DR. WALLACE: I’m a guy who is 17 and I’ve only dated two girls in my life so far. Each time, I ended up dating the girl for about two months and then the relationship kind of fizzled out. However, there was nothing done wrong by any of us, and there were no arguments or big moments of drama.
Recently, I told one of my good guy friends that maybe I should have someone set me up on a few blind dates so that I could meet some new girls. I like to think that I’m a good guy, but I’ll admit that although I’m decent and reliable, I’m also kind of shy, so I don’t often talk to girls I don’t know yet.
A month or so passed and then one day at school, a girl came up to me at lunchtime and said hello. She mentioned that even though we hadn’t met before, she noticed me and wondered what my personality was like. She was a really nice and sweet girl, so I was really flattered!
Well, one thing led to another and soon we were talking to each other at lunch almost every day for a few weeks. I finally got the nerve to ask her out on a date, and she said yes! Since then, we’ve dated about five times, and we get along great. I really like her a lot.
My problem now is that my guy friend who I confided in about setting me up on some blind dates asked me yesterday how my “blind date” was going. I looked at him and asked him what in the world he was talking about. Then he simply said the name of my current girlfriend, and I almost fell off of my chair! I felt really confused and embarrassed at that moment, especially since he started laughing. He caught his breath and told me he wasn’t laughing at me, he was laughing with me, saying that he deserved at least a nice “thank you” from me for helping me to meet this wonderful girl.
Apparently, he spoke to her one day about setting me up on a blind date with her, but she suggested to my friend that she just simply walk up to me and start talking to me at school to see if she even wanted to go on a blind date with me or not. You now know the rest of my story.
I’m now so embarrassed that I don’t know what to do. I still like her, but I don’t know if I can face her at school next week when I’ll see her again. Do you think I should be mad at my friend for doing this to me? — Feeling tricked, via email
FEELING TRICKED: I think you should indeed tell your friend, “Thank you!” Get over your embarrassment quickly by thinking about how much you like having her as your new friend. Remember that she also had the courage to approach you directly at your school, so she indeed had an initial interest in you, too.
People of all kinds meet others to date in a variety of ways these days. Some meet in person, some are introduced by friends, others meet via the internet and some use dating services. Consider yourself lucky that you had a friend who broke the ice for you by going up to this girl on your behalf in the first place.
The old phrase, “the end justifies the means” seems to apply in your case since you are currently happy and your friend’s actions certainly benefitted you even though you were not advised of his methods in advance.
And finally, just in case you might eventually wish to date a different girl in the future, remember how it felt to have this girl simply walk up to you and start a nice conversation with you. You were flattered and you obviously responded well to her introduction. You also have the power to do this in reverse in the future by politely approaching a girl you’d like to meet in this same manner.
I WANT TO LOOK LIKE MY BIG SISTER
DR. WALLACE: My older sister who is 18 is very pretty and she has a really great complexion. I’m a girl who is only 15, but I strive to emulate my older sister in every way I can.
When I asked her about her secret to a good complexion, she told me that she takes vitamin E tablets to help her maintain her fresh look. Is this true? Should I take them, too? — Little sister, via email
LITTLE SISTER: Genetics can factor into one’s complexion, but it is true that vitamin E can help protect cells from damage and degeneration, which in turn helps promote healthy skin.
But it’s important to point out to you that vitamin E consumption does not have to come only in the tablet form. It is found in large quantities in green vegetables, as well as in tomatoes and citrus fruits. These healthy foods definitely promote healthy skin, so eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can to gain the full effect of the natural sources of vitamin E.
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.
