Dear Captain Awkward, My 50+ y/o housemate has a problem, and I don't know how to help. Sounds stupid but her pants are always falling down. At any given moment inch(es) of her rear crack are exposed. It started years ago, most often when she would bend over, but it has progressively gotten worse--any time … Continue reading #1262: “My housemate keeps exposing herself to me/the world/everyone.”
Category: COMMUNICATION
#1261: “Scripts for Shelter-In-Place Peer Pressure.”
Hi, I live in an area that is under a shelter-in-place order due to COVID-19. A few of my friends have been inviting me to activities that violate the order. My go-to excuse (and the truth) has been bringing up that I live with a high-risk individual, so I'm going to stick to the shelter-in-place … Continue reading #1261: “Scripts for Shelter-In-Place Peer Pressure.”
#1260: “How to maintain boundaries within stressful family relationships during COVID-19 lockdown?”
Hi Captain, My mother and I have always wanted different frequencies of interaction. After I moved out for university, at a holiday party my mother announced the only gift she ever wanted from me was daily phone calls - even her friends were incredulous. She tends to call any hour of the day, hitting redial … Continue reading #1260: “How to maintain boundaries within stressful family relationships during COVID-19 lockdown?”
COVID-19 Update & Questions #1258 (How do I help my friends?) and #1259: (Social-distancing for extroverts)
Hello, readers, thanks for your emails, your support, and your questions in this time of global pandemic. How's everybody doing? (Yes, I know the first iteration misspelled COVID as Corvid, I ❤ ravens and crows and have been doing it all week, what can I say). Personal update: Mr. Awkward and I are both virus-free … Continue reading COVID-19 Update & Questions #1258 (How do I help my friends?) and #1259: (Social-distancing for extroverts)
#1255: “I’ve been conscripted! As an unwilling beta reader of somebody’s very personal fan fiction!”
Dear Captain Awkward: Well, not exactly. First, some background: I (she/her) am a member of a Face Book group for fan-fiction readers and writers. I’m a longtime writer of both original work and fan works, so I like to leave comments when people post questions about plotting, characterization, etc. Trouble is, I commented on one … Continue reading #1255: “I’ve been conscripted! As an unwilling beta reader of somebody’s very personal fan fiction!”
#1252: Small Talk Strategies When You’re Depressed And Forgetful
Hi there, I'm hoping to find some scripts/strategies to employ when I run into someone I'm happy to chat with, like a friend or one of the super friendly baristas at a coffee shop I'm always in, and they ask "so what's new with you?" or "what have you been up to this week?" when … Continue reading #1252: Small Talk Strategies When You’re Depressed And Forgetful
#1251: “My friends are mad because I don’t like talking in the dreaded Group Chat from WhatsApp Hell.”
Dear Captain, I looked through the archives and I couldn't see anything on this particular topic, but apologies if I missed something. It does seem connected to the Geek Social Fallacies though. My question is about how to deal with awkwardness and anxieties over the dreaded Group Chat. I have a group of friends who … Continue reading #1251: “My friends are mad because I don’t like talking in the dreaded Group Chat from WhatsApp Hell.”
#1249: Parents who are no contact (with each other) at our wedding.
Hey Captain, I (she/her) am getting married in May! Besides all the awful that is wedding planning, my fiancé (he/him) and I are excited and happy to celebrate this milestone. His parents had a short, violent relationship that resulted in their divorce and going no-contact with each other when my fiancé was a child. I, … Continue reading #1249: Parents who are no contact (with each other) at our wedding.
#1248: “How to set boundaries with someone who just doesn’t listen to me?”
This is another one in a series about difficult parent relationships: A dad who wants to talk on the phone for hours about only the things he wants to talk about and who reminds his daughter, when she tries to set boundaries, that he has nobody else to talk to. It's about guilt and about … Continue reading #1248: “How to set boundaries with someone who just doesn’t listen to me?”
#1243: “Broaching a service dog with dismissive family.”
Ahoy Captain, This past year I (31/F) finally received a diagnosis for what I've been struggling with for over half my life. I have Complex PTSD/PTSD (I'll spare you the differences and overlaps) (Ed. Note: No worries! I, Jennifer, will link people to a basic explainer.) Encouraged by my therapist I shared the PTSD with my … Continue reading #1243: “Broaching a service dog with dismissive family.”
