Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2018)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2018 FEATURES What about a light touch? Dear Annie: In this new (and ing it and finding other ways to long-overdue) era of “#MeToo,” show your engagement and atten- I’m wondering: Is it always inap- tion, such as asking good ques- propriate to lightly touch the arm tions, echoing what people have of an opposite-sex acquaintance said back to them and maintain- during a casual conversation? I’m ing eye contact. Rest assured, you not talking about prolonged or seem like such a conscientious per- son that I’m sure people repeated touches. I just DEAR can sense your compas- mean a spontaneous and sion no matter what. quick touch. I realize that ANNIE Dear Annie: I read the some people may find letter from “W.C. in Way- such action sexually egre- cross, Ga.” and fully agree gious, but in general, I that more hotels should think such touching is an have handicapped-ac- expression to help empha- cessible showers. I am size humor, compassion, limited because of back sincerity or understand- Lane ing. Personally, I think Annie surgery I had. Hotel bath- Creators Syndicate Inc. rooms are usually retrofit- I’m pretty good at judging ted and useless. The toi- whether it’s appropriate for me to touch an acquaintance in lets are often older and too low for such a manner, but my wife insists people with special physical needs. that it’s never appropriate. Occa- Even if I can use grab bars to get in sionally, I’m on the receiving end a tub, there is often no means to sit of such touching, and I don’t find while taking a shower. And stand- it offensive. Comment, please? — ing while showering is not safe for anyone rated a fall risk. More than Confused in the Midwest Dear Confused: It’s not “sex- once, I’ve had to sit on the edge ually egregious” to simply touch of a tub while trying to use the someone lightly on the arm during shower for water, which, of course, a normal conversation. But there is messy. are some people who just don’t My husband and I recently took like physical contact, and that’s a very expensive cruise — costly reason enough to err on the side of because of my physical needs. Yet caution. So I’d recommend avoid- I did have a walk-in shower with a drop-down seat, lots of grab bars and a stateroom large enough to accommodate my electric scooter. — Love to Travel and Spend a Lot Doing So Dear Love to Travel: You and “W.C.” are certainly not alone. Read on for another letter on the subject. Dear Annie: Absolutely agree with “W.C. in Waycross, Ga.,” who wants to be able to travel and bathe safely. And it is not just elderly people who have these needs. There are tons of people with dis- abilities who travel or would if they could find accommodations. All bathrooms should have safety features, whether in the home or on the road. The old say- ing that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly holds true. It would be great if a certain percentage of bathrooms in hotels and motels had walk-in showers, etc. Statistically, there are more and more seniors with disposable income, and often they just need to have the products designed for them. — Senior Appreciative of Grab Bars Dear SAGB: I hear you loud and clear, and I hope the hospital- ity industry does, too. 5A TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Routines give us a sense of comfort and purpose. They let us relax and, at the same time, be stronger and work harder within the confines of what we’re doing, knowing that we don’t have to search for or fear what comes next. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Since the trea- sure of this day is hidden inside the dirt of relationships you may have to dig for it a bit. Do what it takes to connect. Mostly this will involve letting someone else be the star. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). People are wary of emotionalism, over-righteousness and anything with too much “sound and fury.” That’s why your very subtle and classy pitch will get serious traction today. CANCER (June 22-July 22). It doesn’t seem fair that some days seem to rush and blur on their way to nowhere. But nothing lasts like yesterday, on and on and on. Some yesterdays last longer than others. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Use your creativ- ity and you’ll get more. You can never run out, actually. The only way you’ll stop being creative is if you believe you have no more ideas, but that belief would be false. Don’t believe false things. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). When you get it wrong, it’s not the end of the world; it’s just another lesson. Take it from your sign mate Bill Murray: You die in the improv set five times out of nine. When you get over your fear of dying, nothing really scares you anymore. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Figure out the story and the general direction of your mes- sage and then deliver it from the heart. This is how you let people in on who you are and FRANK AND ERNEST BLONDIE THATABABY SALLY FORTH PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN B.C. LOLA DILBERT SIX CHIX BIZARRO MUTTS NON SEQUITUR BABY BLUES WIZARD OF ID ZITS ROSE IS ROSE make them come to love and trust you. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). When you get really close to success, you’re likely to panic. This is normal. It’s just the brain’s way of telling you that you’re about to enter a new level. Breathe, and keep going. The doors will open before you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You don’t have to invent anything to solve today’s problem. Recombine the existing ideas until you come up with something that feels fresh to you; then try it out. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your loyalty will be rewarded. Your optimism will prove well-placed. And the care you give others will help them a lot and make you 10 times happier, too. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You resist distraction and opt to look inside yourself in- stead with the question, “What is it I’m trying to avoid?” This is powerful, and the answer will come to you because you’re ready for it now. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Weird new problems crop up — good. These are the type that require you to slip into an innova- tive part of your brain, and you’ll love playing around in there. TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 1). People will be demonstrative in their love for you, and you’ll collect symbols and experiences throughout this solar return as proof. Your comfort zone will undergo a complete rezon- ing, too, and by May you might be surprised by what you’re capable of, all because you risked, failed, learned and got up again. Cancer and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 40, 3, 19, 11 and 16.
