Man wonders why his 'Hollywood hello' goes badly
If some women don't return your friendly eye contact, it might be because they're shy, rude or headed to an audition.
The answer is for you to be yourself, and to let others be themselves.
Dear Amy: I'm a 16-year-old guy and I go to a small private school. There is a girl that I feel really close to, but she is polyamory and cannot commit. This is affecting my life. I was already diagnosed with depression, but this is making it worse.
She sometimes acts like she loves me, but sometimes treats me like any other person. How can I tell if she wants to have a relationship with me or just use me as a "side guy" for when she is bored? I'm not sure. We have never hung out outside of school. I think we are both just too afraid to ask the other to hang out. I'm not sure how she feels about me. -- Confused
Dear Confused: At 16, it is not unusual to be "polyamory" (loving more than one person). The teenage years are supposed to be a time of learning, experimentation and growth.
Relationships can be confusing, but the best way to try to sort things out is to communicate. You can ask, "Do you want to hang out some time?" and see how that goes. As you get to know one another better, you will be able to judge more accurately how she sees you.
I hope you will be brave, but please -- always love yourself first. Knowing and loving yourself will bring out the best in you. Make sure to check in with your therapist to manage your depression.
Dear Amy: "Torn (Over) Letter" was worried about the contents of a letter his mother had given him with the instructions that he open it after her death. I agree with your advice to open it now in the presence of a therapist.
My mother had a very similar plan, which was interrupted by other circumstances, but I learned that she was intending to punish me from the grave. It was a very cruel and cowardly act, and it still hurts to this very day. -- Sad Daughter
Dear Sad: I am very sorry.
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(You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribpub.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook. Amy Dickinson's memoir, "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter and the Town that Raised Them" (Hyperion), is available in bookstores.)
