish kids with pushups if they mess around. Works for most sports coaches!" ~ anonymous
- "Get a bunch of treadmills and make the kids run on them. For the kids who are not running on them, let them do their homework." ~ anonymous
Okay, now onto our reunion letters:
Dear Mask,
You responded to my problem, and I tried your advice. The problem is, the people my friend hangs out with completely ignore me! They don’t respond when I try to join their conversations, and sometimes, when I’m in the middle of a conversation, they’ll butt in, and my friend will go and talk to them, leaving me abandoned and alone. I can’t make friends with them because they seem like they don’t like me. But it’s not like my friend doesn’t have any other time to talk to them; they’re in all the same classes! And I’m in none of them. I know you’ve already tried, but can you please try to fix my problem?
Sincerely,
Lonely Friend
(from Vol. 2, Issue 1, Letter #3)
Dear Lonely Friend,
I think you should confront your friend one on one. You want to be sure they know you are feeling so excluded. This can be hard and kind of awkward, but sometimes it's the best way to move forward. If you tell them how you feel, it might open their eyes and they can make more of an effort to make you feel less alone. It sounds like you have other friends who talk to them, so maybe one of your other friends can help incorporate you into the conversation. If all is lost, the thing I always do to reconnect with someone is to chat with them online. Start texting them, and then you can continue your text conversations in person. Don't give up!
Inclusively,
The Mask
Dear Mask,
Hi. I’m stuck in the two-crushes situation, but I just learned one of my crushes is moving away. Should this affect who I date?
Sincerely,
Simp
(from Vol. 2, Issue 4, Letter #2)
Dear Simp,
I am so glad you wrote to us for a second time regarding your situation. The answer to this problem is really hard to simply take sides on, but my recommendation is not to let one of your crushes moving affect who you want to be in a relationship with. Then again, relationships often depend on having close contact, and long distance may not work. My advice to you is to consider if you would be okay with a long distance relationship. Once you do that, you can focus on who you feel you gravitate toward more. Another important thing, though: Be sure both of your crushes are interested in dating you! (Maybe their interest, or lack of interest, will make the decision for you.)
Best of luck,
The Mask
Dear Mask,
I snitched on my friend for doing something she wasn't supposed to. I immediately felt bad, but I also thought that she might've gotten into more trouble if she was caught later. But then she asked me if I was the one who did it, and I felt guilty but also really sad because she asked me. It kind of feels like she asked me because she doesn't trust me, and after that she definitely won't trust me. What do I do?
Sincerely,
Buzz Kill
(from Vol. 2, Issue 5, Letter #2)
Dear Buzz Kill,
Well, first you should be honest with your friend since she asked you if you snitched or not, and make sure you tell her the truth. Second, you should explain to her that you do not approve of her doing things that she isn’t supposed to do and that you think she should stop because you care about her and you don’t want her to get into trouble. If in the future she wants to continue to do these things, make sure she knows that you do not want to be involved in her poor decision-making at all. You do want to keep your friendship, though, so make sure you word this to her kindly and try not to get upset if she doesn’t listen. And if a little bit of her trust in you dissipated because you told on her, it's okay. You don’t want to be getting into trouble because of her. I can tell that your friendship is very important to you, and I admire that. I hope everything works out for you!
Truthfully,
The Mask
Dear Mask,
Thank you for your response about my devastation situation. About the peanuts, in my opinion peanuts are awful, so just don't eat them. But if you decide you want to eat them anyway, don't you dare compare them to the glorious heaven that is peas!
Sincerely,
Annoyed Jalapeño Popper
(from Vol. 2, Issue 5, Letter #8)
Dear Annoyed Jalapeño Popper,
Touché.
Love,
The Mask