DR. WALLACE: My family and I see more and more homeless people out on the streets in the city and surrounding areas near where we live. I don’t know any of them and we have been told to stay away from them, but I want to help these people if I can.
I made some sandwiches and offered them to a few homeless people. Two of them asked what kind they were. When I told them ham and cheese, they refused to take the sandwich. I don’t understand why and did not want to ask them. Can you tell me why homeless people can sometimes be picky? I thought they needed help finding food to eat. — Teen who wants to help, via email
TEEN WHO WANTS TO HELP: There are quite a few possibilities why the particular homeless people you engaged didn’t accept your gift of a particular sandwich.
Maybe they have allergies to certain types of food or were simply afraid to take food from a stranger. I know this may sound odd, but sadly, many homeless people also suffer from issues that cause their thoughts to become irrational. This may explain what happened during your experiences.
I commend you for seeking to help others. I suggest you look up several charities and nonprofit organizations in your area to see how they seek to help the homeless with both food and shelter. You can then volunteer some of your time to work with these organizations. By doing so, you’ll be around others who are experienced in this field and who know the best ways to truly help others to make a positive difference in their lives. Keep up the good work! The world needs more young people who think exactly like you do.
NO ONE ASKED ME TO THE PROM
DR. WALLACE: Our school year is over and I’m sad to say that I didn’t get asked to the prom. I didn’t go by myself like many other girls did because I just didn’t feel comfortable.
I had a boyfriend for a while early in the school year, but that ended months before the prom, so of course he never contacted me when it came along. I’m still upset over missing the prom and sometimes I even cry about it. I feel like a loser. How can I get over this feeling? I’ll be a senior in high school next year and I don’t want this situation to repeat. — Sat the prom out, via email
SAT THE PROM OUT: Your last school prom seems important now, but that feeling will fade as a new school year arrives. Be sociable, make new friends of each gender and keep an open mind. The odds are good you’ll end up with an invite this next year.
And if for any reason you don’t, I would suggest that you attend your senior prom with a few other singles. Think about it. You sat this last prom out and felt miserable about that. So, plan right now to go to your senior prom no matter what. The only question is with whom, or on your own. This will make you feel better and more relaxed right from the start of the new school year. And a relaxed, happy teen has a much better chance to receive an invitation to the prom than one who is sullen, worried and anxious about it.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
