Reader backs away from friends who talk nonstop
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Stay as grounded as possible. You could be going through some dramatic changes. Though self-induced, they could be taking a toll on you. Taurus (April 20-May 20)
You seem to have the right words as well as know when to act. Stay upbeat and in touch with your feelings. Recognize a new tendency to not share. Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Do not try to understand where others are coming from. You might be best off accepting others’ stance and not being as challenging - for now. Cancer (June 21-July 22)
You could be in a position where you might want to rethink a personal matter. Understanding is a gift. Tap into your imagination. Be as creative as possible. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
You might want to see a personal matter from another perspective. Get out of your automatic reactions, and walk in another person’s shoes. This year you express a willingness to be more responsive to your inner circle. You frequently can be found following some passionate interest. Your focus on family and home will be appreciated, allowing for your relationships to bond more tightly. If you are single, you could meet someone from your close circle of friends or family. In some cases, this person could walk through your door! If you are attached, the two of you might make a major purchase. CANCER can be overly emotional; you could find the tears and drama a lot to handle.
What the stars
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Dynamic
Positive
Average
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Difficult
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Zero in on your priorities, and don’t allow a demanding personality to push you so hard or make demands. Explain where you are coming from in an even manner. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Zero in on what you feel is necessary and worth your while. Spending time with an older individual could be important, especially for this person. You will feel more in touch with him or her as a result. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Detach when you hit a difficult situation that you might consider annoying or difficult at best. Your sense of humor emerges when you understand the matter more fully. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Work with a key person in your life and clear out a problem before it becomes more. You see a matter through the eyes of someone looking for a solution. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
You might be in a position where you see someone in a new light. Your relationship or friendship will make an adjustment. You might be swallowing anger. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
You could have a problem that takes you to a new level of understanding. You suddenly understand why someone might react as he or she does. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
You might surprise others with everything that you have to do. Listen to what is being shared, but make an exit if you need to. Others depend on your actions or calls.
Jacqueline Bigar is at www.jacquelinebigar.com. Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.
The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to
Sunday.
Dear Annie: I spent two hours on the phone yesterday with a friend who can talk nonstop and rarely requires a response. I have another friend like this, and it’s exhausting.
I’ve seen letters in your column from other readers complaining about this, and you often suggest that the talkers might have a hearing problem. I disagree. These people joke about their “loud mouths,” have never complained of any hearing difficulties and seem to hear when they want to.
I wonder if either of them will see themselves in this letter and at least attempt to change. I’ve heard of “listening classes” that can teach people how to actively listen. For now, I’ve got plenty of other friends who care enough to listen, so I’ve given up on the others. — Middle Aged and Finally
Waking Up
Dear Waking Up: Hearing problems are only one possibility for those who, over time, begin to talk nonstop. Another possibility is self-involvement or perhaps a fear that they won’t remember what they intend to say if they don’t say it immediately. So they talk over you.
People who do this rarely recognize their actions. It is your choice to end the friendship over such annoying behavior. But how much kinder it would be to gently point out to Sally why this bothers you, and to remind her when she does it again. What do you have to lose?
Dear Annie: I’d like to provide a different perspective for “I’d Like My Wife Back Please,” who has been married for 25 years and his wife suddenly hates him.
I was married for 28 years. My husband was controlling, abusive and wouldn’t keep a job. As the kids left the nest, I realized that I was going to be living with this man for the rest of my life. I couldn’t stand it any longer.
I’ve come to realize, as women, that we do what we have to do. We raise our kids, we go to work or stay home, whatever. But the bottom line is, when we are done, we’re done. And it sounds like she is done. To this day, my ex doesn’t think he ever did anything wrong.
— Happily Ever After
Dear Happily: Problems can fester over time. When they are addressed early on, the relationship can often be salvaged. This is why we so often recommend counseling.