We all have those moments. A friendship suddenly feels complicated. A family member has crossed a boundary. A coworker is making Monday mornings unbearable. Your adult child wants advice … but apparently not that advice. The neighbors are driving you crazy. Or maybe you’ve found yourself in a situation where every possible response seems like the wrong one.
Sometimes you don’t need a therapist, an attorney or a three-hour group text. Sometimes you just need another perspective. Beginning this fall, The Olive Grove News is introducing a new advice column featuring a long term La Mirada resident. She has raised her children in La Mirada, has her own business in the city and can offer thoughtful, practical – and when appropriate, lighthearted – perspective on the everyday situations our reader’s encounter.
Readers are invited to send in their questions about relationships, friendships, family, work, etiquette, neighbors, community life, changing seasons of life and those wonderfully awkward situations that leave us wondering: “What am I supposed to do now?”
Dear Kasey, will select questions to answer in upcoming editions of The Olive Grove News. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and privacy.
Send your question to theolivegrovenews@gmail.com with “Dear Kasey” in the subject line. You don’t need to use your real name. In fact, have some fun with it. Sign your question something like Confused in Cerritos, Had Enough in La Habra, Trying to Be Nice in Norwalk or Wondering What to Do.
A Few Ground Rules
We want this column to be useful, entertaining and respectful, so please keep these guidelines in mind:
- Keep everyone anonymous. Please don’t include full names, specific addresses, phone numbers, workplaces, schools or other information that could identify another person.
- No politics. There are plenty of places to debate politics. This isn’t going to be one of them.
- No accusations or potentially defamatory claims. We won’t publish allegations of criminal, unethical or otherwise serious misconduct about identifiable individuals or organizations.
- No questions involving illegal, dangerous or seriously questionable behavior. Some problems need professional assistance rather than a newspaper advice column.
- Keep it suitable for a community newspaper. Questions involving explicit sexual content, threats, violence or similarly inappropriate material will not be considered.
- Protect children’s privacy. General parenting and family questions are welcome, but please don’t provide identifying information about minors.
- Keep it reasonably brief. Tell us enough to understand the situation, but you don’t have to give us the entire family history going back to Thanksgiving of 1987.
- We reserve the right to edit or decline submissions. Questions may be shortened or altered to protect privacy while preserving the heart of the situation.
And yes, you can absolutely ask about yourself. Sometimes the question isn’t “How do I change them?” It’s “Am I looking at this the wrong way?” Those may turn out to be some of the best letters.
One Important Disclaimer
The advice and opinions expressed in this column are provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only and reflect the perspective of the columnist. They should not be considered professional legal, medical, mental-health, financial or other professional advice. The Olive Grove News, its publishers, staff and contributors assume no responsibility or liability for actions taken based upon information or opinions presented in the column. Readers facing situations involving safety, abuse, criminal activity, medical or mental-health concerns, legal matters or financial issues should seek assistance from an appropriately qualified professional. Submission of a question does not guarantee publication, and submissions may be edited for length, clarity and privacy.
We know our communities have stories. Apparently, they also have questions. So go ahead.
Ask.
We have a feeling this is going to be fun.
