Waiting for my teenage love story
Dear Annie: I’m a 16-yearold girl who will turn 17 in four months. I just started my junior year of high school; school’s busy, but I’m doing a pretty good job so far.
My dilemma is that I’m worried that I’ll never lose my virginity in my
20s because I don’t have “experience.” And whenever I read stuff about people saying that they don’t want to be with anyone if they’re a virgin, it makes me feel even worse. I’ve never been kissed, and I’ve never had a boyfriend, so whenever I think about it, I get upset and my mind starts to spiral. Sometimes, with the way things are going now with dating, I start thinking that I’ll never find someone without wearing revealing clothing or hooking up with every guy that I meet.
I know that you’ll probably say, “Just focus on school.” Which I am trying to do since I’m aiming to get all A’s my junior year. But for me, when you don’t have any relationship experience and you don’t want to settle just to lose your virginity to any boy, it tends to be frustrating, especially with how boys these days can be. What should I do? — Teen With No Experience
Dear Teen: Focusing on school is always sound advice, but it’s perfectly normal to also want a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, high school boys are usually not as mature as high school girls. Keep an open mind, but don’t fall into the trap of believing the way things are in high school is the way that they will be forever.
High school is really just the beginning. You have so many years ahead of you to meet someone worth dating.
Dear Annie: Shortly after my daughter’s surgery, I received a text notification that I had received a food delivery gift from a friend. This text came directly from the delivery service, with a photo of the delivery sitting at my front door. The trouble was, it wasn’t my front door. The package was left elsewhere!
What would be the polite way to address this? Of course I want to thank the gifter, but should I let them know I never actually got the gift? I’d feel bad having them put even more effort into their gift, as I know those delivery services can be a real hassle. And I wouldn’t expect them to buy it again. — Signed but Not Delivered
Dear Signed but Not Delivered: No one said modern gifting was easy. First and foremost, express your gratitude to your friend. Tell them how much you appreciate the gift and how much the kind gesture meant to you. Make that the primary message of your note. As an aside, you can add that the food delivery service bungled your address, but assure your friend that you care more about the gesture than the food so they don’t feel compelled to get involved with customer service.