DEAR ABBY: It appears that doctor’s offices have it set up to automatically send you emails and/or text messages to confirm your appointments.
It’s convenient, but they send them repeatedly, starting a week or two before the appointment. For what? This seems exaggerated to me. One time should be enough, unless they feel we are incapable of remembering when we have an appointment.
Before the Internet, we made our next appointments, if necessary, with the doctor as we left and received a card with the date and time. That’s all we got! You marked it on your calendar at home and life moved on.
Abby, do you agree with my frustration?
– A blunt guy in Nevada
DEAR GUY BLUNT: No I do not have.
Sometimes people forget to enter this information into their calendar and the result is that medical and dental professionals get opposed.
If reminders become annoying, you can always delete them when they appear. If this is your biggest problem, consider yourself lucky.
DEAR ABBY: I’m a gay man who met another man on a dating site two years ago this month.
At first we were texting constantly. No one has ever made me feel the way he made me feel while texting alone. He demonstrated qualities that set him apart from anyone I spoke to.
We set up an appointment, but he canceled at the last minute due to a cold. He asked for more time to get to know each other before meeting.
For the past two years, we have continued to message each other, but not as often. He says he really wants to meet, but says he’s intimidated by my accomplishments in life and is convinced I won’t like him. (Abby, he’s more accomplished than most guys I date.)
I’ve been trying desperately to convince him to meet me so we can both find out if we’re a good match.
In the meantime, I continue to date other guys because I want to find someone to share my life with. I refuse to put my life on hold in the vain hope that we might one day meet. However, my desire to meet him overshadows most of my attempts at dating others.
His statement that he really wants to meet me but is afraid to is incredibly frustrating. Should I stop him from contacting me further so I can focus on finding someone else? Or should I continue doing what I’m doing?
— FRUSTRATED IN KENTUCKY
DEAR FRUSTRATED: There may be a logical reason why this relationship hasn’t progressed. The man you are communicating with may not be who he says he is at all.
Because you’ve invested so much time and emotion into trying to meet him, give him one more chance to meet him.
Tell him that if he can’t bring himself to do it, you will end the relationship and prevent him from contacting you further. Then continue.
Consider it a giant step in your life. You deserve better than the teasing you receive.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
California Daily Newspapers
