Instead of a walk, friend walks away

DEAR ABBY: I ran into a friend at the chiropractor’s, and he persuaded me to change my plans and not go to the movies but to join him on a walk on the beach. We set plans to meet by the beach, and as I was approaching the street corner, I saw him cross the street while he was on his phone.

When I finally caught up with him, he was chatting with a mutual friend. There was nothing urgent about the call, but he stayed on his phone. I asked, “Are you really planning to stay on your phone while we’re going on this walk?” I know he heard me, and our mutual friend on the phone heard me. He continued to talk, so I turned around and left.

I thought he was rude and owes me an apology. But he never apologizes for anything. What do I do now? — All Talk, No Walk in California

DEAR ALL TALK: The acquaintance who dissuaded you from going to the movie so you could walk together was rude. He made clear that whomever he was on the phone with was more important to him than you are. Because he “never apologizes for anything,” do not expect one. Instead, spend your time with people who practice basic good manners.

DEAR ABBY: My stepson-in-law talks incessantly. It has cost him jobs and friends. It is often negative and gossipy. He’s close to 50 and counts on others to support him. I bite my tongue, but I feel he needs to be confronted. What to do? — Cringing in Tennessee

DEAR CRINGING: You aren’t going to change a 50-year-old compulsive gossiper. More important is what you mentioned about his counting on “others” to support him. I hope it’s not your husband. Do not bother confronting him. Recognize your stepson-in-law is on his own path, and he needs to follow it wherever it leads.

DEAR ABBY: I have stopped saying “bless you” when someone sneezes. It’s a ridiculous custom that needs to be retired. I do not believe the soul leaves the body when a person sneezes, and I highly doubt anyone else today believes that.

Some people have criticized me out for staying silent after a sneeze. Am I being rude for not blessing someone who has sneezed? — Not Saying It

DEAR NOT SAYING IT: You are not being rude; you are being true to your feelings. A polite alternative might be to say, “Gesundheit!” — the translation of which is “good health.” Those sentiments never become obsolete.