2004-06-30
"Oh Troby, help me, I'm meddlesome/addicted/horny!"
DEARABBYTROBY: Our 27-year-old college-educated daughter, "Peggy," has announced her engagement to a high school dropout with an abusive past and a rap sheet longer than my monthly grocery list. He supports two teenage children from a previous relationship and has been in and out of jail for assault and battery and DUIs.Peggy has lived with him for the past year and has stopped speaking to us because we won't pay for the wedding. She and my parents feel we are wrong for not supporting her and paying for the wedding. What is your opinion on this? She is marrying him against our wishes. -- UPSET PARENTS IN VIRGINIA
DEAR MEDDLESOME: She's marrying against your wishes? How dare her! A 27-year-old woman should know better than do disobey her mommy and daddy. Listen folks, your daughter is getting married, even though you don't think that she has found the perfect mate, you don't get to choose these things.
She went to college, so she can't be that stupid, at least for a woman. If she finds out later that she was wrong to marry this guy, you should be thankful that she can change her mind about the whole "death do us part" thing and find a new daddy to raise her five fatherless kids. -- TROBY
DEARABBYTROBY: I have been seeing "Gil" for a little over seven months. I love him, but he drinks a lot. A couple of nights ago he called me, roaring drunk. I told him he needed to stop drinking.He swore on the love he had for me that he would quit, and asked me how long I wanted him to stop for. I asked him to stop for one month. I told him that if he drank during the 30 days, I'd break up with him.
Now Gil says that the promise he made doesn't count because he was drunk when he made it. He says he would never have made such a promise if he'd been sober. He told me he could quit for a month if he wanted to, but he doesn't want to stop.
I don't think this is fair to me because he swore on the love he has for me. Should I keep my word and end the relationship if he drinks? He's only 17, and I don't want him to ruin his future. -- SAD IN TEXAS
DEAR ADDICTED TO AN ALCOHOLIC: Oh you crazy kids, next you're going to be telling me that your significant other abuses you but you don't think that you should leave him/her because he/she's the father/mother of your child/bastard. Look kids, it's not that hard, if your significant other is an alcoholic at the age of 17, things don't bode well for your future...at least look for a 20-year-old alcoholic. -- TROBY
DEARABBYTROBY: Our marriage was wonderful until my wife cut back on her Premarin. Now she's argumentative and her libido is shot. I'm really suffering. I want a wife, not a sister. I love her dearly, but had I known this was going to happen, I might not have married her. Is there any alternative to splitting up? -- DESPERATE IN ARIZONA
DEAR HORNY: Yes, killing her. -- TROBY