Alas, the trimester is ending, and thus so is Ask The Mask... for now. Thank you to everyone who submitted one of the more than 150 letters we received in our digital mailbag, plus all the wonderful (and questionable!) responses to the periodic teacher dilemmas we posted. You can re-read old issues using the Blog Archive to the right. One day, this website will become active again with a new generation of student problems. Until that day, please enjoy our final issue of Ask The Mask:
Dear Mask,
I am an eighth grade boy, and I have a crush on a sixth grader. I really like her and we always strike up a big conversation, normally one to two minutes long. My friends know I like her but make fun of me for it. I genuinely want to be with her and ask her out, but I’m afraid I will get teased. What do I do?
Sincerely,
Too Old
Dear Too Old,
If you genuinely want to be with her, I think you should go for it. If your friends are kind and supportive and see that you are serious, they should stop. But I hate to break it to you: one to two minutes is a very short conversation. Try building up to about five minutes before you ask her out, to increase your chances. As for your fear that you’ll get teased, if you really want to pursue love, you will persevere through any teasing. I believe in you.
Lovingly,
The Mask
Dear Mask,
Every Sunday night, I start freaking out because it always feels like the weekend is too short. Most weekends I have a lot to do, and when I have free time it’s only on Saturday. On Sunday I usually have an hour at a time at most before I do something. How can I fix this?
Sincerely,
Weekend Enjoyer
San Jose, CA
Dear Weekend Enjoyer,
I used to have this problem too. The weekend should be so much longer than just two days! Something that might help you is trying to carve out time for yourself during the week. It could be after school, between homework and other activities like sports, and it could just be half an hour. If you leave more free time for yourself, it can help make the week not feel as long.
With time,
The Mask
Dear Mask,
I have been best friends with two girls for a long time, but they have been excluding me recently. I feel like they are making me feel left out on purpose. They have made me cry a couple times, and I don’t know what to do! How do I fix this problem?
Sincerely,
A Friend
San Jose, CA
Dear A Friend,
It can be really frustrating to feel like the third wheel. Before you jump to conclusions, though, I recommend making sure your friends know that you feel excluded. They can’t really know how you feel unless you tell them. If it turns out you’re right and they’re trying to exclude you, try asking them about it. They might be upset with you for some reason, and it’s a lot easier to work things out when you are on the same page. I hope everything works out.
Inclusively,
The Mask
Dear Mask,
I like creative writing. People always say to “write what you know,” but I don’t know anything! How am I supposed to write a good story if I don’t know how to describe subways or hospitals or public schools, and if I don’t know how dumbwaiters and corrupt government systems work, or the protein content of pancakes or fruit salad? How do I make compelling stories if I don’t know how to describe things and add details?
Sincerely,
Explorer of Fiction
San Jose, CA
Dear Explorer of Fiction,
This is a really hard situation. One suggestion is, yes, to write what you know. Write about your hobbies or interests, and build from that. One thing I love to do is ask one of my friends for a random word or prompt and challenge myself to put that in a story. Another thing you could do is research about topics you want to include in your writing. Google photos of hospitals or subways so you can figure out how to describe them. It can be hard when you find yourself stuck in writer's block, but just remember, it’s okay if your descriptions are not perfect. It’s your story, and you can describe things however you like. Don’t let this ruin your love for creative writing!
Descriptively,
The Mask