Dear Annie, 10/02/08

‘ ‘ ‘ Dear Readers, ‘ ‘ ‘ Advice is hard to come by ‘mdash; especially if you need it for… ‘ ‘ ‘ Dear Readers, ‘ ‘ ‘ Advice is hard to come by ‘mdash; especially if you need it for something very serious. ‘ ‘ ‘ Such as: ‘ ‘ ‘ Should I be a Steelers fan or an Eagles fan? Is watching the Steelers game an acceptable excuse for not doing a chemistry pre-lab assignment? ‘ ‘ ‘ Paper, plastic or canvas? ‘ ‘ ‘ If I made out with a hot guy at a party on Friday and he didn’t call me by Sunday, should I call him or stalk him? ‘ ‘ ‘ Why isn’t a hangover an acceptable medical excuse for not going to class? ‘ ‘ ‘ Is it wrong to verbally harass that girl in the third row of class who won’t shut up? Is five absences in the first four weeks of classes too many? ‘ ‘ ‘ If I haven’t bought my books for half my classes yet, should I even bother? ‘ ‘ ‘ Well, ladies and gentlemen of the Pitt campus, I have all your answers and more. Whether it be serious or not, I’m here to help. Think of me as your Dear Abby, except my name’s not Abby and I don’t have a star in Hollywood. ‘ ‘ ‘ Okay, so I’m nothing like Dear Abby, but I am here to help. ‘ ‘ ‘ Advice can be hard to get when you’re afraid of being judged or afraid of pissing someone off, or if you’d rather your personal issues didn’t get out into the open. ‘ ‘ ‘ But what better way to keep our personal business personal than by having it printed in The Pitt News (semi-anonymously, of course, we won’t use your last name)? You can seek advice for any problem, big or small, plant, animal or mineral, serious or not so serious. ‘ ‘ ‘ If your problem is a stalker ex-girlfriend who won’t stop calling you and you’re afraid she is going to break into your apartment and decorate your room in Hello Kitty print and frilly lace things, I’ll be here for you. Life can be confusing. Therefore I’ve created this medium to lend a helping hand. ‘ ‘ ‘ So drop me a line and let me know your most serious problems or your funniest ones. If you have an issue, it’s likely that someone else out there has the same problem, and you could both use some help. ‘ ‘ ‘ Albert Camus once wrote, ‘But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?’ If your life is lacking harmony, that is nothing to be ashamed of. Too many people go through life and never achieve harmony between themselves and their lives. Achieving that balance leads to happiness, and everyone deserves to be happy. ‘ ‘ ‘ There is no reason not to take advantage of any opportunity that could bring you closer to happiness. Asking for help can be hard and sometimes embarrassing, but there’s no one to judge you because no one will never know who you are. Seeking an answer to a complicated problem is hard on your own, and there is no reason not to ask for help. Lots of people ask their friends for help, but that can pose problems because friends can be biased. ‘ ‘ ‘ Objectivity is what I offer you, a look into your problems from a completely unbiased and new point of view. This is often what every problem needs in order to be solved. ‘ ‘ ‘ There is no problem too big or too small for me to handle. I’ve seen it all and been through most of it. I’ve been through the relationship issues, from the flings to the three-year relationships. I’ve had a few mid-college crises where I doubted my major, my future and my life up to this point. I’ve almost transferred schools and even universities. ‘ ‘ ‘ I have stayed up all night on the phone and in person with friends in need of relationship advice or advice for scheduling and life decisions. I have three jobs, I’m the youngest in a family of six, and I’ve traveled the United States and been abroad. Yeah, I get around. ‘ ‘ ‘ So if you need any advice or help, send me an e-mail at dearannie@pittnews.com, and I’ll be there for you. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Peace and Love, ‘ ‘ ‘ Anna-Paula Murphy