THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018 FEATURES Taking away the keys Dear Annie: It makes me so It’s also difficult to have this con- sad to watch my family grow versation without threatening his old. My grandfather has been in masculinity or coming off as dis- denial about his aging process, respectful. I’m scared for him and now it’s creeping up on him and for others on the road. How from behind. Growing up, I was do you tell your hero that he can no longer perform the always impressed by DEAR simplest of tasks? — how youthful he was; Granddad’s Girl well into his 70s, he was ANNIE Dear Granddad’s playing tennis every day, Girl: Your granddad running, going on social sounds like an amazing outings and driving all man. It’s time for you to over the place for vari- ous band rehearsals. He step in and be his hero. is now in his late 80s, Speaking with him about and his body no longer driving could save his Lane lets him push the phys- Annie life or someone else’s. Creators Syndicate Inc. ical boundaries. How- Now that you know you ever, that hasn’t stopped have to have the conver- him from pushing other boundar- sation, the question is how. ies. He is still driving, and I think If you are having grow- ing concerns about his driving, it’s dangerous. Annie, he has been in sev- chances are he has them, as well, eral fender benders in the past though he might be reluctant few months, and though they to admit it. The key is to avoid were harmless enough to not making him feel defensive. Plan deter him from continued out- to have a quiet, calm chat with ings, I feel that he has just been him at a time when he’s not feel- lucky. He often calls us lost, ask- ing stressed. As you approach ing for directions from the road the subject of driving, proceed or not remembering where he’s slowly and gently. He will most going. Adults in the family have likely voice his concerns about tried to gently tell him he should making appointments or out- not drive, but he won’t hear it. ings. At that point in the conver- sation, you could offer to drive him to and from. And tell him he’d really be doing you a favor, because think of all the life les- sons he could share in that valu- able quality time. Dear Annie: I work in a small office where almost everyone is in their 40s or 50s. There is one gentleman who is 79, “John Smith.” When I started my job, I called him Mr. Smith because everyone but the owner did. One day, when I had multiple phone lines ringing, I called him John accidentally. I apologized, but he told me he wishes that everyone would call him John. It makes him feel old to be called Mr. Smith. The women there believe that because he is their dad’s age, it is disrespectful to call him John. I feel torn because his preference is to be called John. What is your opinion? — John’s Co-worker Dear John’s Co-worker: John said he wishes everyone would call him by his first name. He can’t get much clearer than that. I understand that your other co-workers mean to be cour- teous, but real respect means respecting others’ preferences. Call him John. 5A TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Your willingness to proceed cautiously and carefully building your projects and relationships will pay off in the trust you earn from those around you. You certainly will not want for companionship! SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Seek training, on-point conversation, criticism, inspiration and interactions to keep your skills sharp. It’s better to put in the work now before you really need to. This will give you an advantage later. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Are you in touch with your innate gifts? You truly can pull up energy from the earth, and you will do this when you need strength. Nature is your ally today and a powerful one at that. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Harm- less flirting isn’t. There are sensitive people around who will make a story out of it and spin things in a direction that does nobody good. Be careful where you wield that charm. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re in a playful mood, and if you keep this up you may just become someone’s favorite friend. In some cases, you don’t want to be in the friend zone, but you’ll quite naturally find your place in that situation as well. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). If you didn’t want the thing until a friend, influencer or advertiser built your appetite for it, you might not really want the thing as much as you think. Take a step back. What’s the need inside the want? CANCER (June 22-July 22). The person who has teaching or preaching as his primary purpose is a dull as a bad poem. Even if you happen to be the teacher (or the preacher), with play as your main purpose you’ll be the delight in their days. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). When neces- sity demands your impromptu handling of a situation, there’s no better plan to follow than the one with which you are already familiar. Apply what you know from another world. You’ll be brilliant. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You have resolved to give your best to a relationship and you’ll reaffirm this to yourself now. This is the part of the connection that you can control, and control it you will. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). As you read this, there are people gearing up for the chal- lenge of a lifetime that will have an impact on you and on the near future. Go on and decide which challenge you will take on simultane- ously. Later your paths will cross. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Sometimes happiness means making the most of what’s going on right now and finding something exciting about it, and sometimes happiness means declaring (if only to yourself), “Next!” LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Your digital inbox may be a wild jungle of a place, and so, too, is the inbox of your life right now. So many offers! Some of them are random; some are general. You can weed all of that out and focus on the shining gems. 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 TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (March 2). There are teams you’re born or thrown into, and there are teams you choose. Choosing well will bring your great delight. Your ambition may get the best of you, but you’ll shock all by proving it wasn’t even lofty enough. May and July are the best times to give, invest and commit. Someone younger makes your heart soar. Taurus and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 16, 3, 38, 2 and 49.