Others jump to conclusions

Dear Annie: My husband has balance and coordination problems, for which we have been seeking answers for years. He sometimes stumbles or falls. I have experienced a degeneration in tendons of both hands and have been through surgery seven times. Each prior surgery corrected a specific problem, but I have no answer for why my tendons keep breaking down. Three siblings of mine and some cousins also have had surgery for hand problems similar to mine.

How can I relieve the distress of those who show concern for our medical problems? And how can I kindly discourage the “blame the victim” mentality behind questions by those who jump to wrong conclusions? Unfortunately, people who see my husband fall or see me in a hand brace feel very free about telling me, for example, to stop hitting my husband. K.F. Dear K.F.: Relieve the distress of those who show sincere concern by assuring them you have gotten great medical care. As for the folks who say you should stop hitting your husband, you can say, “I don’t, and spousal abuse is not a matter to treat so flippantly.” The fact is that some people are always going to take flying leaps toward conclusions. Try not to let it get to you. You have your best friend by your side, and that’s what really counts.

Dear Annie: I read the letter from “Drive Safely,” which was about a movement to tap your horn when you see someone texting. I am highly sensitive to external stimuli, and in my world a horn means something else. It’s a warning, not a mechanism to pressure someone into other behavior. I would find this behavior extremely distracting. It would take my mind off my driving and cause me to look for the source of and reason for the beep. It’s a reflex from almost 50 years of driving.

All states need to ban the use of cellphones while driving. Then police need to enforce the law. In Massachusetts, only texting is banned. If all cellphone use were banned, it would be easy to enforce the law.

No Cellphone for Me

Dear No Cellphone: You make a great point about how honking at a texting driver could startle other motorists. I agree that many states could use stronger laws regulating phone use and distracted driving. At this writing, only 16 states prohibit all drivers from using hand-held cellphones while driving. And research has shown that even talking on a cellphone handsfree causes mental distraction.