Dear Labby,
I don’t have any animals. I realize that’s not going to make me very popular with your readers, but I have a legitimate problem. Very good friends of mine recently got a new dog, and now they talk about nothing else. It’s “Ringo does this” and “Ringo does that” for hours on end. They used to be really interesting people, but now hanging out with them isn’t that pleasant. I’ve tried to make jokes like “ok, only five more minutes of Ringo talk” but the conversation always goes back there. Help me.
Signed:
Bored And Bothered By Long Episodes Of Nattering
Sounds like a question for Dear Blabby – no? Sorry. Those advice columnist puns never get old.
All right, B.A.B.B.L.E O.N., your polite and light-hearted attempts to get your friends to change the subject are not working. You’re going to have to be direct: “Jane, John – you know how much I care about you. You’re sweet and intelligent and you dance a mean polka. But it’s difficult to enjoy our time together due to all the Ringo talk. I need you to cut it way down.”
Then, give them one more chance to take your words to heart. If they can’t, you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons. Is the option to borrow their power drill on a moment’s notice worth prolonged conversation on a subject you care nothing about?
People change, interests change, lives take different paths. Perhaps you can wait out the honeymoon phase, but could be it’s time to find new best friends. Clearly they found theirs.
